The Firm - John Grisham

Date of Reading: 23/04/2020

Author: John Grisham

Publisher: Dell

Year: 1991

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the #BookReviewBlogChallenge organised by Great New Reads

Day 03, Prompt: Golden Classics. Any book published before 1995)

About the book:

When Mitchell McDeere qualified third in his class at Harvard, offers poured in from every law firm in America. Bendini, Lambert and Locke were a small, well-respected firm, but their offer exceeded Mitch's wildest expectations: a fantastic salary, a new home, and the keys to a brand new BMW.

It was his dream job - but it was to become his worst nightmare.

Unravelling a complex trail of secret files, undercover surveillance, and millions of dollars of illegal mob money, Mitch stumbles across a shocking conspiracy and a horrifying truth: nobody has ever left Bendini, Lambert and Locke - and anybody who has ever tried has ended up dead.

Review:

       This is my first John Grisham book. What? Don't give me that look; it was never the right time. Now because of the Book Review Blog Challenge, I finally dusted off this popular book from my TBR. (It might also have to do with the fact that I am currently binge-watching 'Suits'). So, did I join the fan club? Not really, I will need some more books to decide on that.

     I have mixed feelings about this novel. According to one of the rankings I have seen, 'The Firm' is ranked twelfth in all Grisham's novels. I may have to agree with that now. The story was not as thrilling as I thought, partly due to the detached third-person narrative. I was never really worried about Mitch, just had this hunch that he will make it through. But by the time I reached the middle, the novel had me hooked. 

      A firm where no one is allowed to leave, unless in a coffin. It is a typical Godfather situation, aside from the fact that we are against them. That being said, I do really hope that the real FBI is much more capable, what I got here is not a favourable picture. I loved the way the story progressed with Mitch's crooked brain churning out ideas that quite surprised me. On the whole, a quick and easy read even with its massive size.

Meet the author:

Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, John Grisham worked as an attorney and Mississippi legislator before becoming a best-selling novelist with works like The Firm, The Pelican Brief and A Time to Kill, all of which were turned into hit films. Grisham has continued to publish an array of titles, such as Bleachers and The Litigators, and has also worked in screenwriting, as seen with the 2003 baseball film Mickey.