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The Rainmaker
It's summer in Memphis. The sweat is sticking to Rudy Baylor's shirt and creditors are nipping at his heels. Once he had aspirations of breezing through law school and punching his ticket to the good life. Now he doesn't have a job or a prayer...except for one: an insurance dispute that leaves a family devastated and opens the door for a lawsuit, if Rudy can find a way to file it.
By the time Rudy gets to court, a heavyweight corporate defense team is there to meet him. And suddenly he's in over his head, plunged into a nightmare of lies and legal maneuverings. A case that started small is exploding into a thunderous million-dollar war of nerves, skill and outright violence--a fight that could cost one young lawyer his life, or turn him into the biggest rainmaker in the land....
By the time Rudy gets to court, a heavyweight corporate defense team is there to meet him. And suddenly he's in over his head, plunged into a nightmare of lies and legal maneuverings. A case that started small is exploding into a thunderous million-dollar war of nerves, skill and outright violence--a fight that could cost one young lawyer his life, or turn him into the biggest rainmaker in the land....
611 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1995
About the author
John Grisham
480 books94.4k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,296 reviews
December 10, 2024
Newly qualified lawyer Rudy Baylor can't get a job for love or money, so he tries another route into his chosen profession by seeing if he can get a good case; he gets lucky and finds himself representing a poor working family that had been maltreated by an insurance company. Can one recent graduate take on big-insurance? Can Rudy be a rainmaker for the disenfranchised family? If anyone can tell an interesting way that this could be done it's Grisham; although like in quite a few of his books it feels like he dies not make the antagonists as smart as they would have had to be to have accumulated so much reach, power and resources. A 7 out of 12 Three Star read for me.
2024 read
2024 read
May 27, 2022
تستمر أمطار الإبداع الذي تركه لنا د. أحمد في ترجماته الرائعة✨ .
متمثلا هذه المرة في إحدي أشهر الروايات الأمريكية الشيقة
صانع الأمطار و هو صانع المعجزات و جالب الأموال .
دائماً ما نقول أن الجامعات عندنا لا تؤهل لأي عمل حقيقي بعد التخرج.
لنعرف هنا أن حتي أعرق جامعات أمريكا لا تختلف كثيرا 😂.
(رودي) طالب بائس مفلس في سنته الأخير بكلية الحقوق ، بخبرة معدمة
يجد نفسه يخوض إحدي أكبر قضايا الفساد في أمريكا.
يذهب (رودي) لدار المسنين ليكمل واجبا روتينيا مملاً ، فيقابل هناك عائلة (بلاك) ، هذه العائلة الفقيرة التي لا أمل لها إلا في (رودي) أن ينتقم من شركة التأمين العملاقة الظالمة التي حرمت ابنهم نفقات علاج السرطان حتي تدهورت حالته و ليطالبهم بالتعويض المادي الذي يستحقونه.
ليكون لسان حال (رودي) : "أنا هعمل كل ده "😂
و لكن يرتبط (رودي) بالعائلة و تتطور علاقته بهم لتصير القضية أمرا شخصيا و ليحارب بكل ما أوتي من قوة ليسترد حق الفتي و يشفي غليل العائلة المكلومة.
في إطار قصصي ممتع، و بأسلوب شيق نعيش قضايا أخرى غريبة مثل تلك المرأة العجوز رثة الثياب و لكنها تملك الملايين ، و نشارك (رودي) بحثه الدائم عن وظيفة و لو كانت وضيعة ، وقوعه في الحب مرة أخرى ، و نرى مشاكله و مصائبه التي لا تنتهي أبدا ، لتأتي النهاية منطقية تلمس الواقع القاسي و تحترم فكر القارئ.
طبعا الرواية مختصرة و لكنه اختصار لا يؤثر كثيراً علي سير و منطقية الأحداث.
لن تدعها من يدك حتي تنهيها 🤩 ✨
متمثلا هذه المرة في إحدي أشهر الروايات الأمريكية الشيقة
صانع الأمطار و هو صانع المعجزات و جالب الأموال .
دائماً ما نقول أن الجامعات عندنا لا تؤهل لأي عمل حقيقي بعد التخرج.
لنعرف هنا أن حتي أعرق جامعات أمريكا لا تختلف كثيرا 😂.
(رودي) طالب بائس مفلس في سنته الأخير بكلية الحقوق ، بخبرة معدمة
يجد نفسه يخوض إحدي أكبر قضايا الفساد في أمريكا.
