Bleachers is about a high school football team (American football, of course). Eddie Rake, the legendary coach of the Messina High School football team is now dying. Rake was responsible for transforming the team into an unbeatable unit during his 34 year reign as coach. Neely Crenshaw, one of the best players to have played on the team, and his old teammates gather at the football stadium and talk about the days when they played on the Messina Spartans team as they wait for Rake's death.
The team's less than cordial relationship with the coach forms the central theme of the book. As they talk about their days on the team, most of the players are unable to make up their minds about whether they loved their coach or hated him. Eddie Rake never makes an appearance in the novel and yet Grisham paints his character vividly through the conversations of the players.
Some time ago, when I reviewed Grisham's book, The Brethren, I mentioned that he would be better off writing his usual courtroom dramas. However, now that I've read Bleachers, I have to take back my words. The whole book revolves the team's reminiscences and almost nothing else, yet it managed to keep me interested throughout. I liked this book and if Grisham keeps on writing books like this, I won't miss those legal thrillers all that much.
Rating: 7/10
3 comments:
'Eddie Rake never makes an appearance in the novel and yet Grisham paints his character vividly through the conversations of the players.'
This is tough to do, but can be so fascinating if done well. Sounds like a good one!
I prefer Grisham's courtroom books, but I did like this one and I know nothing about American football.
On the Booking Through Thursday question, I'd never come across the word "bleachers" before - I looked it up on wikipedia! I just had to know what it meant, I'd guessed from the book but had to make sure.
Have you read Grisham's "A Painted House"? another non-legal book. I thought it was excellent.
@heather: I didn't have very high expectations of this book because this isn't one of his courtroom books, but the way he created Rake's character made me love the book.
@booksplease: I too don't know much about American football, but then this book was more about the people than the game itself, so I didn't have much trouble understanding.
I read A Painted House a couple of weeks ago and I liked it even better than this book.
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