Un Put Downable (The Firm - John Grisham)

Member Name: daylelisahall

Product:	The Firm - John Grisham
Date:	12/03/07 (294 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You actually learn while reading, great story

Disadvantages: Lots of different names to remember

I really enjoy reading and was looking through my Dad’s huge collection of books when I came across The Firm, written by John Grisham. I liked what I read on the back of the book so decided to give it a read. It was that good that less then two weeks later, I have now finished it.

John Grisham
John Grisham was born on the 8th February 1955 in Arkansas. He graduated from Law School in 1981 and then practised law for over a decade. He wrote his first book in 1987 called A Time to Kill and has continued to release number one bestsellers from here on.

About The Book
This book had me hooked after reading the first couple of chapters. It is also fairly educational, as John Grisham practised law for 10 years, so he obviously has a great amount of knowledge on how the law business works and you get a very interesting insight whilst reading this book.

The story is centred around Mitch McDeere and his wife Abbey. Mitch is fresh out of law school and finished 3rd in his class at Harvard Law School. All the top law firms are trying to tempt Mitch to work for him, offering him large amounts of money he chooses to take up employment with them.

Mitch eventually decides to join a small, 41 man firm in Memphis called Bendini, Lambert and Locke after they offer him a deal he finds hard to refuse. Upon joining this firm, Mitch would be paid $80,000 a year with regular increases, as well as the firm supplying him with a brand new BMW, a low rate mortgage and clearing his student debts. Mitch comes from a poor background and is extremely pleased with himself for managing to secure such a great offer and himself and Abbey move to Memphis to start their new life, and for Mitch to start his new job.

Mitch settles in well to his job and is often reminded by his colleagues that this company will look after him so well, and that they are like one big happy family.

Shortly after Mitch takes up employment with Bendini, Lambert and Butler he is informed by the partners of the firm that two up and coming partners have been tragically killed in a boating accident. A few day later, Mitch is approached by an FBI agent who informs Mitch that they have been watching the firm for years and believe that they are dealing with dirty money. He informs Mitch that they need help from the inside to try and shut the firm down.

Mitch has his suspicions about the firm, for example, in 15 years no employee has ever left the law firm to seek employment elsewhere, but 5 members have died in tragic accidents.

Mitch would like to remain loyal to the firm and would like to believe that everything is as it should be… but will his meetings with the FBI change his mind? Would Mitch rather continue working with a Law Firm that could be dodgy or risk being caught by the FBI years later if he decides not to help them and stay loyal to the firm??

I will not say too much more about the plot here as I do not want to spoil the story for anyone. All I can say is that this book certainly had me hooked. You are left wondering if Mitch believes the FBI agents as he is reassured by the firm that the FBI are always trying to scare their new members of the firm.

The plot of this book kept me guessing the whole way through, you had to keep reading as you were desperate to find out the next part of the story. Each character is well developed and you get to learn about them as a person, especially Abbey and Mitch and can relate to how they are both feeling throughout the book as different events happen.

Grisham has a fantastic writing style, very descriptive and on some occasions, you can even imagine yourself in some of the places as he described them so well. His inside knowledge of the practise of law shines through in his writing style and I particularly like this as I felt it was slightly more than just a story as I actually learnt quite a bit whilst I was reading the book.

Summary
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. I especially like this book because although the practise of law is described in great detail throughout the book, it is written in layman’s terms and there is no technical jargon which means the book is easy to follow, and with a plot that keeps you guessing the whole way through, it is certainly worth a read.

Summary: An excelent book that is very well written.