Yes, I know it was made into a movie, but Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer didn't overly strike a note that resonated with me. The premise for the book is a solid one; a street tough defense attorney gets his first 'franchise' case when the son of a high powered family is charged with murder. Attorney Mickey Haller thinks he has struck oil until the case gets increasingly cloudy.
Throughout the book I was wondering what was bugging me about this novel and it wasn't until I finished it that it hit me. It felt like a less exciting John Grisham book. The dialogue was a bit dry and Haller's character seemed incomplete and often lacking enough emotion. In a book so heavily reliant on talking, it wasn't crisp enough to keep me hooked.
What makes me hesitant to be negative about this book is the plot. It is a winner all the way, with twists and turns in decent frequency. Its simply the way Connelly has his characters react to events that misses the mark.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is the ultra, let me say again, ULTRA, rare instance where I enjoyed the movie over the book. The movie fixed that dialogue issue and let me enjoy the rest of what Connelly made.
Characters: ** 1/2. (2 1/2 stars)
Plot: *** (3 stars)
Plausibility: *** 1/2. (3 1/2 stars)
Overall: *** (3 stars)
Just a note...Read the book before watching the movie or it will ruin it for you!
Check back Thursday for a new post!!
Haha I read the book last summer!!! I didn't see the movie yet. Every time when I go to the gas station I would see that the Lincoln Lawyer is available and would reach for it until I see another movie that I want to see like Cowboys and Aliens haha. Next time I will make sure to watch the Lincoln Lawyer if there aren't any other good movies!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good flick! Cowboys and Aliens is good too though ;)
ReplyDeleteThe actors are really what make The Lincoln Lawyer good.
Cheers buddy!