Grisham, John (1955—)

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Grisham, John (1955—)

John Grisham's contributions to the world of popular culture in the late twentieth century are enormous. Not only is he largely responsible for the elevation of legal thrillers to a level of popularity never before seen in literary circles, but he has also transcended that genre as his books are eagerly anticipated by those in the movie industry. Ironically, the best-selling author did not find instant success. While working as a lawyer and a Mississippi state legislator, Grisham took four years to write his first novel, A Time to Kill. When he finished in 1987, he sent the manuscript to 16 agents, finally connecting with agent Jay Garon. Over two dozen publishers rejected the book before Wynwood Press accepted it. Wynwood decided on a small print run, only 5000 copies, and paid Grisham a mere $15,000 for what many believe to be his finest book. This, however, would be the last time Grisham was to meet with such difficulty in getting his work published.

Grisham wrote The Firm based on guidelines in a Writer's Digest article on writing a suspense novel. Paramount bought the film rights for $600,000 in 1990 before the novel even had a publisher. After the film rights sold, publishers lined up to offer Grisham a contract. Doubleday, one of the many publishers that rejected A Time To Kill, won out and signed Grisham to a three book contract. Grisham closed his law practice and began devoting his time entirely to writing. He wrote his third book, The Pelican Brief, in only 100 days. He took six months to write his next book, The Client. Grisham found himself in 1993 with The Client at number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list, and The Pelican Brief, The Firm, and A Time to Kill within the first five slots on the New York Times paperback bestseller list.

Grisham has not only had a huge impact on the publishing industry. Almost all of his novels have been made into relatively successful films. They have been directed by such big-name directors as Joel Schumacher, Sydney Pollack, and Francis Ford Coppola. They have attracted such critically acclaimed and popular actors as Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, and Claire Danes. The Gingerbread Man, a film released in 1998, was based on Grisham's first original screenplay.

As bestsellers, Grisham's novels have received a great deal of critical attention, and the reviews have been mixed. He is most often criticized for writing formulaic novels and sacrificing character development for plot. Still, even his critics usually admit that he writes a thrilling page-turner. He is often compared to his contemporary Scott Turow, best-selling author of legal thrillers Presumed Innocent and Burden of Proof. Grisham and Turow, whose first book appeared in the year Grisham finished A Time to Kill, are credited with making legal thrillers a hot commodity in the 1990s, adding fuel to the careers of such authors as Richard North Patterson, Steven Martini, and Brad Meltzer.

Grisham's books appeal to a sense of paranoia that prevailed in the 1990s. His books and the films they inspire often deal with people who are fighting corruption and others' self-serving interests at every turn. In The Firm, Mitchell McDeere is stuck between the corrupt firm that lured him straight out of law school with an $80,000 salary and a new BMW, and the FBI agents who are trying to bully him into helping them bring the firm down. In The Pelican Brief, law student Darby Shaw stumbles on the truth behind the assassination of two Supreme Court justices and finds herself pursued not only by the man behind the assassinations, but also by various government representatives. The American public seems very ready and willing to believe that the wealthy and the government are corrupt and in cahoots with one another, and that an earnest and intelligent person can get out of even the worst of situations.

Indeed, the 1990s saw an explosion of legal thrillers in print, film, and television. From 1991 to 1998, Doubleday released a new Grisham novel every spring. In a Publishers Weekly article, Jeff Zaleski describes the frenzy this begets: "To accommodate it, booksellers around the country clear miles of shelf space; book and audio clubs quicken to fill orders; motion picture studios cajole and connive to get a first peek at galleys." Grisham's impact on publishing is obvious, he is the kind of author, in company with such mega-selling authors as Stephen King and Danielle Steel, who creates big sales for publishers and bookstores alike. His influence reaches into the entire entertainment industry, where film and television studios look to capitalize on Grisham's popularity.

—Adrienne Furness