THE BRETHREN by John Grisham

I have never been a great fan of John Grisham, though I’m not sure why. I read a few of his books many years ago and decided they weren’t for me, so although I watched his status and popularity grow, I never felt inclined to read any of his novels.  Then I popped into a second hand bookshop the other day and had just got in the door when somebody shouted “We’re closing in two minutes.”  That didn’t leave me much time, so I grabbed practically the first book that looked vaguely readable.  And that’s how John Grisham has come to have a second chance.
   I don’t feel over-inclined to change my original opinion. The Brethren is mildly amusing in places and the premise for the story is quite good, but I never felt really involved. I didn’t care whether The Brethren (a group of crooked judges in jail) got what they wanted or whether the CIA stopped them cold.  I didn’t really care whether the politician the CIA are secretly sponsoring made it to the White House, or got denounced for being gay. The whole thing was more of an intellectual exercise than anything else. I didn’t find myself on the edge of my chair wondering what was going to happen.
   So, I guess if you are a John Grisham fan this is standard fare which you’ll want to read, if you haven’t already.  Otherwise, you might want to steer clear.
add comment | read comments (0) 2011-12-09