I've often shared in reviews of his books how John Grisham is one of those authors who inspired me to become a lifelong reader. And so, I try to read each of his new releases as they come out. I've got his newest novel, The French Illusion, sitting on my TBR pile thanks to his publisher generously providing me with a copy. But before I tackle that one, I zipped through The Law Student, a 24-page "prequel" to the novel.
I struggle to even call this a novella because it really serves as more of a prologue to the novel. In fact, it probably would have worked just fine as the opening chapter of that book. Distinctions about the validity of this thing as a complete work aside, there's no denying Grisham's knack for pulling you in and making you care about a character.
We're introduced to Stuart Nash, a college football player from a small town in North Carolina who has decided he's quitting the team. Football is a way of life where he's from, the kind of ritual that sees the entire town shut down for a few hours on a Friday night to gather at the high school stadium. But Nash isn't built for football. No amount of training or coaching is going to make him great, and he's finally ready to admit it.
More importantly, he's found something else he wants to do with his life. After witnessing the tragic fate of one of his former high school teammates and the sheer injustice it brought upon him and his family, Nash has decided to pursue law.
That's it.
I can't even say there's much more to tease without giving you practically everything that happens in these 24 pages. Still, the things Grisham gets right—the small-town feel, the folksy characters, the sense of injustice—he gets really right. In remarkably little space, he gives us just enough of Stuart Nash to make me want to know what happens to him next.
And while I can't say The Law Student has much reason to exist on its own, I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me even more excited to finally crack open The French Illusion.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 74)
I really need to pick this author up again. I used to read his books as a teenager. My mom always had them on her bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteHe's had some really fun reads in the last few years!
DeleteGrisham always knows how to pull you into a story, even in just 24 pages! It sounds like this prequel mainly serves to prime you for The French Illusion, and it clearly worked on you. Now I'm curious about the main story too!
ReplyDeleteHe really does! I question this one's existence a bit, but I'm ready for the full novel!
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