Ford County: Stories

I'm a huge fan of John Grisham and have read all of his books. I was excited to read his short stories and was, generally speaking, not disappointed. The stories were all well written and had great set-ups. I think what kept these stories from being great were the ways in which Grisham tended to end them. For the most part, the stories end exactly the way you knew they would when the story began and were somewhat anti-climactic. I found myself wishing (hoping) each story would end with a "blow your mind" moment. We don't get that which isn't unexpected but is slightly disappointing. ( )

I don't get all the hype. I couldn't even make it through every story. Snore. ( )

Audiobook. The story was quite good. I really Grisham's writing. The only complaint was that while Grisham is one of my favorite authors, I do wish he would not narrate his books. ( )

My previous encounters with Grisham have been through film. This collection is the first time I have met him in print. The seven short stories were crisp and engaging. ( )

These are engrossing short stories, full of warmth, humor, and humanity, all set in Ford Country Mississippi, in the deep south from whence the author John Grisham came.

"Blood Drive" is a rollicking tale of three good ol' boys who drive to Memphis to donate blood for an injured friend. They are diverted along the way by beer and a strip club, with dramatic results. In "Fetching Raymond," Inez Graney and her sons Butch and Leon drive to see the youngest brother, now on death row in the state prison, on what may be their last such trip. In "Fish Files," local attorney Mack Stafford hits it big with a law suit settlement, and gains the chance to leave his old life and family behind. In the amusing story "Casino," Sidney is a low- level insurance adjustor who has lost his wife to a local hustler, Bobby Carl Leach, who runs the Lucky Jack Casino. Sidney perfects his skills in blackjack in order to bring down the casino and win back his wife. In "Michael's Room," attorney Stanley Wade is faced with the grim reality of a lawsuit he has won at the expense of a local family -- with harrowing results. "Quiet Haven" is a depressing tale of a man who stalks nursing homes in search of money from their patrons. "Funny Boy" is a poignant tale of a young white man who comes home to die of AIDS, and turned away by his family, finds a reception in the "colored" section of his town of Clanton.

I found the first four stories especially enjoyable. Though on subjects less pleasant to contemplate, the last three were excellent tales as well. I subjectively rank short stories with stars (zero to 5) to reflect my enjoyment, and for what it's worth, here are the rankings for the ones in this collection:

Blood Drive-- 4.5*
Fetching Raymond-- 4*
Fish Files-- 4.5*
Casino-- 4.5*
Michael's Room-- 2*
Quiet Haven-- 2*
Funny Boy-- 3* ( )