This book started off rather well. A quick phrase to grab your attention and get you sucked in. The author also introduced the plot and immersed the reader in the story very quickly. On top of the quick pace the story is very well described. “He ran bent at the waist, like a scared dog, guilty as hell.” (p. 1) is and example of the descriptions used in the book. It is also an illustration of the narrator’s voice too. The story is told from the third person which is unusual to the books I normally read. The voice knows everything but fails to describe some of the strange coincidences that put Clay (a public defendant in D.C.) and Tequila (a crack addict who killed pumpkin) into contact. It for instance didn’t explain why Clay didn’t know about the murder case to avoid it. It also never made a good reason for him working for the OPD (Office of the Public Defender) when he hates the job and has a degree from and exceptional law school and has several contacts in the law community AND nearly had a job with a large firm. To me the situation is ridicules, although the story is good.
Thus far the plot has unfolded quite a lot. The main character, Clay, and his girlfriend, Rebecca, split. This appears mostly to Clay’s not making enough money for her family to approve of him. Ironically clay immediately received a golden opportunity. This was do to Pace, a fireman. As a fireman he silences things that could cost people huge money before anyone catches wind of their mistake. Pace needs Clay’s help, and for cooperating Clay would instantly become a multi-millionaire. He immediately seeks his father’s advice although in the process he finds himself thinking about his old girlfriend and her disapproving family. I find that he still “loves” Rebecca, although I doubt he loves her he just doesn’t want to be alone, but refuses to admit it because of his immense hatred of her parents. The reason I doubt his love for her is because he says at one point in the narrative that through their relationship Rebecca became Clay’s only confidant and he now had no one to talk to. That is probably why he went to his father whom he has not seen in four years.
This book has gotten rather strange. Clay wrapped up his first case and is beginning work on his second. This however brings him to a mass tort convention where he sees many lawyers who work with large groups of people suing corporations. While he hears how much they make and how much they spend he is disgusted. He swears that when he finds his riches he will never spend it on stupid things as jets, yachts and the like. To me it seems he always wants the best of both worlds. He wants to have the money but retain his morals; he wanted to have Rebecca and not her parents or their constant hounding him. I am guessing that later in the book he will be sucked into the greedy mass tort world. Rebecca and Clay hooking back up seems highly unlikely because she already is betrothed. This is rather depressing new because she left clay only a month before the engagement. Clay’s life seems to be going nowhere but hey, he’s got money.
I am confident my predictions about Clay were right. He seems to be getting more wrapped up in the money game with the passing of every page. He has already combined with some of the biggest names in the business and is doing everything he can to make as much money as possible. An example of his new logic is when on his way to meet some of these people he flew in a private jet, something he never would have dreamed of using in his previous job. However when he gets to the meeting he sees some of his new associates’ jets and he feels inadequate. He is also spending money like mad trying to keep up with the demands of his new job. He has added around twenty or more new people to his staff and spent several million on advertising. I will admit I did lose track of how many new employees he has and the amount he spent on advertising but to me it seems bizarre to spend that much money for a chance at more. Rebecca has also been mentioned very little recently, and then when she is she is quickly forgotten. Clay’s father has been mentioned more than she has and Clay doesn’t seem to really like his father much. Clay seems to just feel sorry for him. I’m not sure what part Rebecca will play later but I don’t think it will be too important and I’m rather sure Clay’s dad isn’t too important.
My predictions were correct. Clay has been spending money like wild and has started buying ridicules toys such as a yacht and a jet. He has also found a woman whom he is using to replace Rebecca. The woman, Ridley is described as a Barbie doll or a trophy wife which also shows Clay’s new obsession with money. What surprised me though is he began working even harder bulldozing through sixteen hour workdays. I figured he would relax, become lazy, and blow all of his money. I have no idea where the book is going anymore. I’m not sure whether he’ll take his money and live happily ever after or he’ll lose it all and not live happily ever after. Over all though his life is running pretty smoothly, he’s got money, a beautiful woman, and, most importantly, he has a job which will provide him with more money and a hobby to fill his time.
Rebecca completely left the picture until the end of the reading. Then it became obvious that clay was not over her but was so busy that he didn’t have time to think of her. When he met with her, however, she seemed as though she wasn’t happy with her new life and wished to leave it. It wouldn’t be a good time to join Clay though because he is being attacked on all sides. The FBI is investigating him for some of the information he had used in the other trials where he won his millions. Some of his disgruntled clients are suing him for settling the cases to fast and rushing through them. He has also not seen his friend, Max Pace for some time and thus is left with almost no one to go to for advice. His only hope is his new case that could earn him billions, if it comes through.
In the beginning Clay seemed as though he was either going to crash or just barely survive. Everything was looking grim but he was still hoping to weather the storm. The cases he was counting on looked as though they would pull through. Pace is still gone, leaving Clay and a friend of his in Baltimore all alone to fend off the FBI though they look as though they might be able to succeed in that goal. Midway through the chapter though, his cases fell through. He was effectively stranded with no hope of survival. So he filed for bankruptcy and got out. The only bright spot was things weren’t working with Rebecca and her husband so they filed for divorce. That put Rebecca and Clay back together and the book ends in a happily ever after type scene with the two of them fleeing the London. The ending was a little surprising but not entirely. There was no way for Clay to weather the upcoming storms and that was obvious from chapter thirty. The real surprise was that Rebecca came back and together they fled. That seemed uncharacteristic for her.
Didn't the passage of background information say that Antigone was a victim of Creon's hubris? Some of you are suggesting that Antigone is the tragic hero. Thoughts on that.
