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John Grisham

Goodreads Author

Born

in Jonesboro, Arkansas, The United States

Website

http://www.jgrisham.com/

Twitter

JohnGrisham

Genre

Thriller, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Influences

William Faulkner, John Steinbeck

Member Since

April 2012

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"Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigatio "Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988.

That might have put an end to Grisham's hobby. However, he had already begun his next book, and it would quickly turn that hobby into a new full-time career—and spark one of publishing's greatest success stories. The day after Grisham completed A Time to Kill, he began work on another novel, the story of a hotshot young attorney lured to an apparently perfect law firm that was not what it appeared. When he sold the film rights to The Firm to Paramount Pictures for $600,000, Grisham suddenly became a hot property among publishers, and book rights were bought by Doubleday. Spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, The Firm became the bestselling novel of 1991.

The successes of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. Grisham's success even renewed interest in A Time to Kill, which was republished in hardcover by Doubleday and then in paperback by Dell. This time around, it was a bestseller.

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, and The Broker) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. The Innocent Man (October 2006) marks his first foray into non-fiction.

Grisham lives with his wife Renee and their two children Ty and Shea. The family splits their time between their Victorian home on a farm in Mississippi and a plantation near Charlottesville, VA.

Grisham took time off from writing for several months in 1996 to return, after a five-year hiatus, to the courtroom. He was honoring a commitment made before he had retired from the law to become a full-time writer: representing the family of a railroad brakeman killed when he was pinned between two cars. Preparing his case with the same passion and dedication as his books' protagonists, Grisham successfully argued his clients' case, earning them a jur ...more

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John Grisham's Blog

Stay tuned for THE WHISTLER!

From John Grisham, America’s #1 bestselling author, comes the most electrifying novel of the year, a high-stakes thrill ride through the darkest corners of the Sunshine State.

We expect our judges to be honest and wise.Their integrity and impartiality are the bedrock of the entire judicial system. We trust them to ensure fair trials, to protect the rights of all litigants, to punish those who...

Combine Editions
John Grisham's Books

Average rating: 3.87 · 3,339,001 ratings · 97,156 reviews · 173 distinct works · Similar authors

	A Time to Kill (Jake Brigance, #1) 4.01 avg rating — 570,464 ratings — published 1989 — 156 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Firm 3.97 avg rating — 467,451 ratings — published 1991 — 165 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Client 3.95 avg rating — 301,517 ratings — published 1993 — 128 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Pelican Brief 3.93 avg rating — 270,415 ratings — published 1992 — 138 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Runaway Jury 3.94 avg rating — 212,274 ratings — published 1996 — 113 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Rainmaker 3.89 avg rating — 133,587 ratings — published 1995 — 110 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Chamber 3.75 avg rating — 100,805 ratings — published 1994 — 109 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Partner 3.88 avg rating — 85,824 ratings — published 1997 — 113 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Testament 3.81 avg rating — 81,381 ratings — published 1999 — 102 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Street Lawyer 3.80 avg rating — 81,080 ratings — published 1998 — 112 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John Grisham…

Series by John Grisham

Jake Brigance (2 books)
by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)
4.01 avg rating — 644,447 ratings

Theodore Boone (6 books)
by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)
3.78 avg rating — 46,290 ratings

Rogue Lawyer (1 book)
by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)
3.70 avg rating — 36,190 ratings

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Interviews

October 2014, John Grisham
"In his new thriller, Gray Mountain, New York lawyer Samantha Kofer takes an unpaid internship in Appalachia, where she stumbles on a high-stakes secret." ...More

