Bleachers

As said last week, Christmas brought three book by Mississippian author, John Grisham. "Bleachers" is a short novel, or story, 181 pages long, published by Doubleday in 2003. The paperback was published in October 2007. Published before "Playing for Pizza", Bleachers" is the first departure by Grisham from his usual lawyers in danger stories. This is a story about former players haunted by a legendary high school football coach.

The main characters are Neely Crenshaw, Messina's high school All-American quarterback and his Coach Eddie Rake leader of 13 state championship teams in 34 years.

Neely's last heroics for the Messina Spartans was to win the state champion ship on the last play of the game. This in a game where a halftime fight caused the coaches to miss the entire second half. Crenshaw would be the first to admit he carried a good deal of baggage that had been stuffed by Eddie Rake, he left Messina with a college scholarship to a school Rake did not approve of. In his sophomore year Neely experienced a career ending knee injury, this added to the malaise of unresolved issues that the quarterback felt.

Coach Eddie Rake, whom we never meet, begins the book suffering the last stage of terminal cancer. His players have collected in town for vigil and expectant funeral. He started in the 50's and finished in the 90's after the heat stroke death of a player. His success was unsurpassed. Rake's effect on his players was to install a drive to excellence and a fear of failure. The man was both hated and revered. In the end Rake does pass, the players gather with expressions of true emotion. Neely is asked to speak at the ceremony following burial and comes to realize that he is able to let go of anger and retain to his love for Coach Rake.

This was a OK book, for Grisham readers, a change of pace, for sports fans n accurate rendition of how teens place importance on the leadership figures in their lives. On a scale of 1-10, "Bleachers" gets a 6. This is a fast reading simplistic story with a predictable result.