Bleachers

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing for Grisham
Review: Unless you have played football, there is little to enjoy about Bleachers. Grisham's weakest work, it is nothing like his previous great novels. The book is very short, and a quick read, but without much depth. The plot remains undeveloped, the characters barely revealed. Overall a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: The personal symmetry was scary.
Review: After reading the dustjacket, I had to pick up Grisham's latest, BLEACHERS. The DJ soundbite drew my attention immediately as I had experienced many of the same events as the main character, albeit with a happier endings.

BLEACHERS is set in Messina, a small town in an undisclosed state in the U.S. The state doesn't matter as Grisham wants you to know that the small town is crux of the deeper meaning. If I had to guess, I see Messina in the South Central U.S., say Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, particularly given the zealous nature of the town's love affair with a high school sport. Regardless, however one paints a small town in their mind should do just fine for the requisite imagery needed to place this story. Football is the sport of choice and anyone who is anyone played for the Messina Spartans and legendary coach Eddie Rake.

BLEACHERS is the story of Coach Rake and his former players, as told from the perspective of one Messina's own heros, Neely Crenshaw. Crenshaw was the Spartans' former high school All-American quarterback during a time when the Spartans were enmeshed as a perennial state championship football team. The reader learns very quickly how an All-American high school career can turn into broken dreams with injury. Neely Crenshaw, the guy with the golden arm, has his promising college (and perhaps pro) career cut short when his knee was toasted by a cheap shot on the sideline. Ah, the symmetry.

Neely and many other former players return to Messina and their former glory as Coach Rake, the architect of a local sports dynasty and perhaps the most powerful man in Messina, is dying. While Neely left Messina and never looked back, most of his teammates never left town and are now bankers, lawyers, policemen and, in one particurlary hilarious case, a chop-shop owner who is always one step ahead of the local constable. The site of their reunion is none other than the high school football field, the field of dreams and legends. These former players, from varying classes, meet at the stadium and fill the "bleachers" to reminisce.

While many, if not most, of the former players revere Coach Rake, Neely Crenshaw has an altogether different feeling about the man. He hates him. It seems this fervent enmity was manifested from an incident during halftime of the 1987 state championship game, a game that saw Messina down by 31 points at halftime. And, a game that saw the coaches refusal to return to the sidelines for the second half. The team members swore themselves to secrecy and Neely promised never to return to Messina. It took him 15 years and Coach Rake's fate for him to break that promise.

BLEACHERS, considered "just another short story" by many reviewers, will most likely hit home with other readers. It certainly did with me. As mentioned earlier, the symmetry for me was uncanny and, while I can say I made some better decisions than Neely (thanks to many guiding hands), I personally experienced many of Neely's joys and mishaps.

BLEACHERS won't be a revelation or epiphany for most but it can bring back memories of "the day." Grisham proves himself a deeper writer than the dyed-in-the-wool taskmaster of the legal thriller genre. And, while he is the master of this genre, I can fully understand why he would want to try something new, break new ground if you will. I applaud his continuous efforts to seek renewal, for renewal brings fresh perspective to the mainstream and for those of us who love to read Grisham, new perspective is welcome news for the future.

A very good, 1 - 2 hour read. Those reviewers distressed over his foray into an area not "all things legal thriller," should give the man some latitude. Think about it from a personal perspective and understand the need for cathartic renewal.

Rating:
Summary: John Grisham At His Best!
Review: A small town, a dying football coach, and a powerful secret that is revealed is what master-writer JOHN GRISHAM'S newest novel is all about. BLEACHERS is a wonderful story about life, hope, and regret...A `story not to be missed! Fabulous Book...Fabulous Writer!

Rating:
Summary: Solid Book
Review: This book tells the story of a great high school quarterback (if in fact there is such a thing) who comes home when his old coach is dying. He has left the town, but he will never be forgotten. While glorifying the days of high school and the mystique of Eddie Rake, Grisham slyly makes their current lives almost pathetic. The book is a quick read, probably is a much better value in paperback, and is more for sports fans than the usual John Grisham audience.

Rating:
Summary: Not so good
Review: I'm not an avid reader, but I usually enjoy whatever I do read. This one was surprisingly boring, especially from such a well known author. Without playing high school football, or growing up in a small town, it gives some insight, but I found myself uninterested in any of the characters and completely empty and kind of releaved when I finished the book. Hey, at least it was short.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Outstanding story, phenominal. I could barely put it down. I just wish it was longer.

Rating:
Summary: Those golden memories.....
Review: Grisham's "Bleachers" struck a chord with me. I found myself thinking back to the carefree days of high school and my football team. When I finished the book, I immediately ordrered two copies; one for a former teammate and one for my high school football coach. If you played high school sports, especially football, you must read "Bleachers".

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: This is by far the most mediocre Grisham I've ever read. Pass

Rating:
Summary: The worst yet
Review: Whatever happened to the thrillers Mr. Grisham used to write? The last two books of his have done nothing for me, I guess I am expecting the same kind of excitement as in "The Firm" "Pelican Brief", etc.

Rating:
Summary: WORTH A READ
Review: Bleachers is Grisham's second novella in as many years. Again he proves he can write something other than a legal thriller, but again, you wish he would flesh the story out a bit more than the meager 163 pages offered here.

The impending death of the Messina Spartans' football coach Eddie Rake is the focus, as seen through the eyes of a high school football hero has-been by the name of Neely Crenshaw. Crenshaw grudgingly returns to Messina awaiting the death of his former coach. He spends his time reminiscing with former friends and players and enjoys the brotherhood of all who played for coach Rake. Crenshaw reexamines his life since the high school gridiron and attempts to right a wrong with a girl from high school.

There is a bit of intrigue, as Grisham waits well into the story to explain "what happened" to sour Crenshaw to Rake. Much of the criticism of this book has been harsh. Though I would love to have seen something more the length of THE PAINTED HOUSE I enjoyed the telling of this story. Grisham's prose pull you in. You realize how well this book is written when you consider the whole story about football is told with 90% of the action occurring in the bleachers.

Bottom line: This is worth reading.