يذهب (رودي) لدار المسنين ليكمل واجبا روتينيا مملاً ، فيقابل هناك عائلة (بلاك) ، هذه العائلة الفقيرة التي لا أمل لها إلا في (رودي) أن ينتقم من شركة التأمين العملاقة الظالمة التي حرمت ابنهم نفقات علاج السرطان حتي تدهورت حالته و ليطالبهم بالتعويض المادي الذي يستحقونه.
ليكون لسان حال (رودي) : "أنا هعمل كل ده "😂
و لكن يرتبط (رودي) بالعائلة و تتطور علاقته بهم لتصير القضية أمرا شخصيا و ليحارب بكل ما أوتي من قوة ليسترد حق الفتي و يشفي غليل العائلة المكلومة.
في إطار قصصي ممتع، و بأسلوب شيق نعيش قضايا أخرى غريبة مثل تلك المرأة العجوز رثة الثياب و لكنها تملك الملايين ، و نشارك (رودي) بحثه الدائم عن وظيفة و لو كانت وضيعة ، وقوعه في الحب مرة أخرى ، و نرى مشاكله و مصائبه التي لا تنتهي أبدا ، لتأتي النهاية منطقية تلمس الواقع القاسي و تحترم فكر القارئ.
طبعا الرواية مختصرة و لكنه اختصار لا يؤثر كثيراً علي سير و منطقية الأحداث.
لن تدعها من يدك حتي تنهيها 🤩 ✨
March 27, 2011
“I'm alone and outgunned, scared and inexperienced, but I'm right.”
Smooth, savvy, satisfying…I think this is my new favorite John Grisham novel. While not heavy on scholarly nuance, it has some depth and is crisp, right-hearted, expertly paced and reads like ice-cold lemonade on the porch in summertime.*
*Please feel free to mentally substitute the simile ‘hot toddy curled up in front of a fire in winter’ if you prefer.
While this page-turner is a very easy read, I wouldn’t call this light as Grisham does a good job infusing the narrative with a sense of importance and emotional attachment vis a vis the characters and the central plot. Grisham knows his subject and has a knack for dispensing highly digestible tales that quickly suck his readers into the middle of the story where they remain engaged until the end.
I can think of worse ways to spend time than reading this author's work.
PLOT SUMMARY:
We meet Rudy Baylor when he has not yet finished his third year of Law School at Memphis State. We get a scratchy taste of the less than glamorous job market search for non-elite students as Rudy is smart, but middle of the pack.
He’s an everyman and we can relate to him and the choices with which he is confronted.
Through a series of missteps, bad luck and the realities of more lawyers than legal positions, Rudy finds himself working for J. Lyman “Bruiser” Stone, a shady, shark-like ambulance chaser who makes serious bank not-so-secretly owning most of the topless bars and nightclubs in Memphis.
Tip of the cap to Grisham as “Bruiser” is a great character.
Rudy gets teamed up with another wonderful, morally lenient character named Deck Shifflet. Deck has failed the bar six times and basically practices law without a license as a “paralawyer.” Together, we watch two very struggling guys trying to scratch out a living in the overcrowded, lawyer-eat-lawyer world of Memphis Law.
There is a well done blooming romance between Rudy and an abused wife and some comic relief involving a nettlesome grandma out to re-write her will to cut off her ungrateful kin. However, the steak of this meal is a bad faith claim against an insurance company, Great Benefit. The whoreporation wrongfully denied coverage for a bone marrow transplant that would have save Donny Ray Black, a young man dying of Leukemia. We watch Rudy’s trial by fire as he is thrown in the deep end battling the evil insurance company and its massive team of $1000/hr litigators from the “Pole-in-the-Keester” mega law firm.
THOUGHTS:
The inner-workings of the courtroom and legal proceedings are handled lightly with sparse details and the concatenation of circumstances leading to the final verdict do not always rigorously following the realistic as the expense of entertainment. I didn’t have an issue with this because it kept the pacing brisk without bogging the story down in details that I think most readers would find tedious.
The law is not an exciting place.
However, Grisham, to his story-telling credit, creates excitement by populating his tale with a bevy of Southern-flavored characters that feel alive and genuine. I don’t think Grisham gets the credit he deserves for this as it a real gift. In this outing, we have:
**The aforementioned “Bruiser” Stone and Deck Shifflet add much color to the proceedings.
**Dot Black, the chain-smoking, embittered mother of Donny and her husband Buddy, a war veteran who is quietly drunk 24/7. This description may not make them sound likeable, but they are and they are devastated by their son’s illness.
**Kelly Riker, the smart, beautiful 19 year-old trapped in a horrible marriage with her drunk, abusive husband who’s angry at the world because his dreams of being a pro athlete never materialized.
**Judge Tyrone Kipler, the sympathetic judge who hates insurance companies and provides Rudy with valuable assistance and advice.
These characters elevate the novel above the “just another bag of popcorn” legal thriller. I enjoyed myself reading this and will certainly pick up another Grisham book in the future.
Before I wrap up, a quick word on the film/movie comparison.
I had previously seen the movie adaptation of this novel and, like _A Time to Kill, I think the movie outshined its source. Very little had to be cut from the movie and Coppola did a great job of translating the tone of the story. Plus, with casting like Danny DeVito playing Deck Shifflet and Mickey Rourke as “Bruiser” Stone, the book had a pretty big uphill stroll to compete.
Even years later, I remember the scene in the movie where Shifflet (DeVito) is pressuring an auto accident victim in traction and a lot of pain to sign up with him as his lawyer. When he finally gets the gut to relent (mostly to get rid of him) Shifflet walks away with an air punch saying, “Were gonna get you a bunch a money.”
What a classic, classic lawyer line and I was happy to see that line was in the book as well.
Anyway, the book is still very good and I did prefer the novel’s ending more than the movie. The endings are not significantly different, but Rudy Baylor’s outlook on the legal profession is put in much starker light in the book and I found that to be superior to the somewhat ambiguous handling of the film.
In sum, if you’ve seen the movie, you are not missing much by not reading the book…not much except a well-written, entertaining story. You can decide. For me, the book was worth it and I enjoyed myself.
3.5 stars. Recommended.
Smooth, savvy, satisfying…I think this is my new favorite John Grisham novel. While not heavy on scholarly nuance, it has some depth and is crisp, right-hearted, expertly paced and reads like ice-cold lemonade on the porch in summertime.*
*Please feel free to mentally substitute the simile ‘hot toddy curled up in front of a fire in winter’ if you prefer.
While this page-turner is a very easy read, I wouldn’t call this light as Grisham does a good job infusing the narrative with a sense of importance and emotional attachment vis a vis the characters and the central plot. Grisham knows his subject and has a knack for dispensing highly digestible tales that quickly suck his readers into the middle of the story where they remain engaged until the end.
I can think of worse ways to spend time than reading this author's work.
PLOT SUMMARY:
We meet Rudy Baylor when he has not yet finished his third year of Law School at Memphis State. We get a scratchy taste of the less than glamorous job market search for non-elite students as Rudy is smart, but middle of the pack.
He’s an everyman and we can relate to him and the choices with which he is confronted.
All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after three years of brutal competition we care for nothing but the right job with the right firm where we can make partner in seven years and earn big bucks.
Through a series of missteps, bad luck and the realities of more lawyers than legal positions, Rudy finds himself working for J. Lyman “Bruiser” Stone, a shady, shark-like ambulance chaser who makes serious bank not-so-secretly owning most of the topless bars and nightclubs in Memphis.
Tip of the cap to Grisham as “Bruiser” is a great character.
Rudy gets teamed up with another wonderful, morally lenient character named Deck Shifflet. Deck has failed the bar six times and basically practices law without a license as a “paralawyer.” Together, we watch two very struggling guys trying to scratch out a living in the overcrowded, lawyer-eat-lawyer world of Memphis Law.
There is a well done blooming romance between Rudy and an abused wife and some comic relief involving a nettlesome grandma out to re-write her will to cut off her ungrateful kin. However, the steak of this meal is a bad faith claim against an insurance company, Great Benefit. The whoreporation wrongfully denied coverage for a bone marrow transplant that would have save Donny Ray Black, a young man dying of Leukemia. We watch Rudy’s trial by fire as he is thrown in the deep end battling the evil insurance company and its massive team of $1000/hr litigators from the “Pole-in-the-Keester” mega law firm.
THOUGHTS:
The inner-workings of the courtroom and legal proceedings are handled lightly with sparse details and the concatenation of circumstances leading to the final verdict do not always rigorously following the realistic as the expense of entertainment. I didn’t have an issue with this because it kept the pacing brisk without bogging the story down in details that I think most readers would find tedious.
The law is not an exciting place.