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John Grisham wrote a new blog post Stay tuned for THE WHISTLER! From John Grisham, America’s #1 bestselling author, comes the most electrifying novel of the year, a high-stakes thrill ride through the darkest c... Read more of this blog post »
Sep 06, 2016 12:36AM · 22 likes · like
John Grisham has read Partners: A Rogue Lawyer Short Story by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2016 04:03AM · 23 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Partners by John Grisham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Partners by John Grisham <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Sep 01, 2016 04:03AM · 8 likes · like
John Grisham wants to read The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2016 03:56AM · 5 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Grisham wants to read The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2016 03:55AM · 10 likes · like
John Grisham wants to read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2016 03:55AM · 9 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Grisham wants to read The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2016 03:55AM · 6 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Grisham wants to read It by Stephen King (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Grisham wants to read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #1) by Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2016 03:55AM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Sep 01, 2016 03:54AM · 13 likes · like

More of John's books…

Quotes by John Grisham

“Don't compromise yourself - you're all you have.”
― John Grisham, The Rainmaker

tags: be-yourself, courtroom-drama, crime

2997 likes

“In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard.”
― John Grisham

tags: inspirational-life

2318 likes

“You live your life today,
Not tommorow,
and certainly not yesterday.”
― John Grisham

494 likes

See all John Grisham's quotes »

Polls

Vote for Decembers book club selection

The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

by Erik Larson

19 votes, 27.9%

The Innocent Man Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham

11 votes, 16.2%

Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders Helter Skelter The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi

11 votes, 16.2%

Black Mass The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob

by Dick Lehr

10 votes, 14.7%

Bringing Down the House The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions

by Ben Mezrich

8 votes, 11.8%

The Rescue Artist A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece (P.S.) by Edward Dolnick

The Rescue Artist A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece by Edward Dolnick

5 votes, 7.4%

The First Family Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder, and the Birth of the American Mafia

by Mike Dash

2 votes, 2.9%

Whatever Mother Says... A True Story of a Mother, Madness and Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library) by Wensley Clarkson

Whatever Mother Says... A True Story of a Mother, Madness and Murder by Wensley Clarkson

2 votes, 2.9%

68 total votes

4 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Glens Falls (NY) ...: Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler	9	60	Dec 02, 2008 05:36PM
Glens Falls (NY) ...: Sci-fi and Fantasy - Recommendations for the newbie in this genre?	11	84	Jan 02, 2009 08:40AM
Pick-a-Shelf: 12 Books of Christmas - the Official Game Room	254	312	Jan 11, 2009 10:24PM
The Next Best Boo...: Adam's 2009 Reading Goal	23	320	Jun 14, 2009 07:15AM
100+ Books in 2016: Laura's 2009 Books	27	961	Aug 15, 2009 02:27AM
Challenge: 50 Books: Mandy's 50 in 2009	34	296	Aug 21, 2009 09:01PM
The Next Best Boo...: OFFICIAL SUMMER CHALLENGE 2009	6739	10827	Aug 31, 2009 10:23PM
Chicks On Lit: December Nominations!	22	98	Oct 14, 2009 04:55AM

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John’s Friend Comments

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Comments (showing 1-28) post a comment »

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message 28: by Abigail

Nov 05, 2015 08:21AM

Can't wait to read your books! You are my fiance's favorite author! :)

reply | flag *

message 27: by Blossom

Nov 01, 2015 01:44PM

Just finished Rogue Lawyer. Love Sebastian Rudd! I hope you bring him back.

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message 26: by Rita

Oct 30, 2015 04:53PM

I love all of your books but my favorite is Playing for Pizza

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message 25: by Jimmy

Oct 30, 2015 12:48PM

Thank You John, I appreciate your friendship.

reply | flag *

message 24: by Manasa

Oct 30, 2015 08:27AM

Thank you so much for accepting my request !!
It means a lot :))

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message 23: by Steve

Dec 21, 2014 08:08AM

I am a great fan of your fiction!

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message 22: by Elizabeth

Nov 03, 2014 03:38PM

Thank you John! I feel honored to be your friend. I have read and listened to your books and felt compelled to make sure my friends and family got to read them! Have seen the ones that were made into movies numerous times! Keep them coming!

