Home :: Books :: Audio CDs  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs

Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
Bleachers

Bleachers

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $15.72
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 .. 28 >>

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not Grisham's best, but worth a look.
Review: "Bleachers" is a good, quick read. Neely Crenshaw is a well-defined character with complicated motives. Some of the other characters are more one-dimensional. "Bleachers" is not as well written as "A Painted House," Grisham's most successful non-legal novel, but it is definitely worth the few hours it will take to finish the book. Former high school football players will recognize the emotions Grisham evokes in this short novel. As principal of small town high school, I empathize with the townspeople in the book whose lives revolve around the big game on Friday night. This isn't "The Rainmaker," but if you keep your expectation low you will enjoy "Bleachers."

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: don't buy it
Review: I enjoy John Grisham, I've read every thing he has written but this one takes the cake. Every time he goes out of the law genre he flops it. and this he did big time. So you grisham fans out there don't buy it. It's not his forte and he's not into football. Lousy book.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not his best
Review: John Grisham's books are intriguing and well written, even his venture in other areas of writing besides legal thrillers has been great. But this book wasn't his greatest. It was good in showing broken dreams and it was heaertfelt and inspiring, but it was somewhat boring and could have been written a little better. It's crazy to think Grisham can only write legal thrillers. His other non-courtroom books were great. this one just falls a little short.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not too EXCITING!
Review: I thought BLEACHERS was an ok book. It showed how important football is in most small towns, which might have been hard for some people to relate to. I think Grisham could have made the book much more exciting. He really didnt draw you into the situation as much as he should have with a book like this. I did think the end was good because he finally let Neely show some emotion.
This would be a good book for someone who really likes football and other sports or someone who can relate to the trials that highschool athletes go through. Otherwise I wouldnt reccomend it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: I own and have read every book written by this Author. This book is best summed up in one word. BORING. I don't know what he was thinking when he wrote this. What a complete disappoinment. For all you die hard Grishham fans, save your money and skip this one.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring
Review: Wooden characters, no story, no plot. Why was this book written at all. Don't bother with this. Just as poor as Skipping Christmas.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: First Time Grisham Reader
Review: I was a little taken aback by all the negative reviews here. I'd heard about this book while on a trip home and bought it at the airport for the flight back. Maybe it was because I was leaving my own hometown that this story ended up moving me.

I've never read a John Grisham novel before but I really liked this one. And I'm not even a sports fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good solid story telling
Review: This isn't about corrupt judges, idealistic lawyers or dumb juries. It's not even about high school football.

It's about middle America. It's about the thousands of towns and communities across this nation that are held together by Friday nite football games, Fall BBQs, and deep lasting friendships that transcend high school rivalries, big city careers, moral missteps, and lost glory. It's about how we live and die by the vision of ourselves, our place in the greater scheme of things, even though this vision may seem trivial from the distance of time. For without vision, we indeed perish.

I picked up the book and finished it in two hours. It grabbed me from the opening paragraph and never let go till the end. Grisham's use of the language was effective, satisfying, palatable. Reminds me of a robust old vine cabernet I once enjoyed. It's a *very* good book and a great read for the Fall season.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Love/hate relationship
Review: Neely Crenshaw returns to his hometown where he was once a football hero. His former coach, Eddie Rake, is dying and Crenshaw's teammates are returning to keep a vigil. Some of them remember Rake fondly because of the life lessons he taught them, but they all feared him when playing under his driven, tyrannical leadership. Neely has his own demons, fostered by a long-hidden incident between him and his former coach. He also has regrets about his shabby treatment of his first girlfriend and a football career that was short-circuited in college after a cheap shot from a defending player. He talks to his old football buddies and a flood of memories returns, showing him how much his life has been impacted by his years on the football field. His hometown reflects the positive and negative qualities of being football-obsessed, as do its former heroes. This is a slim volume which may disappoint those who prefer Grisham's courtroom dramas, but it is a good story with a lot of truths expressed in it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bleachers - A Great Book
Review: In his fictional novel Bleachers, John Grisham tells the story of a small town that lives for high school football. Every Friday night for the past forty years, the entire town of Messina has gathered to cheer their revered Spartans to victory. The novel ends on a Friday, but sadly the townspeople gather for a much less joyous reason. The town assembles to mourn the death of the Spartans beloved coach, Eddie Rake. Messina residents worshiped Rake for putting the town on the map by creating one of the strongest football programs in the country. On the other hand, some former Spartan players detested Rake because he was an extremely demanding and aggressive coach. Upon hearing of Rake's death, Neely Crenshaw, the greatest Spartan quarterback, returns to Messina after 15 years. Eddie Rake had very high expectations for Neely, but in college when Crenshaw was hit in the knees, his NFL dreams were shattered. Though Rake respected Neely as a talented football player, he did not get along with him. Rake's dislike for Crenshaw resulted in a couple serious altercations between the two men. Neely comes to Messina seeking closure to these arguments. Bleachers traces Crenshaw's journey to forgiving Rake, and ultimately himself.
The style of writing seen in Bleachers is very different than that of Grisham's usual bestsellers. John Grisham is known for his enticing legal dramas, such as the Street Lawyer. Bleachers can be described as a fictitious novel about a former football player's regret and path to reconciliation. Although I have read only one other Grisham book, I found that he is a talented writer in both genres.
One of the most appealing aspects of Bleachers is the author. Even before opening the book, the reader knows that it is probably a good book because John Grisham's name graces the cover. Many people have read and enjoyed other novels written by John Grisham, and are interested in reading another one of his works. The description of the characters is another likable facet of Bleachers. The fact that the reader can almost feel the emotions of the main characters is utterly incredible. For example, readers could relate Neely Crenshaw's sense of regret and disappointment to a particular time in their own life. The differences in personality that varied from each character to another were remarkable. My favorite part of Bleachers was its brevity. Although it was a quick read, Grisham includes plenty of details that allow the reader to fully appreciate the characters and their surroundings.
The weakest part of Bleachers was the lack of interesting dialogue. The reader could not get much information about a character from the tone of their dialogue. The characters either spoke for entire pages or just one word. While the length of dialogue should vary throughout the book, Grisham could not seem to find a happy medium between short and long dialogue. The fact that Bleachers was a bit depressing is another unpleasant quality. Although every book cannot be happy, uplifting books are more enjoyable to read. It is very upsetting that Neely does not realize the opportunities that he had until he missed them. This is especially depressing because everyone who reads the book can think of a time when they missed out on a great chance. Another heart-wrenching scene in the book is when Coach Rake dies. My eyes filled with tears when a few former players delivered eulogies at Eddie Rake's funeral. One former player said, "Let's all bury the hatchet, lay down our arms, and make peace over Eddie Rake. We are all one in Christ. And in this wonderful little town, we are on in Eddie Rake" (Grisham 154). This quote symbolizes the need for the people of Messina and the former players to forgive Eddie Rake for his flaws, and forgive themselves for their own flaws.
Bleachers is a great book that is full of lessons to be learned. Like Neely, the reader must learn to forget the past and not dwell on one's failures or regrets. The reader also learns that they should never pass up an opportunity because they do not know if it will be their last chance. No one likes to think back on missed chances, shattered dreams, or petty arguments, so it is important live for the present and take advantage of every chance one gets.


<< 1 .. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 .. 28 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates