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Rainmaker (Paperback)

by John Grisham (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (303 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 8.45 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Rudy Baylor, a new law school graduate, once dreamed of the good life as a corporate attorney. Now he faces joblessness and bankruptcy--unless he can win an insurance case against a heavyweight team of lawyers, a case that starts small but mushrooms into a frightening war of nerve and legal skill that could cost Rudy not only his future, but also his life. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.


From Publishers Weekly

Grisham's intricate, spellbinding sixth novel differs from his last few?it's his only book with first-person narration and his first since his debut to be set in a courtroom?but the trademark Grisham touches are in place. Rookie attorney Rudy Baylor is the customary David fighting a legal Goliath (here a multibillion-dollar insurance company), and the suspense builds with impeccable pacing despite workaday prose. When the modestly sized law firm that contracted for his future services unexpectedly merges with a tony Ivy League firm, Rudy finds himself without a job and bankrupt. Filing a $10 million lawsuit takes away some of the sting, as does a lonely elderly woman's offer of low rent on a small apartment in exchange for rewriting her will. To make a living, Rudy finds himself chasing ambulances for a racketeering shyster, leading to his becoming enthralled with a beautiful young woman hospitalized by her husband's murderous attack. When Rudy agrees to represent the parents of a dying 22-year-old denied insurance coverage for a bone-marrow transplant, he finds that he is up against the firm that broke contract with him. Melding the courtroom savvy of A Time to Kill with the psychological nuance of The Chamber, imbued with wry humor and rich characters, this bittersweet tale, the author's quietest and most thoughtful, shows that Grisham's imagination can hold its own in a courtroom as well as on the violent streets outside. Major ad/promo; large-print edition, ISBN 0-385-47512-8; audio rights to BDD Audio.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

303 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (303 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars Three stories for the price of one!, Jun 21 2009
By Paul Weiss (Dundas, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Rainmaker (Mass Market Paperback)
Methinks that John Grisham has a mellower side to his writing than we've seen thus far.

Certainly "The Rainmaker", rather than being the legal thriller that one might have expected on the basis of his previous novels, is more of a gentle bittersweet general fiction novel comprised of three concurrent sub-plots that take place primarily in a legal setting.

In the first story, (of course, all three are intertwined to a certain extent and bump into one another, although each of the three would serve as a fine short story or novella on its own), Rudy Baylor graduates from law school with the hopeful vision of a young man destined for a rising career in a mainstream firm well known in the field of corporate law. When an unexpected takeover leaves him jobless and facing personal bankruptcy, he is forced by unexpected circumstances into the arms of his first client. A pleansant but very lonely (and surprisingly wealthy) elderly lady offers him rental accommodation at a price he couldn't possibly refuse in exchange for a review of her will.

In the second (and central) plot of the novel, Baylor unexpectedly becomes the attorney of record in a major lawsuit alleging fraud against a mega-rich insurance company that pads its profits by routinely rejecting legitimate insurance claims comfortable in the proven belief that only a small statistical percentage of those claims denied will actually be taken to court. His client is a 22 year old man, dying of leukemia. He can't afford the cost of a bone marrow transplant because his claim under the insurance policy he bought many years earlier has been rejected. The stakes are huge with a $10 million judgment hanging in the balance.

In the third and final story, and certainly the most poignant of the three, Baylor meets a young woman in the hospital who has been severely beaten by her husband. As his relationship progresses from legal representative to something much deeper and much more important, Baylor begins to question his future, his objectivity and even his commitment to the entire field of law.

"The Rainmaker" is entertaining, well written fiction that certainly speaks to Grisham's ability as a well-rounded writer who can create believable stories, populated by a strong cast of warm characters with complexity and depth, that are far richer than pure suspense.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss
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4.0 out of 5 stars Slapstick Look at the Ambulance Chasing Side of Legal Practice, Aug 21 2008
This review is from: The Rainmaker (Mass Market Paperback)

We all know that to make a good joke, you've got to exaggerate the right elements while ignoring what isn't funny. John Grisham creates a slapstick winner with a book about a bumbling young lawyer who isn't going to Wall Street . . . in fact, he has to declare bankruptcy before he passes the bar exam.

