Scott Turow's most recent novel is a sequel to this 1989 legal thriller. I generally like Turow, and he's done some amazing work in the anti-death penalty community, so I'd like to support his writing. I'm a long queue at the library for the new novel, so I figured I better read the first one - which has been sitting on my shelves courtesy of my mother for years. I remember seeing this movie a long time ago, but couldn't remember anything about it except one scene at the end that presumably revealed the "real killer." The book takes place in the midwest, in the middle of a big District Attorney election. Rusty Sabich is the number two man in the DA office, backing the incumbent, when one of his colleagues and former lovers is murdered. He is chosen to head the investigation, and of course fails to disclose his prior relationship. When his mentor loses the race to a man Sabich once fired from the office, things go south quickly, and Sabich finds himself on trial for the murder. The book tracks both the investigation and the day-to-day courtroom drama, building the suspense and making you root for Sabich, even if he isn't the most sympathetic character. About half-way through reading the book, I remembered the significance of the last scene in the movie, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book at all. Definitely looking forward to the sequel coming in.Saturday, July 17, 2010
Presumed Innocent - Scott Turow
Scott Turow's most recent novel is a sequel to this 1989 legal thriller. I generally like Turow, and he's done some amazing work in the anti-death penalty community, so I'd like to support his writing. I'm a long queue at the library for the new novel, so I figured I better read the first one - which has been sitting on my shelves courtesy of my mother for years. I remember seeing this movie a long time ago, but couldn't remember anything about it except one scene at the end that presumably revealed the "real killer." The book takes place in the midwest, in the middle of a big District Attorney election. Rusty Sabich is the number two man in the DA office, backing the incumbent, when one of his colleagues and former lovers is murdered. He is chosen to head the investigation, and of course fails to disclose his prior relationship. When his mentor loses the race to a man Sabich once fired from the office, things go south quickly, and Sabich finds himself on trial for the murder. The book tracks both the investigation and the day-to-day courtroom drama, building the suspense and making you root for Sabich, even if he isn't the most sympathetic character. About half-way through reading the book, I remembered the significance of the last scene in the movie, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book at all. Definitely looking forward to the sequel coming in.
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This book is much more than a legal thriller. MUCH more. Turow delves into the depths of the human soul, ripping his characters apart and showing utter vulnerability and realism. The best parts of this novel to me were not the legal procedings, although they are definitely entertaining. I was more captivated by the lengthy moments of self reflection by the main character Rusty Sabich, as well as his ability to describe the motives behind each character with such psychological simplicity.
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