Next time you look at the personal ads... (The Brethren - John Grisham)

Name: sikim

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Product:	The Brethren - John Grisham
Date:	12/09/00 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Original storyline

Disadvantages: Ends a bit quickly

John Grisham's imagination and nose for a strange storyline never cease to amaze me. I have read almost all of his books but the Brethren has one of the most original plot lines ever.
It is based around 3 ex-Judges who are convicted of embezzling, bribery etc and sent to a minimum security jail where they begin placing personal ads in gay mags to try to snare rich, middle-aged men who are still in the closet.
The other part of the story which gradually interlinks as the book continues, is about a congressman(Aaron Lake) who is persuaded by the head of the CIA to run for president and basically be a puppet for his plans.
It is not difficult to see where the plot is going, what I found intriguing is how it gets there, and how each party reacts to the events.
The characters are good, and the story is fairly believable once you get into it. Unlike a lot of other books no-one really emerges as the hero or the bad guy so you follow each party with equal uncertainty. I got the feeling Lake was supposed to be the hero, but he gets pushed around and told what to do and is a little gullible. The 3 judges are originally portrayed as bad guys but, towards the end I began to think that they had done well for themselves. The only character who maintains his image throughout is Teddy Maynard, head of the CIA, who is always scheming and plotting.
My only disappointment was the ending arrived very quickly, perhaps he could have stretched the final part out by another 10-20 pages and added a bit more to it.

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