By Mindy Reed
The 1994 book The Chamber by John Grisham is one of the author’s earlier books when he was writing for readers instead of film producers for a possible movie. More than a legal thriller, the novel addresses themes of racism, the justice/injustice system, and the promise of redemption. The result is thought-provoking, which is greater in scope than the cookie-cutter legal thriller.
The novel revolves around a death row inmate, Sam, a convicted murderer with only months until his execution. Although there is no doubt this Klansman committed the atrocities, a 26-year-old attorney takes up Sam’s stay of execution. Adam is Sam’s estranged grandson. He has no illusions that his grandfather is innocent of these hateful crimes, rather it is his stance against capital punishment.
Sometimes, fiction gives us the opportunity to think about difficult subjects, as with The Chamber, but for those who prefer factual accounts, around the same time as the Grisham book and subsequent film was the publication and movie of Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean, which also speaks to taking responsibility for our actions and the impact of capital punishment. Thirty years later, we continue to struggle with the literary themes.