However, Grisham, to his story-telling credit, creates excitement by populating his tale with a bevy of Southern-flavored characters that feel alive and genuine. I don’t think Grisham gets the credit he deserves for this as it a real gift. In this outing, we have:
**The aforementioned “Bruiser” Stone and Deck Shifflet add much color to the proceedings.
**Dot Black, the chain-smoking, embittered mother of Donny and her husband Buddy, a war veteran who is quietly drunk 24/7. This description may not make them sound likeable, but they are and they are devastated by their son’s illness.
**Kelly Riker, the smart, beautiful 19 year-old trapped in a horrible marriage with her drunk, abusive husband who’s angry at the world because his dreams of being a pro athlete never materialized.
**Judge Tyrone Kipler, the sympathetic judge who hates insurance companies and provides Rudy with valuable assistance and advice.
These characters elevate the novel above the “just another bag of popcorn” legal thriller. I enjoyed myself reading this and will certainly pick up another Grisham book in the future.
Before I wrap up, a quick word on the film/movie comparison.
I had previously seen the movie adaptation of this novel and, like _A Time to Kill, I think the movie outshined its source. Very little had to be cut from the movie and Coppola did a great job of translating the tone of the story. Plus, with casting like Danny DeVito playing Deck Shifflet and Mickey Rourke as “Bruiser” Stone, the book had a pretty big uphill stroll to compete.
Even years later, I remember the scene in the movie where Shifflet (DeVito) is pressuring an auto accident victim in traction and a lot of pain to sign up with him as his lawyer. When he finally gets the gut to relent (mostly to get rid of him) Shifflet walks away with an air punch saying, “Were gonna get you a bunch a money.”
What a classic, classic lawyer line and I was happy to see that line was in the book as well.
Anyway, the book is still very good and I did prefer the novel’s ending more than the movie. The endings are not significantly different, but Rudy Baylor’s outlook on the legal profession is put in much starker light in the book and I found that to be superior to the somewhat ambiguous handling of the film.
In sum, if you’ve seen the movie, you are not missing much by not reading the book…not much except a well-written, entertaining story. You can decide. For me, the book was worth it and I enjoyed myself.
3.5 stars. Recommended.
December 1, 2021
Rudy Baylor is on the cusp of graduating from law school. In his final semester, he is required to give free legal advice to a group of senior citizens. Dot and Buddy Black are his first clients. Their son, Donny Ray, is dying of leukemia, and their insurance company has flatly refused to pay for his medical treatments. Rudy quickly realizes the Black's have been mistreated. As he digs deeper, he is shocked to discover that the company as not only screwed the Blacks, but possibly is committing the largest insurance fraud ever seen. Rudy, broke and still trying to pass the bar, is going to have to find the strength and courage to take on powerful attorneys and company in America. I loved this book. It is the little man taking on the big man for his fellow humans. There is good humor throughout the book, I really enjoyed. Excellent book.
🐱🐱🐱🐱
🐱🐱🐱🐱
June 2, 2022
تاني قراءه للعمل العظيم ده
تأليف الكاتب الرائع جون جريشام وترجمه المبدع الراحل الدكتور احمد خالد توفيق
وصانع المطر هو المحامي الي بيملك القدره على جلب العملاء أو المال
واحداث الروايه عن رودي طالب كليه الحقوق والفقير أوي ويمسك قضيه ضد شركة تأمين ويحاول يثبت فسادها ضد إبن موكلته
المزايا
1- مقدمه تعريفية للكاتب هايله
2- فيها قصه جانبيه متعلقه بعجوز غنيه تكره عيلتها
3- أسلوب سردي جميل وسلس
4- رتم تصاعدي وأحداث تشد القارئ لآخر صفحه
5- page-turner
العيوب
1- نهايه مش بمستوى الروايه
2- الفكره مبالغ فيها حبتين
تأليف الكاتب الرائع جون جريشام وترجمه المبدع الراحل الدكتور احمد خالد توفيق
وصانع المطر هو المحامي الي بيملك القدره على جلب العملاء أو المال
واحداث الروايه عن رودي طالب كليه الحقوق والفقير أوي ويمسك قضيه ضد شركة تأمين ويحاول يثبت فسادها ضد إبن موكلته
المزايا
1- مقدمه تعريفية للكاتب هايله
2- فيها قصه جانبيه متعلقه بعجوز غنيه تكره عيلتها
3- أسلوب سردي جميل وسلس
4- رتم تصاعدي وأحداث تشد القارئ لآخر صفحه
5- page-turner
العيوب
1- نهايه مش بمستوى الروايه
2- الفكره مبالغ فيها حبتين
January 26, 2019
Three stories for the price of one!
