User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This was the first novel I've read of John Grisham and it inspired some of the most important decisions of my life. It affected me so much that it irrevocable changed my life for all eternity. (I'm probably exaggerating but most of it's true.)
First of all, because of this book, I took up Accounting as my major in college. This book painted a very exciting picture of how an accountant's life could be very exciting. It showed how he could steal from the Mob and get away with it. Who wouldn't want that kind of exciting life? You should realize that I read this book when I was in high school, and yes I knew it was fiction, but I was young and gullible. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and I read this book. It made an quite an impression on me. Of course, after 4 years in college and about to graduate and become a CPA, I've realized that being an accountant is not all that exciting after. Like seriously. It's not. Don't be an accountant. You'll die of absolute boredom.
Second, it cemented my desire to be a lawyer. Even when I was younger, I already wanted to be a lawyer, but was unsure on what pre-law course to take (hence, the accountancy major). I was argumentative opinionated and I had a domineering and arrogant personality. Perfect lawyer material right? So this book is the reason why I'll go to law school after college.
Oh my god I just realized that this review has totally gone nuts. This is no longer a review but a life story. Omfg I'm so sorry. To anyone who's reading this, I'm amazed that you have gone this far. But I'm quite sure nobody will be reading this so I'm gonna say what I want to say. Read this friggin book. It's awesome. And it might change your life as it has changed mine.
Rating: really liked it
It's just one of those things. I love this novel. Twice read, once watched, and now once listened to on audio. Don't ask me what the attraction is. I wish I knew.
Brilliant suspense thriller.
Rating: really liked it
I read this back when it was first released in 1991! At the time I was a teenager who was getting on a plane to visit relatives and I needed something to read to pass the time.
THE FIRM distracted me the for the long plane trip.
Just recently I was at the used bookstore looking for a book for my teenage son to read while he is gone for the next 10 weeks working at a Boy Scout camp as a lifeguard. The series he is reading wasn't available so I started searching for an alternative. The only books I could think of were my romance books and I'm sure no 16 year old boy wants to read his mom's romance books-
I had to think back to my 'before romance reading days' to come up with something. I grabbed this book and packed it for him.
A week and half ago we had to have him at the camp by 9 am which meant we had to be on the road by 6 a.m. to make it there with no time to spare.
*on a side note...the camp is located on the Oregon coast. The camp owns 2 miles of beach.* After we dropped him off we started heading home along the coastline.
photo taken by my husbandWe pulled into a small town and found a used bookstore because we needed something to listening to while passing the time in the car. We saw this book on audio cassette and bought it. Listening to it made me laugh because it had some cheesy music that transitioned the scenes. I'll be curious to see if my son will even read it. The last time I talked to him he had not even cracked the book open.
I'm sticking to my original rating because at the time I thought this book was the BOMB.
Rating: really liked it
Read long time ago. Loved it and have to re-read this one again.
Rating: really liked it
Excellent read! suspenseful,entertaining,great plot twist,good character development and nice depth..recommend to all (paperback!)
Rating: really liked it
This is quick, because I can't imagine anyone who has never read a Grisham novel/watched a 'film' adaptation of a Grisham novel/read a book review of a Grisham novel/watched that episode of
3rd Rock From the Sun all those years ago where the family goes into Witness Protection for some reason and they're all reading different Grisham novels, and when they realize the plot is exactly the same, they switch books and continue reading and sure enough, the plot is
exactly the same. And yes, I've just spent about ten minutes searching the interwebs for the clip that apparently only I can remember, because I have an inordinate amount of brain sludge in my cerebral cortex.
ANYHOODLE. For the four people in the world who may not have ever read a Grisham 'legal' novel (because sometime in the early Aughts he went and branched out), here are the requirements:
I. An idealistic lawyer – the fresher out of law school, the better; or,
II. A lawyer who has become disillusioned with the system, but will give it
one last try.
He/She discovers:
A. The case he's currently working on has ties to the Mafia;
B. The case he's currently working on has ties to the KKK;
C. The case he's currently working on has ties to the highest of government; or
D. The case he's currently working on has ties to the evil health care industry.
With the help of:
1. His friends;
2. The FBI; or
3. No one, because he's an IDEALISTIC LAWYER,
He:
a. Is able to win his case;
b. Is able to turn the Mafia over to the FBI;
c. Is able to prove the conspiracy.
As his life is now in danger, he must:
i. Escape to the Caribbean or South America;
ii. Enter into the Witness Protection program;
iii. Face the reporters and live to fight another case;
iv. Retire from law.
Usually, he also manages to swindle the Mafia/Government/Whatever out of a tidy sum of:
*$10 million.
The Firm is I, A, 2, b, I, $10 million.
Enjoy.
