| John Grisham, "bestselling novelist of the '90s" (World, March 11, 2000), has made most of his money writing books that draw on his experience as a lawyer. His latest bestseller, The Brethren (Doubleday, 2000), is more concerned with politics than law, and it leaves the impression that Mr. Grisham is in over his head. The Brethren deviates from the traditional Grisham plot. Instead of the idealistic young lawyer, the usual protagonist, the book's title refers to a group of three ex-judges in prison who pass the time by blackmailing "pen pals": rich homosexuals who do not want to come out of the closet. Their scam suddenly becomes much more important when one of their targets turns out to be a presidential candidate. Like previous Grisham books, The Brethren deals with hot-button issues-in this case campaign finance, defense spending, and criminal sentencing. However, Mr. Grisham does not have the command of current events that a Tom Clancy does, so some parts of the plot seem improbable or simplistic. Literary readers will be frustrated by the weaknesses inherent in a Grisham book, while fans of The Firm may expect a little more action. Neither will be particularly satisfied with The Brethren. |
Comments
You must be a WORLD print, online, or iPad subscriber to post comments.