book review: the pelican brief

Well, I have finally finished "The Pelican Brief" and it was so good. There will be spoilers in this review, so if you don't want to know...then stop now. The first thing that popped into my mind was how much was cut from the book in the movie.  It almost seemed like a completely different story. The main character, Darby Shaw, was much sassier in the book which made her not as likable. I also was surprised that Darby and Grantham ended up in a relationship at the end, which was a nice twist, just unexpected since I was used to the movie ending. Another thing that really struck me was the character Mattice. In the movie, he's just a name that has power, money, and connections. In the book, he's an actual character and you get to know him a bit which I liked very much. It made him seem real and much more of a threat. 

It was amazing to me just how I would read the book and then get to a portion that was "new", and it added so much more to the story or explained better why something else happened. For example, all the different assassin attempts in the book really explained or emphasized the danger element and made Darby's paranoia more real. Another example is how Darby really explains the background or her research that led to the pelican brief. I was always curious about how she got to her conclusion, and while some of that is mentioned in the movie, in the book she goes into the background, and it really becomes clear how crooked and deceptive the pelican plot was. 

I guess it's true what they say...the book is always better. There are no time restrains on a novel and no cutting or editing for audience reasons. It's just you and a good story, read at your pace, with only the interruptions that you allow. So, if you're looking for a good mystery, then check out "The Pelican Brief" a classic mystery written by John Grisham at his finest. And if you've already read it and seen the movie, then let me know what you think. Which was better the book or the movie?
Until next time....