Bleachers by John Grisham

In December I found myself fighting off a sinus infection and avoiding heavy reading. Given my almost constant headache, I really only wanted to read something short and entertaining; something just to take my mind off how I felt. So I picked up a couple of slim books or novellas that looked interesting.

One of these novellas, was John Grisham’s Bleachers . I am not an expert on Grisham, in fact, I am not sure I have read any of his previous books (I have seen a couple of the movies). But I have loved football and sports all my life; plus Waldenbooks had it marked down 50%. Not one to pass up a bargain, I picked up the slim volume and read it one afternoon. It turned out to be an interesting story, rather forced in spots, but interesting nonetheless.

Bleachers follows Neely Crenshaw on his return to his hometown of Messina, Mississippi where he was the star quarterback in a town that worshiped their high school football. He has returned because his coach, and the town's most famous and controversial figure, is on his deathbed. The coach, Eddie Rake, came to this sleepy little town and made it into a football factory; once winning 84 games in a row. Coach Rake's methods were not always pretty, however, and there has always been a love hate relationship between him, his players, and even the town that seemed to worship him. Fifteen years after graduation, Crenshaw returns but not in quite the same way people might have imagined. This high school phenom - many considered him the best ever at Messina - didn't go onto a full college career and play in the NFL. A cheap shot in college ruined his knee and his career. So Crenshaw slips back into town with a ailing real estate business and a recent divorce trying to come to grips with his past; especially his relationship with the dying Rake.

Crenshaw returns to the football field and runs into a host of other Messina players from the past. Paul Curry, his go to receiver in those glory years, now the town banker. Silo Mooney, a maniacal defensive lineman turned chop shop owner, who just barely manages to stay a step ahead of the law. Nat Sawyer, the worst punter in the history of the school, now openly gay and owner of the only bookstore in town. A steady stream of former players ends up at the football field, congregate in the bleachers and re-tell stories from the glory days. They also tell horror stories about Coach Rake and await news of his passing.

Article Author: Kevin Holtsberry

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