Inside Look @ John Grisham

by

Mike & Amy Nappa

FAST LOOK:

Fourteen best-selling novels and six blockbuster movies back on have made John Grisham one of the most popular authors in the world. Yet he still makes time for mission trips and church each Sunday.

INSIDE SCOOP:

Born in Arkansas in 1955, John Grisham dreamed of growing up to be a pro baseball player. Instead, he majored in accounting in college, and then went on to study law at University of Mississippi. After practicing law and being elected to the House of Representatives, Grisham decided to take up writing as a hobby. Working early in the morning before leaving for his “real” job, it took Grisham three years to finish his first book, the legal thriller A Time to Kill. Even though this book didn’t have great sales, Grisham kept writing. His second book, The Firm, was made into a movie, and his following books have been so popular that Grisham is now considered one of the world’s best-selling authors. He’s written fourteen books, had six of his works made into movies, and has no plans to stop writing. He keeps his baseball dreams alive by coaching Little League, is active in his church and community, enjoys spending time with his family, and claims to shave only on Sundays—before he leaves for church.

Millions of Grisham fans love his legal thrillers simply because they’re so compelling. Many Christians choose Grisham’s books because they’re light on sex, profanity, and crude violence. Even though most publishers believe these are the things that sell books, Grisham has proven that an exciting and well-told story is more important, and has fought hard with publishers and producers to keep his books and movies as clean as possible. In his stories it’s usually the underdog that wins, and moral issues such as the death penalty, greed, and drunkenness are hit head-on.

Many Christians were delighted when Grisham wrote The Testament, the story of a lawyer with moral struggles who travels into the jungles of Brazil to find a missionary who’s inherited a fortune. Grisham used his own missionary travels to Brazil and his own Christian beliefs to add realism to this story, and to portray Christians in a kind and honorable way—something that’s rarely done in the media today.

Even though there are many positives to consider, some Christians find Grisham’s work too dark to enjoy. If his books were rated as movies, several would earn an “R.” Many of his characters are alcoholics who struggle with a variety of other moral failures as well. And while he doesn’t describe graphic violence, some of his characters, even children, are treated cruelly. This adds to the realism of the plot, but may be too unsettling for some readers.

Those who enjoy thrilling stories can find a moral message in John Grisham’s work. He takes a cleaner look at the world, but the world is still dark.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT John Grisham:

“Grisham’s novels have always been concerned with social issues (reviewer Stephen Trapnell calls him the “mass-market national conscience”), but The Testament is about out-and-out conversion. Not spirituality, mind you, but Jesus.”

—Susan Wise Bauer in Christianity Today

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“When I started writing, I made the simple decision to keep it clean—based on my Christian faith and a certain lifestyle I’m trying to maintain. I’ve never been tempted to write otherwise.”

—John Grisham

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“His highly public tirades against what he sees as overly violent and excessively sexual entertainment have landed the author on the front lines of skirmish upon skirmish, doing battle with some of the most influential filmmakers in Hollywood.”

—Entertainment Weekly

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“Although an undisputed master of plotting, Grisham has fielded criticism over the years that his characters are two-dimensional and sometimes unlikable.”

—Book Magazine

LOOKING INSIDE…:      

Use these questions to spark family discussion about John Grisham:

---Do you think a Christian author should write books only for Christians or for everyone? Explain your answer.

---How does Grisham challenge readers to consider what’ right and what’s wrong? Which of his books or movies have challenged you on a moral issue, and how have your views changed because of what you read?

---Grisham has used his books to portray Christians in a positive light. How do you feel when Christians are portrayed as evil? Why do you think publishers and movie-makers often show Christians as evil?

[SIDEBAR]

If members of your family like John Grisham, then you may want to check out:

---Serenity, by Harry Lee Kraus, Jr. (Crossway).

Kraus, a doctor-turned-author, keeps the pace moving with his latest thriller. Dr. Adam Tyson is a physician’s assistant posing as a surgeon, and he’s killed a nurse in a hit-and-run accident. Believe it or not, Tyson turns out to be the good guy in this story, taking on those involved in insurance fraud. His actions make the small town of Serenity, North Carolina anything but serene.

---A Treasure Deep by Alton Gansky (Barbour).

As always, Alton Gansky mixes tight suspense with action and mystery in his newest book, A Treasure Deep. This story follows high-tech treasure hunter Perry Sachs and his team as they work to uncover a booby-trapped fortune. On top of their dangerous mission, the team also must avoid a murderer with other plans for the treasure. A true page turner!

[END]

[BIO LINE] Mike & Amy Nappa are renowned cultural commentators, best-selling and award-winning authors, and creators of the Internet magazine for families, www.FamilyFans.com