This 'Associate' is no catcher

‘The Associate’ is the latest feather in John Grisham’s cap. Figuratively, yes. Metaphorically, no. For, it is nowhere near the master’s best. From the author who has given us books like ‘The Firm’, ‘The Broker’ and others, this book is actually a disappointment.

Like most of Grisham’s literature and as you might have figured out by the name, this book is set in the world of law. The main protagonist of the story, Kyle McAvoy is fresh out of an Ivy League college and on his way of becoming a full-fledged lawyer. Like the rest in his class, Kyle is also in the process of picking up his career and future when a few bad men catch up with him with his dirty dark secret from the past. They threaten to expose his butt for all to see if he does not obey their orders. What follows is a brutal blackmailing game and the goons keep on getting more and more menacing. Whether or not Kyle manages to get out of their clutches forms the book.

The plot is thinner than a metal foil on Indian milk sweet. In fact, the entire book can be reproduced in less than ten lines without missing anything substantial. As said earlier, the story is set in the world of lawyers, law firms and law suits. This is exactly where John Grisham belongs to, but there isn’t anything either fresh or profound. After the first hundred pages, the book becomes annoying and the only reason why it is still bearable is because of the ingenious style of Grisham’s writing.

There is one activity that I must remember to do when I get my hands on a soft copy of this book. I need to Control F for ‘bill’ (as in ‘billing’) and see how many times has this word been used throughout the book. My personal bet is, close to a thousand times. Ok, I am kidding. But seriously, it must be at least five hundred times. I wonder, do law firms are really so notorious for billing their clients?

If this is the first time you are reading a John Grisham, ‘The Associate’ is not a bad place to start. But if you already are a ‘veteran reader of legal thrillers’, going back to ‘The Firm’ even though you have read it earlier, is not a bad idea.