I don’t remember when I first saw the 1957 Sidney Lumet film, 12 Angry Men, but it has always been a favorite of mine. I don’t really know how I missed the fact that it was based on a book!
Twelve Angry Men
Author: Reginald Rose
Pages: 96
Format: Paperback
Published: January 1, 1954
Publisher: Penguin Classics
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: December 25, 2024
My rating: 
Thoughts
The book itself is really a script, and a pretty simple one at that. There is minimal stage direction since it all takes place within one room over the course of a few hours.
The story is also simple – 12 men in a jury arguing the guilt or innocence of an alleged murderer. But it really isn’t so simple, actually. One man, juror 8 initially votes “not guilty” simply because he wants to talk over the facts more, given that the defendant will be put to death if found guilty. He concedes multiple times throughout that the defendant may, in fact, be guilty. However, he feels the incredible pressure to make sure the jurors do their jobs right.
Over the course of the play, there is more and more reasonable doubt introduced throughout the characters.
As someone who has a very strong sense of justice, I hate to see a guilty person walk free. However, I hate even more the injustice of an innocent person being incarcerated or worse.
This is a very quick read that I would encourage be read in one sitting. It should take the average reader less than two hours and it is completely worth it.
This book is 5 out of 5 stars given its readability, its faith in the U.S. judicial system, and its timelessness.
