Saturday 15 September 2007

The Broker by John Grisham

I remember when I first read The Firm 15 years ago. Has it really been that long ago? It was published in 1992 and I devoured the book. It was a compulsive read. I immediately bought A Time to Kill which was actually published before The Firm but didn't have bestseller success until after the publication of The Firm and I still maintain it is better than any other Grisham novel I've read. I anxiously awaited every novel written by Grisham for years afterwards. I read The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury. I also watched the corresponding films.

And then I got bored.

It just seemed that the stories were much the muchness. Same old story, different names and places. Corruption and Idealism at odds. Little man/woman/child triumphant over corrupt politicians/power brokers.

So I haven't bothered to read the last 10 (or so) of Grisham's novels. The Broker was laying about in the gite we rented in France and I picked it up. My recent reading list has been rather heavy though and I decided my brain needed some candy.

As expected there is the usual conspiracies running amok, politicians going greedy, and a man in the middle paying for it whilst running all over the place trying to clear his name.

Also, as expected, I couldn't put it down once I started and read the whole thing in just a few nights.

Recommended only if you don't want to have to think about what you are reading but frankly I'd advise you to pick up something a bit more worthwhile.

1 comment:

Janell said...

I missed this post until today. I've never finished a Grisham novel. I'm not sure why - maybe his subjects are too sophisticated for my tastes. He never writes about cowboys that I know of...