Bleachers

Rating:
Summary: Starts Like an Undefeated Season, Ends in Disappointment
Review: John Grisham is a great storyteller, and Bleachers started out with a lot of promise. Too bad that the novel faltered and died along with Coach Rake. Grisham had a lot of ways to go where he could have tied up loose ends and even brought in some lessons. Instead, the novel ends in cliche and angst. Perhaps Grisham could have learned from the words of Coach Rake and "never quit." What a shame because the first half of the novel was good enough to be among his best writing.

Rating:
Summary: Buy it!
Review: BLEACHERS is the story of Nelly Crenshaw. Nelly was an All-American Quarterback for his highschool team in the late 80's. He's come back to the small town of Messina because his old coach, Ed Rake, is on his deathbed. Nelly heads to Rake Field where he used to play and is flooded with memories of his football days. He's joined by many of his old teammates who have moved on, for better or for worse, as well as former players who were coached under Rake. Rake had a long career coaching football and he made a huge impact on these men lives, as well as the entire town. The men gather on the bleachers to drink and reminisce about their football days and their current lives as they wait for Coach Rake to pass away. I completely enjoyed this book, although it's very different from the usual John Grisham fare. It's less about slick action and plot and more about the big question: the meaning of life. Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: reliving the passion of Friday nights
Review: If you have ever grown up in a small football town, you will relive that time of your life, good or bad. Growing up in Ohio, it was almost like being there again. I wasn't an all-american, wasn't a starter, rarely played, but the relationship with a coach with over 300 wins was important to each of us who played for him. His approval was very important to us, but more importantly, his lessons were what turned us into men. Thanks Mr. Grisham, for a story that puts it in perspective. And thanks, Coach, for the lessons.

Rating:
Summary: Trip back to high school
Review: For those that have given ill reviews to Mr. Grisham's latest, I suspect they were never involved in small-town sports, especially football. Reared in a small, Texas town, football was a way of life for me, much like it is for the environs of Messina. Reading this book in a single sitting, I couldn't help but live my glory days again. We were adored and pampered by our people, and that is something that only high school football will allow a great many, young boys and girls. Thanks, Mr. Grisham, for such a great story.

Rating:
Summary: How did he know?
Review: John Grisham's Bleachers is a book that everyone who knows small town footballl needs to read.
While reading this book I was taken back to my high school years, and I didn't even play football!!
I know these characters, I grew up with them, and the coach is a blend of every mentor I ever had.
Thank you Mr. Grisham for making me remember that the people who were toughest on me cared the most.

Rating:
Summary: Short, sentimental, and reasonably satisfying
Review: This slim (168 pages) novel follows a week in the vigil and funeral for an historic high school football coach in a small town devoted religiously to the sport. Actually, fanatics, crazed, zealots, insane boosters and other, even stronger words come to mind to describe the town's commitment, The pending death of the coach gives reason for a goodly number of his 700-plus former athletes to come into town. Neely - the knee-damaged super quarterback of the stunning 1987 state championship -- is back, for the first time in a long time. He, not the dying coach, is the center of the story.

Supporting Neely is a good array of colorful characters, high school jock stereotypes - the gangly, misfooted punter who later comes out of the closet and now owns a book store, the star receiver now managing the local bank, the convict, the ex-convict, and the current sheriff, the scrawny back who suffers a terrible fate, and more. And there is the memory of the perfect, dumb, devilish, blonde cheerleader, who is out of town but on the mind of more players than just Neely. She took Neely away from another stereotype: the cute girl who grows up to be perfect. Neely can't forget her and she can't forgive him for leaving her for the legs and lungs of the vixen.

There is not much time to develop the characters, not in these few pages. Two threads run through the book: the death that led to the coach's firing and the mystery behind that 1987 state championship when, trailing 31-0 at the half, Neely and Silo (Yes, he's built like a silo; there's also one athlete named Hindu.) lead the team back for a miraculous win. Best of all, one alum drags out a tape of the second half, allowing a radio broadcast to magnify the mystery: Why did the coaches not return to the field for the second half.

The funeral and the final showdown with the jilted first love provide answers. While no great novel, and no great work of art, "Bleachers" offers a sweet trip down memory lane for any boy who ever fastened a leather chin strap on an old high school helmet, and who never got the girl, the championship, or the short-lived, bittersweet glory. And you can read it in ninety minutes. Or rent "Everybody's All-American" to watch Dennis Quaid play someone quite like Neely.

Rating:
Summary: It's Okay
Review: I am a big Grisham fan, and I have read and enjoyed every one of his books. This book however, never seemed to go anywhere. I live in the south and I know how we worship our football and it's players, so I found the book very believable and real. It's just that it seemed a little predictable. Here is the quarterback hero returning home for the first time in a while, and he has issues. Who doesn't? He feels like a failure, has no real direction in his life and made stupid mistakes along the way. What I didn't like was that there weren't any surprises, but on the flip side of that it was very real to life.
Read it if you have nothing else pressing to do.

Rating:
Summary: Bleachers
Review: Although this book is not the typical John Grisham book, it is still well worth reading. If you liked the Christmas book that Grisham wrote then you are sure to enjoy this one. This was an enjoyable, relaxing read that takes you back to your highschool days. I hope that every once in a while Grisham will take us out of the courtroom and into our own lives, its a joy to read these type of books, written by such a great author.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: My first Grisham read in a while, and a very satisfying one. This novella is about high school football as religion and takes place in the fictional small town of Messina. The story centers around Neely Crenshaw, a superstar quarterback at the school fifteen years ago. Crenshaw is returning to town along with many players from over the years to pay tribute to legendary coach Eddie Rake, who is dying of cancer.

Crenshaw carries several layers of baggage with him as he hits town: A knee injury in college ended a promising NFL career, and it's clear from the beginning of the story that he has issues with Rake that have never been dealt with. Crenshaw also has the opportunity to deal with first love Cameron, a young woman whose heart he broke during high school. He also has a difficult time dealing with the folks who still admire his exploits on the gridiron--what he doesn't want them to see is his limp, thanks to a ruined knee.

Short and sweet, this is a warm, atmospheric tale that it's a nice change of pace from the usual Grisham legal thriller genre. Even folks who don't care for football will get caught up in the emotion of the small town as their coaching hero is dying, and the same can be said for the many players of all ages who have scattered like the wind in the years since they played for Coach Rake. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: What was he thinking?
Review: I am a BIG Grisham fan, however what was he thinking? This book drones on and on with no real story. I was VERY dissapointed and since it is so short, I suggest everyone read it AT the bookstore if you want to try it.