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The King of Torts
Chapters 1-4
This book started off rather well. A quick phrase to grab your attention and get you sucked in. The author also introduced the plot and immersed the reader in the story very quickly. On top of the quick pace the story is very well described. “He ran bent at the waist, like a scared dog, guilty as hell.” (p. 1) is and example of the descriptions used in the book. It is also an illustration of the narrator’s voice too. The story is told from the third person which is unusual to the books I normally read. The voice knows everything but fails to describe some of the strange coincidences that put Clay (a public defendant in D.C.) and Tequila (a crack addict who killed pumpkin) into contact. It for instance didn’t explain why Clay didn’t know about the murder case to avoid it. It also never made a good reason for him working for the OPD (Office of the Public Defender) when he hates the job and has a degree from and exceptional law school and has several contacts in the law community AND nearly had a job with a large firm. To me the situation is ridicules, although the story is good.
The King of Torts
Chapters 5-12
Thus far the plot has unfolded quite a lot. The main character, Clay, and his girlfriend, Rebecca, split. This appears mostly to Clay’s not making enough money for her family to approve of him. Ironically clay immediately received a golden opportunity. This was do to Pace, a fireman. As a fireman he silences things that could cost people huge money before anyone catches wind of their mistake. Pace needs Clay’s help, and for cooperating Clay would instantly become a multi-millionaire. He immediately seeks his father’s advice although in the process he finds himself thinking about his old girlfriend and her disapproving family. I find that he still “loves” Rebecca, although I doubt he loves her he just doesn’t want to be alone, but refuses to admit it because of his immense hatred of her parents. The reason I doubt his love for her is because he says at one point in the narrative that through their relationship Rebecca became Clay’s only confidant and he now had no one to talk to. That is probably why he went to his father whom he has not seen in four years.
The King of Torts
Chapters 13-17
This book has gotten rather strange. Clay wrapped up his first case and is beginning work on his second. This however brings him to a mass tort convention where he sees many lawyers who work with large groups of people suing corporations. While he hears how much they make and how much they spend he is disgusted. He swears that when he finds his riches he will never spend it on stupid things as jets, yachts and the like. To me it seems he always wants the best of both worlds. He wants to have the money but retain his morals; he wanted to have Rebecca and not her parents or their constant hounding him. I am guessing that later in the book he will be sucked into the greedy mass tort world. Rebecca and Clay hooking back up seems highly unlikely because she already is betrothed. This is rather depressing new because she left clay only a month before the engagement. Clay’s life seems to be going nowhere but hey, he’s got money.
The King of Torts
Chapters 18-22
I am confident my predictions about Clay were right. He seems to be getting more wrapped up in the money game with the passing of every page. He has already combined with some of the biggest names in the business and is doing everything he can to make as much money as possible. An example of his new logic is when on his way to meet some of these people he flew in a private jet, something he never would have dreamed of using in his previous job. However when he gets to the meeting he sees some of his new associates’ jets and he feels inadequate. He is also spending money like mad trying to keep up with the demands of his new job. He has added around twenty or more new people to his staff and spent several million on advertising. I will admit I did lose track of how many new employees he has and the amount he spent on advertising but to me it seems bizarre to spend that much money for a chance at more.
Rebecca has also been mentioned very little recently, and then when she is she is quickly forgotten. Clay’s father has been mentioned more than she has and Clay doesn’t seem to really like his father much. Clay seems to just feel sorry for him. I’m not sure what part Rebecca will play later but I don’t think it will be too important and I’m rather sure Clay’s dad isn’t too important.
The King of Torts
Chapters 22-28
My predictions were correct. Clay has been spending money like wild and has started buying ridicules toys such as a yacht and a jet. He has also found a woman whom he is using to replace Rebecca. The woman, Ridley is described as a Barbie doll or a trophy wife which also shows Clay’s new obsession with money. What surprised me though is he began working even harder bulldozing through sixteen hour workdays. I figured he would relax, become lazy, and blow all of his money. I have no idea where the book is going anymore. I’m not sure whether he’ll take his money and live happily ever after or he’ll lose it all and not live happily ever after. Over all though his life is running pretty smoothly, he’s got money, a beautiful woman, and, most importantly, he has a job which will provide him with more money and a hobby to fill his time.
The King of Torts
Chapters 29-34
Rebecca completely left the picture until the end of the reading. Then it became obvious that clay was not over her but was so busy that he didn’t have time to think of her. When he met with her, however, she seemed as though she wasn’t happy with her new life and wished to leave it. It wouldn’t be a good time to join Clay though because he is being attacked on all sides. The FBI is investigating him for some of the information he had used in the other trials where he won his millions. Some of his disgruntled clients are suing him for settling the cases to fast and rushing through them. He has also not seen his friend, Max Pace for some time and thus is left with almost no one to go to for advice. His only hope is his new case that could earn him billions, if it comes through.
The King of Torts
Chapters 35-42
In the beginning Clay seemed as though he was either going to crash or just barely survive. Everything was looking grim but he was still hoping to weather the storm. The cases he was counting on looked as though they would pull through. Pace is still gone, leaving Clay and a friend of his in Baltimore all alone to fend off the FBI though they look as though they might be able to succeed in that goal. Midway through the chapter though, his cases fell through. He was effectively stranded with no hope of survival. So he filed for bankruptcy and got out. The only bright spot was things weren’t working with Rebecca and her husband so they filed for divorce. That put Rebecca and Clay back together and the book ends in a happily ever after type scene with the two of them fleeing the London. The ending was a little surprising but not entirely. There was no way for Clay to weather the upcoming storms and that was obvious from chapter thirty. The real surprise was that Rebecca came back and together they fled. That seemed uncharacteristic for her.
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