Thanks for entertaining us. Look forward to "Gray Mountain"

Elizabeth Perry

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message 21: by Alexandra

Sep 10, 2014 08:10AM

Comming from an exam in university and seeing that i am in ur frenship list was the best thing that ever happend to me . I know everibody say that he is the bigest fan but beeing a law student and reading ur books how can i say it . The rainmaker i think i read it 10 times seeing my self after i will graduate

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message 20: by Abhishek (last edited Sep 09, 2014 02:54PM)

Sep 09, 2014 02:53PM

You are the king of dialogues! Thank you most kindly for accepting the request, Mr. Grisham.

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message 19: by Sally

Sep 09, 2014 01:47PM

Thanks for your Goodreads friendship, John!
Sally

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message 18: by Rita

Sep 09, 2014 01:38PM

Thanks for accepting my friend request! ;)

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message 17: by Nenia

Sep 09, 2014 01:34PM

Thanks for shooting me a friend request!

I loved The Runaway Jury! :D

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message 16: by Lola

Sep 18, 2013 07:49AM

I also say thank you for accepting my friend request!! I am a big fan and I love your books! all the best and kind regards from Austria!

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message 15: by DS

Sep 12, 2013 08:40PM

Thank you for accepting my friendship Mr Grisham.

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message 14: by Sruti

Sep 11, 2013 09:25AM

Thank you for accepting my request :)

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message 13: by Paul

Sep 10, 2013 06:18PM

Thanks for accepting me John,I love all your books

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message 12: by Sharon

Sep 10, 2013 05:35PM

Thank you for your friendship here on Goodreads :)

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message 11: by Davee

Sep 10, 2013 01:11PM

Thank you for the connection. I appreciate you.

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message 10: by Bonnie

Jan 26, 2013 12:38PM

Thank you SO much for accepting my friend request. I am a fan!

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message 9: by Jonathan

Jan 26, 2013 11:07AM

Thank you for accepting my friend request, Mr. Grisham! I admire your work as a writer, and your books always provide a break from routine, and leave the reader with a smile of contentment. I might add that I identify with what appear to be your abolitionist views, and hope more novelists touched upon the controversial issue of death penalty in such a way. Keep up with the good work!

JW

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message 8: by Rosella

Jan 26, 2013 07:57AM

THANK YOU for approving me as a friend, John! I wholeheartedly appreciate it. Your kind gesture made my day. :-)

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message 7: by Heather (last edited Jan 25, 2013 08:01PM)

Jan 25, 2013 08:01PM

THank you, I must say that i really love your books. I have recently added a new book shelf in my Library. Thank you for such fasinating stories, that keep me up all night. My English professor, not so much :)

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message 6: by Bentley

Jan 25, 2013 09:45AM

Thanks friend...lol I am truly honored. Thank you.
I have all your books, well missing one of the Theodore Boone..will get it soon. All first edition first print hardcovers. My most treasured collection. Hope to give them to my daughter one day. Thanks for making the long trips across the Pacific bearable and the many nights filled with great excitement and unforgettable characters.

Your Palauan friend
Bentley Techur.

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message 5: by Saurav Agarwal

Jan 25, 2013 08:20AM

Oh! Thanks!!! John Grisham is my friend! Wow!!! :D

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message 4: by Oche

Jan 25, 2013 08:15AM

Thanks for accepting my friend request. Your writing is the best

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message 3: by Dani

Oct 12, 2012 07:54AM

Thanks for adding me to your friends list. I meet you years ago on a high school field trip. I grew up in Horn Lake, MS. I have been a fan of yours since that school field trip. Love all your books.

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message 2: by Michaelangelo

Oct 11, 2012 07:38PM

I'm in your friends list... it's a great honor.
Michaelangelo Barnez

reply | flag *

message 1: by Rawail

Apr 13, 2012 02:50AM

Thanks for accepting my friend request! :)

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John Grisham

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