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
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
April 11, 2012
A very sloppy beginning and an even worse sloppy ending.
The beginning I found meandering. There were just too many plot lines that contained no suspense or anything that grabbed me. I couldn't even feel anything for the main character until close to the middle of the book.
The middle of the book, however, was fantastic. It was engaging and fast paced. I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The centerpiece of the book, the main trial, was handled absolutely fantastically. There were some detours to remind the reader of other weaker plot lines, but aside from that, I love it! Everything culminating to the nail biting climax was exciting, well written, well paced, and filled with characters with real emotional attachment.
Then it all completely fell apart at the end.
The reader got a brilliant conclusion to the primary story line, but then the secondary story lines needed their own half-hearted, and pointless conclusions.
The ultimate ending, without any spoilers, was a huge disappointment and seemed to negate just about everything great the book had going for it.
If I were to recommend this book, I would tell people to stop reading at the verdict because the absolutely pointless love interest plot picks up again and destroys everything good about the book.
The beginning I found meandering. There were just too many plot lines that contained no suspense or anything that grabbed me. I couldn't even feel anything for the main character until close to the middle of the book.
The middle of the book, however, was fantastic. It was engaging and fast paced. I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The centerpiece of the book, the main trial, was handled absolutely fantastically. There were some detours to remind the reader of other weaker plot lines, but aside from that, I love it! Everything culminating to the nail biting climax was exciting, well written, well paced, and filled with characters with real emotional attachment.
Then it all completely fell apart at the end.
The reader got a brilliant conclusion to the primary story line, but then the secondary story lines needed their own half-hearted, and pointless conclusions.
The ultimate ending, without any spoilers, was a huge disappointment and seemed to negate just about everything great the book had going for it.
If I were to recommend this book, I would tell people to stop reading at the verdict because the absolutely pointless love interest plot picks up again and destroys everything good about the book.
September 7, 2020
A stand alone legal thriller published 1995
I really enjoyed this legal thriller.
All the things that you have come to expect from John Grisham are here.
A young lawyer, Rudy Baylor, is fresh out of law school and struggling to make ends meet. He has one job prospect, not the dream job he was hoping for but something to get his foot on the ladder. A the last minute the rug is pulled from under him when he is told that he has just lost the job that he hadn’t even started yet.
Down but not out Rudy has one ace up his sleeve. Whilst during a meet and greet meeting with some senior citizens’ he is told by an elderly lady that she has a problem with an insurance company. It seems that her son is dying of leukaemia and the insurance company is refusing to pay for a life saving bone marrow transplant.
With no where to go and with nothing to lose Rudy throws himself into this David and Goliath battle.
The story is absorbing. The characters are memorable and the courtroom scenes will have you rooting for the little guys.
A thoroughly entertaining 4 star read.
November 9, 2008
Why did I like this book so much? Because it showed the "other" side of lawyering - the side that isn't romanticized in Grisham's other novels. For once, there were no mobsters, no politicians with hidden agendas, no paranoid millionaires with money to burn, no fresh-out-of-college rookies who land in hot water because they accidentally stumbled upon a secret that their storied firms had been keeping for years.
Rudy struggles from the outset. He's handed one opportunity after another, only to see it vanish in a twinkling. He's forced to find work at the bottom of the lawerly barrel, haunting hospitals in the hopes of finding cases to prosecute.
That actually leads to a case that Rudy feels passionately about, and along with the storyline revolving around Kelly, makes up the majority of the book.
I liked Rudy's idealism, his fear when having to go to court for the first time, his passion (and fear) for Kelly, and his doubts about his chosen line of work. It was a refreshing change from Grisham's other novels, and a great view of how the not-so-fortunate lawyer grads end up.
Rudy struggles from the outset. He's handed one opportunity after another, only to see it vanish in a twinkling. He's forced to find work at the bottom of the lawerly barrel, haunting hospitals in the hopes of finding cases to prosecute.
That actually leads to a case that Rudy feels passionately about, and along with the storyline revolving around Kelly, makes up the majority of the book.
I liked Rudy's idealism, his fear when having to go to court for the first time, his passion (and fear) for Kelly, and his doubts about his chosen line of work. It was a refreshing change from Grisham's other novels, and a great view of how the not-so-fortunate lawyer grads end up.
January 14, 2014
Grisham at his average level, which means quite a lot for many other writers. Interesting, alert, easy to read. Some facts are hardly believable, including the way to chose the jury. Quite a strange final, too much money transforming into nothing at all but some glory, a murder and Rudy's choice to quit his career, in search for remote places. The title...
