Author Review: John Grisham

I began reading John Grisham in the mid-1990s. I found it interesting, and actually very informative, that when it came to getting his name and his books out in the public conversation, he took the bull by the horns. When he didn’t get as quick notice as he wanted, he began his own self-promotion campaign. He put his own ads in magazines and newspapers. It was successful. He has become one of the most popular writers in America. His books have been made into some very good movies.

As a practicing attorney, Grisham’s books tend to be legal thrillers. And also, as a practicing attorney, he has been in the courtroom, so the story set-up feels very real. I like that. He’s seen both sides of issues, so knows how to bring out the emotions, while keeping the story real.

When I began reading his books, I had some minor issues with the way Grisham wrote and told stories. I was a relatively new writer at that time. Being a new writer, I judged his books by the standards I had picked up in my fiction writing classes and in critique groups. To put that in more down-to-earth terms, when it came to evaluating other writer’s work, I was picky and hyper-judgmental. I was into his third book before I realized – “Even though his style is not what exactly the style or technique which I had learned, he can tell one Hell of a good story. After that realization, I came to enjoy his books for the story he tells and the characters he describes.

There’s an old saying that people who read for pleasure are, by their very nature, very forgiving and understanding. I can’t remember which of his books I was reading when I realized what the true essence of fiction really is. At its heart, good fiction is a good story, a story where the reader can be right there in the scene, along with the characters. When that happens, you have a damn good piece of fiction. That is what Grisham’s books do.

To summarize, John Grisham can craft a very good, and very entertaining story. It is well worth the investment of time to pick up one of his books.