Rating: really liked it
Mitchell McDeere graduates from Harvard Law and is about to begin his career as a lawyer. Blessed with superhuman capabilities handed down generously by Mr.Grisham himself, Mitch finds no trouble in getting nailing three top job offers: two from from Wall Street, one from Memphis. Among other things, Mitch graduates with top honors, is among the top five in his class, was a quarterback at school, is an athlete (but his diet is mainly alcohol and cheeseburgers for the remainder of the novel), works for 20 hours a day, and, of course, requires hardly any sleep. Yet, unwittingly (oh, how I love the innocence), lured by money and associated perks, our man finds himself as a tax lawyer in the Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke, where more sinister dealings happen under the cover of a legitimate law firm business.
The story-line never launches itself into the epic thriller that the plot threatens to become, the pace is completely off, and I can safely say that there is no single point of real suspense in this novel thanks to the some early giveaways with which you can construct most of what's about to happen (mhmm, no twists either). The novel starts somewhat promising but crumples into a muted, unimaginative ending with nothing much left to say.
A horrendous lack of detail regarding the crucial money laundering activities, non-existent lawyer talk, no legalese, and, worst of all, no gun descriptions or explanations for what the hell Mitch does 20 hours a day, seven days a week with the obscenely large files handed to him. He works on them! See? (Some brilliant explanation that involved checking client deposits and interest details (lol!) were scattered in the beginning, but Grisham gives up on the pathetic explanations eventually)
The book is so full of repetitions it makes you want to kill yourself for reading it. Every single bar in the Cayman Islands that finds mention in the book involves the three same things. Always! Islanders are playing either darts or dominoes. There is always a band that is tuning up. Mitchel orders the same kind of beer and cheeseburgers.
Our guy Mitch barks orders to an FBI Special Agent in the early parts, and the relationship deteriorates later when Mitch can't help calling Tarrance an idiot every time he is required to say something. Not joking. Tarrance is a sock puppet character who does not come up with any good ideas during these conversations. Why converse at all?!!! Sadly, Tarrance is made to alternate between: "Will do", "I'll ask my boss", or make some feeble attempt at bargaining in a deal or ask a stupid question. The last three options don't bode well for poor Tarrance, and all such replies are followed up by Mitch calling him an idiot.
When the FBI and the Mafia are hot on his tail, Mitch also finds, serendipitously, the assistance of an ex-con while being holed up in a room at a seedy Motel along Pacific Beach. The Mafia also give false leads to the FBI to throw them off his trail. Who needs the FBI, right?
The absolute worst--and this no writer should engage in--is an extended recital of the events occurring up to a certain point in time in the form a nervous realization by one of the characters, completely ruining the pace and putting the reader to sleep.
Eventually you will be tempted to assume that Grisham doesn't have a brain.
The book fails to entertain just as much as it fails to inform. The uninspired title should've been a giveaway, but I read the book only because I heard that this was Grisham's big break that made him famous in the 90s. I most certainly can't see how. I don't advise you to try either. Yuck!
Rating: really liked it
This book is really interesting, well written and absolutely irresistible. I'm on a mission to read every book that Grisham wrote, because his books never disappoint me.
Rating: really liked it
“The Firm” by John Grisham
🌟🌟🌟🌟
I read “The Firm” many years ago and was not disappointed I read it again. John Grisham you are an outstanding author it’s always a pleasure to read your incredible books. Happy reading...📚
Rating: really liked it
“[you’ll acquire] A certain amount of cynicism. This business works on you. When you were in law school you had some noble idea what a lawyer should be. A champion of individual rights; a defender of the Constitution; a guardian of the oppressed; an advocate for your client’s principles. Then after you practice for six months you realize you were nothing but hired guns. Mouthpieces for sale to the highest bidder, available to anybody, any crook, any sleazebag with enough money to pay your outrageous fees. Nothing shocks you. It’s supposed to be an honorable profession, but you’ll meet so many crooked lawyers you’ll want to quit and find an honest job. Yeah Mitch, you’ll get cynical. And it’s sad, really.”
― John Grisham, The Firm
The book is so much better then the film version. The Firm is one of those books I reread every few years or so and it still feels fresh. Undeniably one of Grisham's best, if not his best.
I am not going into the plot because 90 percent of readers already know it but a few thoughts:
I adored Abby. Not so Mitch Mcdeer. OK..in case someone has not read it, I should put a spoiler warning in here.
SPOILERS:
I thought Mitch was one of those smug "to cool" jocks and never really took to him although I did root for him. But he so easily cheated on Abby (even before they were married) and I just could not imagine being friend's with his character but that's me.
Bit there is not one dull moment in The Firm. It is really one of the most fun suspenseful legal thrillers you could ever hope to read and that is why I often reread it.
Rating: really liked it
*some plot points may be spoiled so beware*Ever heard when snobs call romance novels nothing more but wish fulfilment for women? Well I present you with a wish fulfillment for a young to middle age men!