November 16, 2021
أُسقط يا مطر: لتغسل زيف الوجوه ا
April 15, 2023
The sixth novel penned by John Grisham , a best seller and possibly his best ever work. The book sold 300K copies in the first four days, making it one of the fastest selling novels ever! In an interview John Grisham has said that the protagonist Rudy Taylor is his all-time favourite character. The book besides being a fast paced legal thriller exposes the dark underbelly of the unequal, greedy and manipulative legal world of corrupt lawyers and equally corrupt insurance companies. Once you start reading , you will find it difficult to put it down till you have finished the chase!
May 16, 2018
Second time I've read this one. It really is a fun, quick and easy lawyer thriller/legal drama.
January 13, 2026
Review on English, followed by the Bulgarian one. Ревюто на английски е първо, следва това на български.
Decent Grisham novel, from the time when he was still writing them himself.
I have read it, but enjoyed rereading it as well - have forgotten the plot almost completely.
My rating - 3.5*. The ending of the book seemed predictably sugary to me.
—————————————————————————
Приличен роман на Гришам, от времето когато сам си ги пишеше завалията.
Бях го чел, но си го припомних с кеф - забравил бях почти всичко.
Моята oценка - 3,5*. Краят на книгата ми се видя предвидимо захаросан.
Decent Grisham novel, from the time when he was still writing them himself.
I have read it, but enjoyed rereading it as well - have forgotten the plot almost completely.
My rating - 3.5*. The ending of the book seemed predictably sugary to me.
—————————————————————————
Приличен роман на Гришам, от времето когато сам си ги пишеше завалията.
Бях го чел, но си го припомних с кеф - забравил бях почти всичко.
Моята oценка - 3,5*. Краят на книгата ми се видя предвидимо захаросан.
February 11, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Rainmaker absolutely captured my interest and the love of John Grisham’s writing right from the first page.
The Rainmaker absolutely captured my interest and the love of John Grisham’s writing right from the first page.
January 28, 2021
Mi primer libro de John Grisham. He visto y disfrutado las adaptaciones al cine de varios de sus libros, pero extrañamente no la de éste, por lo que más allá de lo que decía la sinopsis no conocía de qué iba la trama. Hay que reconocer que este señor sabe como mantener la atención del lector y como hace crecer la anticipación, manteniéndote pendiente de la lectura.
El argumento gira en torno a un caso que llega a manos de Rudy Baylor prácticamente por casualidad. Él es un estudiante de Derecho recién colegiado, que debe representar a la familia de un joven enfermo de leucemia a quien la aseguradora le ha denegado el pago de la póliza con argumentos casi absurdos. El enganche está servido: un joven abogado en representación de una familia de pocos recursos y menos educación, se enfrenta a una corporación gigante que, además, ha contratado al mejor bufete de la zona. Una buena dosis de suerte, algunas prácticas poco ortodoxas y la ayuda incondicional del juez asignado al caso, hacen posible este enfrentamiento entre David y Goliat.
Pero no es lo único. La trama avanza por otros escenarios en la vida de Rudy, tanto en lo personal como en su calidad de abogado. Sobre todo en la primera mitad, se suceden varias situaciones y personajes que, al terminar el libro, te das cuenta que sólo sirvieron para encaminar la historia. Tenía la expectativa que todo iba a confabularse hacia el final, pero no, y reconozco que eso me decepcionó un poco.
Un buen desenlace que te hace creer en el poder de la justicia, pero que finalmente te da un golpe de realidad. Lo recomiendo, sobre todo para quienes disfrutan estas tramas de juicios y abogados.
Reto #10 PopSugar 2021: Un éxito de ventas (bestseller) de la década de 1990
El argumento gira en torno a un caso que llega a manos de Rudy Baylor prácticamente por casualidad. Él es un estudiante de Derecho recién colegiado, que debe representar a la familia de un joven enfermo de leucemia a quien la aseguradora le ha denegado el pago de la póliza con argumentos casi absurdos. El enganche está servido: un joven abogado en representación de una familia de pocos recursos y menos educación, se enfrenta a una corporación gigante que, además, ha contratado al mejor bufete de la zona. Una buena dosis de suerte, algunas prácticas poco ortodoxas y la ayuda incondicional del juez asignado al caso, hacen posible este enfrentamiento entre David y Goliat.
