For those of you who chose not to read my last post, here's a recap of it: You may have noted that this quote comes from page one of the novel. That is the specialty of John Grisham; he draws you in. How he portrays the opening scene is unmatched. While the quote above may not be the best example, the opening chapter makes you not want to put the book down. That is why I love reading these books. (Bagadiong)
So, as you can tell, I focused on Grisham's opening, and how he draws you in with great interest. So here's the thing; can he keep this kind of passionate, creative writing style up for the entire book? He could easily draw you in, the if the bulk of the story is dull, then why should I continue? Last year, I read one of these kinds of books, another John Grisham novel, The Street Lawyer. It certainly starts interesting, as a homeless man takes some lawyers and receptionists, including the protagonist, hostage at their firm (it's hard to explain why). Anyway, the protagonist, after this life-altering experience, becomes a lawyer for those who live on the streets. Grisham, like always, started out strong, and while I did finish it, it didn't have that great trial, nor great characters, and overall, declined in excitement. It was simply dull.
So, after reading a good portion of The Firm, where do I stand? Was the hook good just to draw you into a dull story, or is it an example of what's to come. In this case, it is easily the latter. The author throws in plot twists that definitely excite me, and the actual writing of this novel is amazing.
One of these plot twists comes into play, as after Mitch officially joins the firm, an FBI agent, Tarrance, approaches him at a deli Mitch is in, with a warning, as he says, "'Three things. Number one, don't trust anyone. There's not a single person in that firm you confide in. Remember that. It will become important later on. Number two, every word you utter, whether at home, at the office or anywhere in the building, is likely to be recorded. They might even listen to you in your car.' Mitch watched and listened intently. Tarrance was enjoying this. 'And number three?' Mitch asked. 'Number three, money don't grow on trees.'" (Grisham 105) This comes at about one-fourth of the way into the story, so you knew something interesting was bound to happen. This comes after, unknown to Mitch, there are times where some of the other lawyers have already been listening in on his conversations with Abby and others within his home.
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| The Firm has had success in other types of media as well, as it has been developed into a TV show and a movie starring Tom Cruise. |
So, taking in all of this, my mind is racing, as I think "What's going on? Why are they listening in on him? This isn't normal. There must be some kind of crime? Or is this a sting? Maybe organized crime? I don't know, I NEED to keep reading!" This is my answer to my title, "Is The Firm too Good to be True?" No, it's not. One of the greatest books I have read is sitting on the desk, to my left. Grisham, say what you want, to me, is one of the greatest authors ever (especially if you like legal thrillers). Here is a trailer of the film:
The Firm is one of those books that grabs you at the beginning and doesn't let you go. It seems like this may be my favorite new book (by Grisham and in general).
This blog has been an interesting one throughout the year. I believe my writing has improved over the year, and will continue to improve.
Thank you for reading my blog throughout this year. It's been great!
