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Loading... Playing for Pizzaby John Grisham
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won't like
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  polo9 | Sep 20, 2009 |  3rd string football quarterback finds himself in the Italian football (American style) league. The book was must have been a way for Grisham to write off holiday expenses to Italy. Not a very good read - too bad, because the plot had some promise. (  ) addunn3 | Aug 29, 2009 | Rick Dockery is a washed up professional guaterback in the states. When he is released by his team after loosing an AFC championship game his only chance to play football is in Italy.He learns that he can be a first string quarterback and leads his team to a winning season. Along the way he learns much about life and friendship. ( ) lindahallmann | Aug 28, 2009 | It's amazing that so many disliked this story... "it's about football", "Dockery's a jerk", "Grisham should stick with law stories", etc. I think that's too bad, because in amongst all the eating and football lies a story of a young man finding and facing his own weaknesses, and learning to overcome them. I think this is one of Grisham's better stories. It makes me want to visit Italy... heck it makes me want to live in Italy, and become part of the culture, and not just for the food and drink, but for the comaraderie, the wisdom, and the challenges. If a story can make me feel that way, well what more can you ask for? (  )1  kcs_hiker | Jul 29, 2009 | My boyfriend gave me this as part of a birthday basket... what was he thinking?? Did he even read the cover to see what the book was about? Football, football, and more football. The main character isn't even that likable. This is my least favorite Grisham of all time. The ending was dumb, the girl was unlikable, too. Guys who don't read much might like this, don't know. (  ) dhunt706 | Apr 14, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0385525001, Hardcover)Playing for Pizza: A Q&A with John Grisham Q: American football in Italy seems like an unlikely subject for a John Grisham novel. What was the inspiration for Playing for Pizza? A: Three years ago when I was in Bologna researching "The Broker", I discovered American football. One of my guides in the area played football for the Bologna Warriors for 10 years. I couldn't believe that American football actually existed there, but the more I heard about it the more intrigued I became. Q: There is some great football writing in this novel. What kind of research was involved in capturing how this American institution is played in small town Italy? A: The only way to research the book was to go to Parma and watch a game. The coach is an American who played at Illinois State, and he proved to be extremely valuable. I met many of the Italian players and the story simply unfolded. Q: Speaking of research, you write lovingly of Italian food and wine in this book. What's your idea of the perfect Italian meal? A: First course: prosicutto and melon; second course: stuffed tortellini; third course: roasted stuffed capon, all served with a great Barolo wine. Q: Without giving away too much of the plot, your protagonist falls in love by the novel's end. Did you know when you started writing that Rick would get the girl? A: Of course. Q: You have a new legal thriller coming in January 2008. Can you give us any hints about what to expect? A: I really don't like to talk about a book until it's finished. Sorry. But it will not be another work of non-fiction, nor will it be about football. Lots of lawyers in the next one.(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:19 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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Also, he had a chance to draw on his high school quarterback experiences which add a lot of realism to the football scenes; but, this book is really only for those not in need of a vicarious vacation, or not suffering from NFL fatigue.
Grisham is a formidable intelligence, his understanding of the mass market is remarkable. For any one interested in becoming a successful author he should be required reading as there are a multiplicity of commercial nuances in his work and his discipline is to be admired. (