Pero no es lo único. La trama avanza por otros escenarios en la vida de Rudy, tanto en lo personal como en su calidad de abogado. Sobre todo en la primera mitad, se suceden varias situaciones y personajes que, al terminar el libro, te das cuenta que sólo sirvieron para encaminar la historia. Tenía la expectativa que todo iba a confabularse hacia el final, pero no, y reconozco que eso me decepcionó un poco.
Un buen desenlace que te hace creer en el poder de la justicia, pero que finalmente te da un golpe de realidad. Lo recomiendo, sobre todo para quienes disfrutan estas tramas de juicios y abogados.
Reto #10 PopSugar 2021: Un éxito de ventas (bestseller) de la década de 1990
September 2, 2023
A young upstart lawyer fresh out of Law School makes litigation history in the state of Tennessee. Awesome courtroom shenanigans from the master of legal thrillers. A very interesting and fast read, recommended.
February 20, 2016
My favorite Grisham novel. This is the best one in my opinion. The only one of his books I kept. Rest, I gave them away. Because I have outgrown him. OK, I lied. I kept his Brethren novel too. But you get my point.
This was him getting as close to being a poet as he could be.
*Saying it in South Park the movie fashion* Matt Damon got nothing on this book.
October 3, 2019
David vs. Goliath
A small case that snowballs
Insurance
A young man
Cancer
A rookie lawyer
His first case
The zeal
He is doing his best
For his client
And his a lawyer that needs to survive
Will he make it rain on his clients ??
A small case that snowballs
Insurance
A young man
Cancer
A rookie lawyer
His first case
The zeal
He is doing his best
For his client
And his a lawyer that needs to survive
Will he make it rain on his clients ??
November 11, 2009
Good book, less than satisfying ending...if I say more it will be a spoiler. I thought it better than some Grisham books. The struggles of a young lawyer as he faces the more sordid side of life here.
****Spoiler Below ****
****Spoiler Below ****
June 15, 2026
The Rainmaker is a signature John Grisham legal thriller, following a fresh-faced lawyer who stumbles upon an explosive, multi-million-dollar insurance fraud case. As a law student at Memphis state in an outreach course, Rudy Baylor meets Miss Birdie, an 80-year-old woman who needs a revised will drawn, then Dot and Buddy Black, whose leukemia-stricken son, Donny Ray, was not given treatment because of their corrupt insurance. But weeks before graduation, Rudy finds his career plans thrown when an unexpected takeover leaves him jobless and facing personal bankruptcy.
Certain circumstances force Rudy to shift plans, and he actually finds himself renting a small apartment from Miss Birdie. Still studying for his upcoming bar exam, Rudy meets Kelly Riker, a beautiful teenage patient recovering from injuries inflicted by her husband, Cliff. Though she never files for divorce, she keeps in touch with Rudy.
Though the central case of the novel arises as Rudy finds himself the attorney representing the Blacks in their lawsuit against Great Benefit. Now passing the bar exam, he is able to open his own practice with Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former insurance assessor who failed the bar exam six times. They go up against an elite, ruthless team of corporate defense attorneys from an esteemed firm. But Rudy performs well, hoping for a landmark sum. With his limited experience, low funds, and unprecedented circumstances, he finds himself fighting a high-stakes, violent war of nerves and legal maneuvering. Though Great Benefit is found guilty of a large sum, they declare bankruptcy, stalling anyone from getting money. He finds his love for law tested, making him question staying in the field. We see him win the girl, Kelly, and leave Memphis for good.
This is the Grisham I was needing. Not having read a legal thriller in awhile, I forgot how exhilarating they can be. Though I have no legal background or even desire to enter law, this kept me hooked in the perfect way, giving me some variety. He wrote the cast so well, delivering a compelling case. I found my fingers crossed for Rudy and the Blacks. Overall, I feel we almost had three stories rolled into one: Miss Birdie, the main case with the Blacks and insurance, then Kelly's case. Grisham just had to sneak in a bit of romance, though it did not subtract from the main plot.
It was such a David vs Goliath battle, truly becoming memorable. Though the concept of suing an insurance company should be so boring, the set up of a new lawyer tacking it was perfect. I will say this is one of the best books I've read in the past few weeks, reminding me of Grisham's deserved spot as a legal author.
Certain circumstances force Rudy to shift plans, and he actually finds himself renting a small apartment from Miss Birdie. Still studying for his upcoming bar exam, Rudy meets Kelly Riker, a beautiful teenage patient recovering from injuries inflicted by her husband, Cliff. Though she never files for divorce, she keeps in touch with Rudy.
