Bleachers
John Grisham
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2003 Doubleday
ISBN: 0385511612

One of the most victorious coaches in high school football history, Eddie Rake was a man both loved & feared by his players & the town that relishes his 13 state titles.

Sr. Associate Reviewer Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

I am a proud owner of all Grisham's novels. I am also in possession of a Grisham screenplay hitherto unpublished as a book, & also a copy of the author's one & only short story, titled The Birthday.

So need I say more about my liking for Grisham works -- or to put it in legalese Res Ipsa Loquiter (the thing or facts speaks for itself). Grisham's Bleachers, his third non-legal novel in as many years is, to say the least, a poignant read. Set in the background of American football -- the novel follows the life & times of Neely Crenshaw -- an All American star who is back in his hometown to pay his last respects to his coach & mentor Eddie Rake.

John Grisham has long been associated with the legal suspense genre, however, about three years back he broke the shackles & proved that he could do more, much more with A Painted House & Skipping Christmas.

The Internet is full of five star reviews for Bleachers, & true I must say I agree with them -- it is a mighty good read. But I would like to focus on one aspect that I found very, very interesting. Recently, a movie based on a Grisham screenplay (not made into a book) has hit the theatres in America, titled Mickey. I have had the good fortune to go through the screenplay of the movie & it looks quite interesting -- it's set in the background of Little League Baseball & follows the passion of a young boy & his father towards the game. As in Bleachers, the game (be it football or baseball) stands tall.

John Grisham's high regard for football, the adoration he had for some players are well portrayed. I particularly liked the scene in which a former star now in jail, arrives to pay his respects (in handcuffs) to his deceased coach, & how the little township shows its gratitude to the player by giving him a standing ovation. The situation was real touching, without being melodramatic.

A grand book, & an easy read.

More from John Grisham:
The Last Juror
The King of Torts
A Time To Kill
The Firm
The Summons
The Testament
The Pelican Brief
The Rainmaker
The Chamber
The Runaway Jury & many, many more!
(06/27/04)

Narayan
2004©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org