Bleachers

By: John Grisham

Publisher: Doubleday

Year of Publication: October 2003

Reese Tatum

Introduction

This story takes place in the town of Messina where Neely Crenshaw was one of the best quarterbacks during his time. Neely returns to Messina after 15

years and finds himself in the bleachers of the field reliving memories and moments. He had not returned to Messina in 15 years because of Coach

Rake and their conflict between each other.

Protagonist/Antagonist

AntagonistCoach Rake would one the

antagonist.He was the coach at Messina. He was a legendary coach but

scarred many of his players. His players

either loved him or hated him. But for

Neely, Coach Rake is someone who he

needed to come to terms with before

going on with his life.

ProtagonistNeely Crenshaw would be

described asthe protagonist. He was the best quarterback in Messina football

history.But during his sophomore year incollege, he suffered from a career-ending knee injury. Neely was hit

by Coach Rake in 1987 and hadn’t returned to Messina in 15 years.

Central Conflict

The central conflict is between protagonist Neely and antagonist Coach Rake. Rake had hit Neely

years ago and it caused Neely to not return to Messina for 15 years.

Neely’s life went everywhere but he hoped it would go. Coach Rake was a legend, but scarred many players by his coaching style. Maybe Neely will resolve his conflict with Rake before

he dies.

Minor Characters

RabbitHe was hired as a teacher at Messina High

School even though he wasn’t educated past the ninth

grade. Coach Rake saved his job by making him the assistant athletic director. Rabbit turned on the

lights on the field every night while the coach was sick.

Minor Characters

Randy Jaeger

He was the person who ran the most laps in the Spartan Marathon. (83)

Minor Characters

Scotty ReardonScotty was the young man who collapsed dead into Rake’s arms

while running the Spartan Marathon. His death led to Rake losing his job.

What Critics Said

“Couldn't put it down. And it makes you think about how people influence

you and how strong a bond is between coaches and players. This

was excellent.” –Lynda July 19, 2008

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5347.Bleachers

What Critics Said

“Poignant and emotional, but plotless and somewhat boring...” –Jerry

July 20, 2010

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5347.Bleachers

My Take on Bleachers

I thought this book was rather boring and a waste of time to read. It did

not spark my interest at all. Although I do admire John Grisham as an

author, this was not one of his better novels.