Bleachers

Rating:
Summary: a sportsfan must read
Review: I too have read the other reviews of this book and I was shocked. First of all, how could anything John Grisham composes be boring? Anyone who has ever played sports, or been part of a team will find this book opens a gateway to the past. The book is a short easy read, but provokes memories that are unique to each person. It made me reflect how much coaches and sports teach us.

Rating:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.