A review by enigmatic_andi
Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose

dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I’m a law student and find it hard to resist the courtroom genre. 

The play can be a little hard to follow since none of the characters have names. They are members of a jury deliberating after hearing a murder case. A teenage boy is being tried as an adult for stabbing his father to death; the story is set in 1957 and the death penalty is on the table. 

Our main character, Juror #8, is the lone hold-out who says the boy is not guilty. He passionately talks about the teenager’s home life and the dad’s prior history of abuse. 

It’s great to read as kind of a thought experiment. If you were on the jury, would #8 convince you or would you vote guilty? I’d side with #8.