Friday, December 08, 2006

'The Firm' by John Grisham (1992)

I haven't read a John Grisham novel before. I've always been a bit snobbish about them in the same way as I was about The Da Vinci Code. But as I enjoyed the thriller aspect of that I thought I'd give The Firm a go. I actually enjoyed it.

The story follows Mitch, a Harvard graduate hotshot lawyer who is recruited to an obscure firm in Memphis, turning down offers on Wall Street. The salary and perks are beyond belief. He and his young wife move to Memphis and try to fit in with the overbearing involvement of the legal firm.

Mitch is then approached by the FBI (referred to, cutely, as "the fibbies" by some characters!) who advise him that the accidental deaths of several associates of the firm over the years are not so accidental. They pressure him into becoming an informant. It becomes apparent that the firm really represent a powerful mafia family and run their money laundering activities through the Caymans.

Mitch increasingly realises that the FBI will not be able to protect him, and also that the firm are increasingly suspicious of him...what will he do?

I enjoyed this. It was easy to read and easy to follow all the plot twists. The characters were a bit thin; Mitch is too perfect, the 'baddies' are pure caricatures ( I especially liked "the Nordic"!). Grisham did try to set up a moral aspect to the story (who can Mitch trust - should he follow the course of least resistance or stand up for justice) but this is sacrificed to the full-on rush to be exciting. And it certainly is....there were passages in the book when I could not have put it down if I had wanted to. I particularly enjoyed the passage where documents are being removed from a condo to a neighbouring hotel room, photocopied and returned, whilst one of the firms operatives is in a drugged stupor nearby....but may awaken! It really is a page turner.

The ending is a little abrupt; I wanted to know what happens next....Lisa confirmed that she had the same sensation.

Trying to be post modern about it (and I don't think it really warrants it) The Firm could be read as an indictment of the yuppie-culture of the 1980's and the impact that had well into the 90s I thought a good subheading would have been "If a job offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!".

If you like thrillers then you will probably like this. If you like legal thrillers then you will really like this. It is an easy, unchallenging, relatively un-thought provoking read (which is sometimes a good thing!). I can't help wishing that it would have been slightly more entertaining if Ally McBeal had been offed by the mob - but maybe that's just me!

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