How do I know that? Well we have a very young guy who just finished university who acts chill and super confident in the situations that will make everyone except for trained spy sweat. And he has a super hot supermodel looking wife who is always horny for her husband and also an elementary school teacher! But you’ll hear about her sexy legs a lot, be prepared. There is this big plot point where Mitch goes away for three minutes and cheats on her. Why? At least make her a nagging shrill of a wife. What are you afraid of, Grisham? Oh, I remember, this is wish fulfillment. We cannot have non-bangable wives here.
The part where the law firm hires only ugly women so men will not be tempted, you can judge for yourself. It’s too easy a target.
Now when s*it got real and Mitch needed to escape how do you think his wife reacted? Did she say “come on, Mitch, I have a life and job and family and friends here. I cannot disappear. “? WRONG! This is wish fulfillment, remember! Wife has all that stuff but just to fill her day between waiting for her darling or asking when he will be home. Of course she is totally fine with that plan. And finding out your house is bugged? No big deal!
BTW the proof that this book was not written with me in mind was in the scene when Mitch comes home. He cheated, he is afraid of being caught. And there is an envelope for his wife!! Our blood runs cold, heart skips a beat. Are these THE photos?? But then his wife said - “ah, no, just some empty envelope was delivered.” I always don't recycle them but lay down for my husband to see them. When I was reading this scene I imagined countless men reading this chapter and thinking about their wives and mistresses and being frightened vicariously through Mitch.
The only character worth discussing here is Mitch. Others are just “basic guy” type, “ugly women” type and “hot women” type. Nothing more can be said about them.
So Mitch. Mitch is a big piece of poop. He cheated. When everything went south he made his wife his minion (she did a lot of risky work for him and he kinda was chill about it), he still did not tell her about cheating and risked her life. He also had her cornered into forgiving him and not leaving (well if she finds out when they were on the run and she was without her support or job then what she’s gonna do?). Also his brother Ray is important but her parents. Who cares about them. (view spoiler)
[But don't worry, in the end the wife did not find out about cheating and Mitch lived happily ever after with zero consequences but with a lot of stolen money. (hide spoiler)]And in the last sentence of the book he has sex on the beach (not a drink).
And the thriller part was just not very thrilling and also nothing was realistic ( FBI boss meeting with our guy in some dark alley, telling him that he, the top manager of a huge bureaucratic machine that is FBI, will personally wire to some dingy bank 2 millions without the IRS knowing, all the getting Ray out of jail bs was just laughable. And omg FBI are a bunch of incompetent goons). This is the most basic Michael Douglas-starring type of thrillers.
Rating: really liked it
Mitch McDeere is near the top of his Harvard Law School graduating class and can virtually have his pick of jobs with high-powered Wall Street firms. But at the last minute, he agrees to an interview with a small Memphis firm, Bendini, Lambert & Locke. The firm's search committee has carefully vetted Mitch and has selected him as their number one draft pick for the year. They bring Mitch and his wife Abby to visit Memphis and make him an offer that is too good to refuse.
Mitch accepts the offer and is determined to be the hardest-working, most successful associate that B,L&L has ever seen. But he doesn't even have his feet on the ground before two of the other associate die in an apparent diving accident. Shortly after this tragedy, Mitch is contacted surreptitiously by and FBI agent who tells him that the deaths were not accidental and that no lawyer has ever left the firm alive.
The FBI insists that Mitch's new firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the mob. The Fibbies want McDeere to become their inside informant to help them bring down the firm. If he won't, the agents tell him that when the firm does go down, Mitch will be convicted as a willing participant in the firm's illegal activities.
McDeere is obviously caught between a rock and the proverbial hard place: If he doesn't help the FBI, he's going to wind up in jail, but if he does, he could wind up in the grave. The only way out is for Mitch to prove that he's smarter and more resourceful than either the FBI or the mob.
This is an engrossing story with appealing characters. Grisham gleefully describes the inner workings of a law office while at the same time weaving an exciting tale that ends with a great climax. It's not a legal thriller in the traditional sense in that it does not involve any courtroom scenes, but it provides plenty of thrills everywhere else.
Rating: really liked it
I really enjoyed this novel although I don't think that the finale lived up to the excellent start. I have seen the film and for me it did edge the book.
The book flows in the usual Grisham style and is a very easy read. I love the way he writes and find that I nearly always finish them within 2 days.
Rating: really liked it
The sole reason I started reading this book was that it was the only literature at hand at my new place. Can you say b-o-r-i-n-g?
Now I feel I have to slog through the remaining 100 pages or so of mindless 'furiously-paced thrills' just so that I can start on my new acquisitions (Bradbury, Pratchett, Adams, Lovecraft, Jordan, Eco ...)
Highly recommended for beginners and people who don't know what a good book really should be.
Update: I can't take it anymore. Dropped!
Rating: really liked it
Grisham is an excellent writer who writes fantastic legal thrillers. This is one of the best I have read by him!
