John Grisham: By the Book
Published: October 25,
2012
The author, most
recently, of “The Racketeer” wishes President Obama would read “Fifty Shades of
Grey”: “Maybe it would loosen him up a bit.”
John Grisham
What book is on your night stand now?
There are a dozen. I’m halfway through “All
the King’s Men,” by Robert Penn Warren. I haven’t read it since college.
When and where do you like to read?
I usually read at night, in the bed, before
falling asleep. In the summertime, I love to read on the porch in a rocker
under a ceiling fan.
What was the last truly great book you read?
The word “great” gets tossed around too
easily. The last book that kept me completely engrossed while delivering a powerful
story was “Life After Death,” by Damien Echols. He spent 18 years on
death row in Arkansas for crimes he didn’t commit, and was released last year.
Though he’s innocent, the state refuses to exonerate him.
Are you a fiction or a nonfiction person?
What’s your favorite literary genre: Any guilty pleasures? Do you like to read
other legal thrillers?
I read much more nonfiction, usually while
researching the next novel. Books and studies on unlawful convictions, unfair
trials, overcrowded prisons, prosecutorial misconduct, etc. I read most of the
other legal thrillers on the best-seller lists to keep up with the competition.
Who are your favorites among the competition?
When “Presumed Innocent” was published in
1987, I was struggling to finish my first novel. Scott Turow re-energized
the legal suspense genre with that book, and it inspired me to keep plugging
along. Scott is still the best lawyer-novelist.
What book had the greatest impact on you? What
book made you want to write?
“The Grapes of Wrath,” by John Steinbeck. I
read it when I was a senior in high school and was struck by its clarity and
power. I’m not sure if it inspired me to write, but I do recall thinking, “I
wish I could write as clearly as John Steinbeck.”
If you could require the president to read one
book, what would it be?
“Fifty Shades of Grey.” Why should he miss all
the fun? Plus, it might loosen him up a bit.
What are your reading habits? Paper or
electronic? Do you take notes?
My wife gave me a Kindle Fire for Christmas
and I am having great fun with it. I’m not sure I am reading more, but I am
certainly ordering more. But there is always a stack of hardbacks on the night
stand waiting to be read. I’ll start three a week and try to finish one. I’m
too lazy to take notes.
Do you prefer a book that makes you laugh or
makes you cry? One that teaches you something or one that distracts you?
I love humor and for this reason I’ve always
enjoyed Mark Twain. He was without a doubt the funniest writer who ever picked
up a pen. I’m not sure I ever cried while reading a book.
What were your favorite books as a child? Do
you have a favorite character or hero from one of those books? Is there one
book you wish all children would read?
As a small child I loved Dr. Seuss. Later, the
Hardy Boys and Chip Hilton. Then I discovered Mark Twain with Tom Sawyer and
Huck Finn. Tom Sawyer is still my all-time favorite literary hero.
Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What
book did you feel as if you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember
the last book you put down without finishing?
I tried a couple of times to read “The Girl
With the Dragon Tattoo,” but never finished it.
If you could meet any writer, dead or alive,
who would it be? What would you want to know? Have you ever written to an
author?
Mark Twain, but when he was 40, not 70. He was
a pretty nasty old man. I’m not sure what I would ask Mark Twain, but I’m
pretty sure it would not be for investment advice. I wrote him a letter when I
was a kid but never heard back. What an ass.
Which of the books you’ve written is your
favorite? Your favorite character? What’s your favorite movie adaptation of a
book you’ve written?
My first book, “A Time to Kill,” is still my
favorite, and Jake Brigance is still my favorite character. The best adaptation
was “The Rainmaker,” with Francis Ford Coppola.
If you could choose among your novels the next
to be adapted into a movie, which would it be and why?
Who doesn’t love a good movie? For this
reason, I would enjoy seeing all of my books adapted to film. There are
currently three or four “in production” — not sure what that means but I
suspect it means little is happening. Gone are the days when I sold the film
rights for a nice check, then sat back and waited 18 months for the movie. Long
gone.
“Calico Joe” is being developed by Chris
Columbus, who wrote a great script and plans to direct. It appears to be a fast
track and should be fun to watch. My involvement is always limited, as it
should be. I know nothing about making movies and have no desire to learn.
What’s the best book about the law ever
written?
“To Kill a Mockingbird.”
The best book about baseball?
“Bang the Drum Slowly,” by Mark Harris.
What’s the one book you wish someone else
would write?
My next legal thriller. No — make that my next
five.
You’ve traveled all around the country for
your book tours. Do you have a particular favorite place to visit as an author?
A city that’s especially welcoming to writers?
I’ve visited several death rows doing
research, and they are fascinating. Prisons in general give me inspiration for
stories and characters. My next book is about a lawyer in prison, and I went to
visit a couple. Rich stuff.
I don’t understand how anyone can write in a
city. I live in the boondocks where it’s quiet and peaceful and when the words
are slow I go for long walks through the hills. To my recollection, I’ve never
written a single word of a novel in town.
What do you plan to read next?
I have a friend who is an obnoxious Yankee fan
(aren’t they all?) and he’s hounding me to read the latest biographies of Mantle
and Maris: “The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood,”
and “Roger Maris, Baseball’s Reluctant Hero.” I’ll give ’em a shot.