But don't confuse this book with a humorous book about the law. This novel would have to be toned down by about 60 degrees before that would be possible. This is a comic book version of a funny story about "what if" a law student didn't have a job, any money, or any connections after three years of torts and briefs.

Rudy Baylor is dragged by his professor to a meeting of senior citizens to give out free advice. He meets the meeting's hostess who wants to change her will to favor a television evangelist with her millions. Rudy also meets the parents of a young man who will die from leukemia because the insurance company wouldn't pay for a bone marrow transplant.

This all seems like a pleasant way to spend a few hours finishing a class until Rudy's promised job evaporates in a shotgun law firm merger. Now, he tries to trade off his leads into some cash and some work. The complications are unexpected, unrealistic, and slapstick funny. There's a sweetness to Rudy's character that you won't find in many real lawyers that makes the book work.

I found myself wondering what pratfalls John Grisham would foist on poor Rudy next. That was a major part of the attraction of the story.

If you hate lawyers and insurance companies, you'll find nothing to discourage either view in this jaundiced critique of the legal profession.

But you'll have some smiles and chuckles along the way, neither of which would happen if there were any real lawyers around.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed with ending, Jun 29 2004
By Jack Kelly (Gig Harbor, WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Rainmaker (Mass Market Paperback)
This book has a superb plot and very interesting characters that are colorfully described by the author. It is fast moving and keeps the reader interested at all times until the ending. Frankly, it fell flat there. However, it is worth the read and I recommend it.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous, engaging, and realistic
I thoroughly enjoyed Rainmaker. It was on the few Grisham novels that I had yet to read and after the disappointing Summons I wasn't excited about reading another Grisham novel... Read more
Published on Jun 10 2004 by L. M. MCCOY

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rainmaker
Rudy Baylor couldn't buy a job when he graduated from law school. He eventually gets a job but the guy who hired him tries to still his case that is worth millions. Read more
Published on May 28 2004 by Colton Davis

4.0 out of 5 stars No objections, Your Honor!
Quite like a few of John Grisham's novels but feel this is by some way his best. Not sure quite why. Enjoy the first-person narrative, which is self-deprecating and funny. Read more
Published on May 25 2004 by Toby

3.0 out of 5 stars Not that intimidating
The book starts off with the graduation of Rudy Baylor, the main character, from a Memphis college. Rudy gets a case of an insurance agent Great Benefits cheating a family whose... Read more
Published on May 7 2004 by Anand Sunil

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Grisham's better novels. A funny look at the law.
"The Rainmaker" is one of Grisham's better novels ("The Firm" still remains my favorite by Grisham). Read more
Published on April 14 2004 by Roger J. Buffington

2.0 out of 5 stars Light and fluffy
I love books that attack the insurance industry, corrupt lawyers and judges but the ending was entirely too similar to some of his other books. Read more
Published on April 13 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling at times, but relies on humor
The Rainmaker is the story of law student Rudy Baylor. Throughout the book, you'll be told his story and the story of his client, Dot Black. Read more
Published on April 10 2004 by Chris Milligan

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely up there with The Firm and The Pelican Brief
The Rainmaker by John Grisham is a very exciting novel. I read it in the span of two days because I could not put it down. Read more
Published on Mar 3 2004 by Eric

5.0 out of 5 stars Highest Rating!
This was an outstanding story about an above average law student who just wants to make his mark. He just wanted to earn an honest living, but Rudy Baylor had more curves thrown... Read more
Published on Feb 23 2004 by s-nap

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a laugh riot first, a legal thriller second
This is truly a fantastic book. I dont want to go thru the plot, coz to tell you the truth, this book is less abt a plot, its about humourous narative power unleased by Mr... Read more
Published on Feb 22 2004 by Vikram Ramanathan

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