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Bleachers Author: John Grisham Binding: Paperback Published: 2007-05-29 ISBN: 0385340877 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours from Delta Price: $9.60 Editorial Review: High school all-American Neely Crenshaw was probably the best quarterback ever to play for the legendary Messina Spartans. Fifteen years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie Rake, the man who molded the Spartans into an unbeatable football dynasty. Now, as Coach Rake's "boys" sit in the bleachers waiting for the dimming field lights to signal his passing, they replay the old games, relive the old glories, and try to decide once and for all whether they love Eddie Rake - or hate him. For Neely Crenshaw, a man who must finally forgive his coach - and himself - before he can get on with his life, the stakes are especially high. With Bleachers John Grisham departs again from the legal thriller to experiment with a character-driven tale of reunion, broken high school dreams, and missed chances. While the book falls short of the compelling storytelling that has made Grisham a bestselling author, it is nonetheless a diverting novella that succeeds as light fiction. The story centers on the impending death of the Messina Spartans' football coach Eddie Rake. One of the most victorious coaches in high school football history, Rake is a man both loved and feared by his players and by a town that relishes his 13 state titles. The hero of the novel is Neely Crenshaw, a former Rake All-American whose NFL prospects ended abruptly after a cheap shot to the knees. Neely has returned home for the first time in years to join a nightly vigil for Rake at the Messina stadium. Having wandered through life with little focus since his college days, he struggles to reconcile his conflicted feelings towards his former coach, and he assays to rekindle love in the ex-girlfriend he abandoned long ago. For Messina and for Neely, the homecoming offers the prospect of building a life after Rake. Physically a narrow book, Bleachers is a modest fiction in many respects. The emotional scope is akin to that of a short story, with a single-minded focus on explorations of nostalgia and regret. The dialogue, especially that of Neely's friend Paul Curry, is sometimes wooden as characters recall Messina history in paragraphs that were perhaps better left to the narrator. But Grisham has otherwise written a well-made, entertaining--if a bit sentimental--story. --Patrick O'Kelley Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 "A Great Story!" "A Review by Kevin C., a 7th Grader" "A Must Read For Former Football Players" "It was just OK"   Ready to buy? Price: $9.60 List Price: $12.00 You save: $2.40 (20%)

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

• A Great Story!
  I picked up this book being very skeptical, not knowing what I was diving into because I had heard and read some pretty bad reviews on this book. I love John Grisham and keeping in mind that he is famous for his legal thrillers I didn't really know if I was going to like this book or not. Boy I have never been so glad to be wrong in my life. I read this book in 3 days wishing it wouldn't end. I LOVED the story. I related to it a lot being from a small town myself and living somewhere where our high school... more info

• A Review by Kevin C., a 7th Grader
  "Number 19 was a high school all-American, a highly recruited quarterback with a golden arm, fast feet, plenty of size, maybe the greatest Messina ever produced." Number 19 is Neely Crenshaw, former Messina Spartan quarterback. Neely has returned to his old hometown of Messina, where his former coach, Eddie Rake, is on the verge of death. Neely's number is the last retired Spartan number, and his return brings back memories of the good old days of Messina. Ultimately, he wonders if Rake loved him or hated... more info

• A Must Read For Former Football Players
  Grisham departs away from his normal lawyer dramas and this is what makes this book so refreshing. Having been a former football player myself, this book deeply hit those old memories. Walking upon the gridiron that we labored on since we were barely able to pull our shoulder pads on. This book's plot is pretty much figured a quarter way through, yet Grisham still compels the reader to continue along. Overall anyone who enjoys the sport of American football will enjoy this book, anyone else won't understand... more info

• It was just OK
  It just wasn't my thing. It was recommended to me so I gave it a try.

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