If you liked "A Painted House" and "Bleachers" (and I did), you will like this too. Laid back, easy reading, Grisham manages to give his main character depth without too much detail. Great reading for a plane flight; just long enough to kill a few hours.

I guess even successful authors like John Grisham like to take a break from the genre that they're known for and try a different direction. In this case, I think the excursion was a great success.

I really enjoyed this tale of a football player who rediscovers himself when he leaves the US to continue playing the game he loves.

Ladies, if you are a Grisham fan, even though this is about football, don't let that turn you off. As are all his books, it is well written and is about human nature, not the game and even has some romance. Quick read, well worth the time.

Although there was a lot of football play-by-play, which went over my head, I still caught the excitement of the games. I thoroughly enjoyed all the things Italian, and I felt as if I had a real grasp on life in Parma. Grisham made the town and its people come to life for me.

I recommend this book. I hope you find it a fun read too!

This was my favorite Grisham, a very different theme, and yet it was very much in his readable style. The characters are real people who just grab your attention and make this the great story it is. I almost think if I were there I would be looking for those people even though I know it is a novel. . . . Come on, ideas have to come from somewhere.

Amusing story of a failing football professional who finds Italy work for him...fun look at Italian personalities and customs

This is an entertaining little story, based on actual American-style football as played in Italy, about an ex-NFL Quarterback who goes to play in the Italian league in Parma, Italy. The central character, Rick, the Quarterback has been cut multiple times from various NFL teams but isn't ready to quit playing football, so off he goes (reluctantly) to the Italian "NFL" as his American career is now over.

The story evolves as Rick attempts to blend into Italian life while learning to accept his new role on the Parma Panthers (his new team). His teammates are absolutely thrilled to have a real NFL Quarterback (even a 3rd string guy who couldn't keep his previous jobs). Being loved and admired by his team is certainly not something Rick has ever experienced before. As you would expect, Rick and his teammates all learn something from each other and begin to meld into a cohesive winning team. Along the way, Rick meets a pretty, perky, ex-cheerleader college girl in Italy studying art and history. The story is building towards the big playoff, the Italian Super Bowl and whether or not Rick really has the desire to step outside his comfort zone to achieve true success as a Quarterback on the field, and whether or not he is ready to make personal commitments off the field.

John Grisham has written this story based on some real events, with lots of literary latitude, using humor and poignancy, and quite a bit of descriptive narrative about the history, art, food, people, and yes, football to tell what is essentially a love story.

Grisham has changed course and it is a lark. It is equal parts football, food, Italy travel guide, and feel good come from behind story. It's a fun read (even for us ladies) and is based on some of Grisham's experiences in Italy.

I always enjoy reading John Grisham's novels. He has a style that's both whimsical and nostalgic. You can really "feel" what his characters are feeling. The main theme of his book centered around football. An NFL quarterback named Rick throws a record number of interceptions during an important playoff game, and the only football team that his agent can get him signed up for is the Parma Panthers...in Italy. I'm really not an avid fan of football, nor do I understand many of the plays and strategies. So, these technical areas in the book were kinda boring to me. However, I still rejoiced when the Panthers, led by quaterback Rick (pronounced REEK in Italian!)won, and felt bad when they suffered.

In my opinion, it's impossible to read a Grisham novel and not learn something about human nature. A book that provides this kind of insight (along with a close look at Italian culture)could never be considered dull. It's well worth the read.

Rick Dockery the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns gives what might be the single worst performance in the history of the NFL in an AFC Championship game. He is cut by the Browns and is shunned by all other football teams. Since Rick still wants to play, he gets a job as the starting quarterback for the Mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy. So off Rick goes to Italy, even though he does not speak a word of Italian, and neither does he know anything of the culture of Italy.
This book does not have a complicated plot, and many of the characters seem to be uncomplicated also. I read half the book the first night, but it did not really grab my attention, and I did not read anymore. I do not know that much about football, and there are many descriptions in the book of football games. There are some descriptions of delicious meals, and my mouth was watering for some of the Parma cuisine.
The book seems different from other John Grisham books. It might be a good book to read at the beach.

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This was a quite enjoyable book! It's nothing like Grisham's courtroom dramas, so if that's what you like about Grisham, this book probably isn't for you. It is a light, easy read with enjoyable characters and a fun story line. Men and women both will like this novel - Grisham successfully writes for both, as usual.

Maybe good for a football fan, but not a NON-sports person. Usual good Grisham story telling, but fell a bit flat in my book.

What a disappointment and thank goodness it was a quick read! I love football and Grisham, but this book scored no points in my world.

I've always been a big fan of John Grisham but I think it would help to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book more. I wasn't, unfortunately. Not to say it was that bad, just not one of my favorites.

As Grisham books go, it was better than some. interesting viewpoint on American football in Italy. Interesting review on Italian food, Italian architecture, but like several of his books it fails to really have an end. Like the author reached a point and just stopped writing. I wouldn't recommend NOT reading it. Just don't expect a full feeling when your done.

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