The Chamber (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Chamber is a legal thriller
written by American author John Grisham
.
, is the story of Sam Cayhall, a former Klansman
who has been convicted of murder and sentenced to death by gas chamber
20 years after his bombing of a Jewish lawyer's office.
Cayhall's sentence has so far been held up by legal maneuvering, but with all his appeal
s exhausted, he has weeks to live.
His grandson Adam Hall, a lawyer
(whose father Eddie changed his family's name because of the disgraceful family history), journeys south from Chicago to represent Sam in the final month before the date of execution.
Adam decided to become a lawyer soon after his father committed suicide
on the day that Sam was convicted of murder in Mississippi
. Adam is determined to argue a stay
for his grandfather, in spite of Sam's violent past, because Sam is one of the few living links to his family's history. Sam and his daughter Lee Cayhall (Adam's aunt) reveal the sad, brutal history of their family.
Initially uncooperative, Sam eventually opens up to Adam, and it transpires that Sam did not in fact commit the actual crime for which he has been found guilty. Nevertheless, he has a long and largely secret history of Klan-related crime and has killed several times. As Adam desperately argues motion after motion, the story moves to its last moments.
The novel combines elements of legal commentary and suspense to fully illustrate the complications surrounding various legal issues, such as the death penalty and racism
.
sued Grisham in 1995, alleging The Chamber had striking similarities to Defending the Devil, her nonfiction book about her experiences as lawyer for serial killer
Ted Bundy
. After Grisham prevailed in a lower court ruling in 1996, the case was dismissed on appeal in 1997.
starring Gene Hackman
and Chris O'Donnell
.
Legal thriller
The legal thriller is a sub-genre of thriller and crime fiction in which the major characters are lawyers and their employees. The system of justice itself is always a major part of these works, at times almost functioning as one of the characters...
written by American author John Grisham
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
.
Plot
The Chamber, set largely in and around the Mississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
, is the story of Sam Cayhall, a former Klansman
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
who has been convicted of murder and sentenced to death by gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
20 years after his bombing of a Jewish lawyer's office.
Cayhall's sentence has so far been held up by legal maneuvering, but with all his appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s exhausted, he has weeks to live.
His grandson Adam Hall, a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
(whose father Eddie changed his family's name because of the disgraceful family history), journeys south from Chicago to represent Sam in the final month before the date of execution.
Adam decided to become a lawyer soon after his father committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on the day that Sam was convicted of murder in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Adam is determined to argue a stay
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
for his grandfather, in spite of Sam's violent past, because Sam is one of the few living links to his family's history. Sam and his daughter Lee Cayhall (Adam's aunt) reveal the sad, brutal history of their family.
Initially uncooperative, Sam eventually opens up to Adam, and it transpires that Sam did not in fact commit the actual crime for which he has been found guilty. Nevertheless, he has a long and largely secret history of Klan-related crime and has killed several times. As Adam desperately argues motion after motion, the story moves to its last moments.
The novel combines elements of legal commentary and suspense to fully illustrate the complications surrounding various legal issues, such as the death penalty and racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
.
Lawsuit and dismissal
Lawyer and author Polly NelsonPolly Nelson
Polly Jean Nelson is an American attorney and author. She is best known as a member of serial killer Ted Bundy's last defense team from 1986 until his execution in 1989.-Education and early career:...
sued Grisham in 1995, alleging The Chamber had striking similarities to Defending the Devil, her nonfiction book about her experiences as lawyer for serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Ted Bundy
Ted Bundy
Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile who assaulted and murdered numerous young women during the 1970s, and possibly earlier...
. After Grisham prevailed in a lower court ruling in 1996, the case was dismissed on appeal in 1997.
Film adaptation
In 1996, The Chamber was made into a feature filmThe Chamber (film)
The Chamber is a 1996 drama/thriller film based on John Grisham's novel of the same name. The film was directed by James Foley and stars Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell.-Plot:...
starring Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
and Chris O'Donnell
Chris O'Donnell
Christopher Eugene "Chris" O'Donnell is an American actor. He has played Robin in two Batman films, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, Charlie Simms in Scent of a Woman, Finn Dandridge in Grey's Anatomy, Peter Garrett in Vertical Limit, and more recently, Jack McAuliffe in The Company. O'Donnell...
.
External links
- "The Chamber Excerpt." John Grisham Official Website
- "The Chamber." Google Books