I have not read much John Grisham in a while, but just picked up "The Associate" at the library. It was available, and it's been on best-seller list for a while. I'm not so demanding; I read Baldacci and other best-seller thriller writers, but SHEESH....The Associate is just awful.

The writing is beyond simple-minded, and the plot (if you could call it that) is nonexistant. It's like he wrote it while he was sleepwalking. I'm embarassed to be seen with it, much less understand how he could put it out---or that under any other name, how it could be published.

Is he just getting lazy? Is it an aberration? Are people buying it just for the name? I really do not get it......

I hope you don't give up on Grisham before trying Ford County.   I thought the short stories were extremely well done.

I thought the story was just OK; it was definitely easy reading.  I guess I am just tired of his "lawyer in trouble" schtick.

His novels vary so much. Some of his I can't put down, and others I can't pick up. Glad to hear Ford County was better. Have you read The Innocent Man? It was really good...I thought it was a great story. I thought the Brethren was terrible too. Oh, and Skipping Christmas was good. My two favorites of his are Painted House and The Partner.

Don't give up yet! Some of them are still worth reading!

I loved Grisham through The Chamber, but they got way too formula and lawyerly after that. Too much litigation/Lawyer stuff, which I find extremely dull, and more of the heartfelt delving into characters' lives!! I can't read his stuff anymore...

I've really liked his non-lawyer books - Ford County, The Painted House, Skipping Christmas - all good reads!

I'm with most of you on Grisham.  By the way, since I met him at book signings several times (and he seems like a genuinely nice man--very generous with his two college alma maters), I've read all his books.  Some I liked, others, not so much.  However, I bought Ford County but ended up listening to it as an audio book.  I highly recommend the audio.  Grisham reads it himself.  If you are a Southerner, I think that you will especially enjoy listening to this book. 

Playing for PIzza is another good non-lawyer one.       He's not my favorite author but I find him predictably good.     I thought the Associate was Ok,   anything that reveals lawyers as the sleazebags that they are is fine with me...   his heros are the rare exceptions in my opinion! 

I thought Ford County was excellent.  I really enjoyed the diversity of the stories, and I'm not one who is usually so interested in short stories.

My biggest problem with The Associate was that I was excited to read it, and once I got to the end, I almost returned it because I thought it was missing the last chapter. Apparently, it ended like that on purpose.