Though the central case of the novel arises as Rudy finds himself the attorney representing the Blacks in their lawsuit against Great Benefit. Now passing the bar exam, he is able to open his own practice with Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former insurance assessor who failed the bar exam six times. They go up against an elite, ruthless team of corporate defense attorneys from an esteemed firm. But Rudy performs well, hoping for a landmark sum. With his limited experience, low funds, and unprecedented circumstances, he finds himself fighting a high-stakes, violent war of nerves and legal maneuvering. Though Great Benefit is found guilty of a large sum, they declare bankruptcy, stalling anyone from getting money. He finds his love for law tested, making him question staying in the field. We see him win the girl, Kelly, and leave Memphis for good.
This is the Grisham I was needing. Not having read a legal thriller in awhile, I forgot how exhilarating they can be. Though I have no legal background or even desire to enter law, this kept me hooked in the perfect way, giving me some variety. He wrote the cast so well, delivering a compelling case. I found my fingers crossed for Rudy and the Blacks. Overall, I feel we almost had three stories rolled into one: Miss Birdie, the main case with the Blacks and insurance, then Kelly's case. Grisham just had to sneak in a bit of romance, though it did not subtract from the main plot.
It was such a David vs Goliath battle, truly becoming memorable. Though the concept of suing an insurance company should be so boring, the set up of a new lawyer tacking it was perfect. I will say this is one of the best books I've read in the past few weeks, reminding me of Grisham's deserved spot as a legal author.
August 27, 2024
I'll endure the snubs and quips and put-downs from others about working in such a speedy outfit. I can handle it. It'll make me tough. I was a bit haughty not long ago when I was safe and secure with old Brodnax and Speer, and then with Lake, so I'll eat a little crow. (PG 173)
A story made into three parts of one man's life worked very well here. In the first part we meet Rudy Baylor in law school and the reasons he became a lawyer become clear and whoa! is he in huge debt. He's struggling to get into a firm right out of college because Memphis is the hubbub of turning out lawyers.
Part two is Rudy doing a pro-bono that is required for one of his classes. He meets a mother that claims her son got cancer and the insurance company denied every single claim. The most shocking part being the "stupid letter." As a reader and an insurance purchaser, it'll make your blood boil. And here is where the love interest is set up. A young woman that needs saving from her abusive husband but is scared to death of his violence.
The third part is Rudy not knowing where this random trial that fell into his lap is going or will he have a job or food on any given morning.
It's such a crazy story but the whole time you want to cheer for Rudy. You hope he can win it all and have it all! It's almost like the 'Rudy' film with Sean Astin. RUDY! RUDY! RUDY! Lol.
Anyway, I enjoyed this political thriller by John Grisham. I was biting my nails and giggling through Rudy's sense of humor. If only all lawyers were as compassionate as Rudy.....
A story made into three parts of one man's life worked very well here. In the first part we meet Rudy Baylor in law school and the reasons he became a lawyer become clear and whoa! is he in huge debt. He's struggling to get into a firm right out of college because Memphis is the hubbub of turning out lawyers.
Part two is Rudy doing a pro-bono that is required for one of his classes. He meets a mother that claims her son got cancer and the insurance company denied every single claim. The most shocking part being the "stupid letter." As a reader and an insurance purchaser, it'll make your blood boil. And here is where the love interest is set up. A young woman that needs saving from her abusive husband but is scared to death of his violence.
The third part is Rudy not knowing where this random trial that fell into his lap is going or will he have a job or food on any given morning.
It's such a crazy story but the whole time you want to cheer for Rudy. You hope he can win it all and have it all! It's almost like the 'Rudy' film with Sean Astin. RUDY! RUDY! RUDY! Lol.
Anyway, I enjoyed this political thriller by John Grisham. I was biting my nails and giggling through Rudy's sense of humor. If only all lawyers were as compassionate as Rudy.....
June 5, 2019
Law student Rudy Baylor is graduating from law school and is ready to start working for a firm. As part of finishing his coursework, he visits a retirement center where students provide law assistance to seniors. He researches a case that becomes important in his working life. When the firm’s employment offer falls through, he finds himself in a situation with little money, no job, and the need to pass the bar exam. This is another of Grisham’s legal-related books, though more of a courtroom drama than a thriller. The villain is an insurance company and the victim a poor family whose son is dying of leukemia. The storyline is engaging. It is filled with colorful characters. It is told in the first-person present tense by Rudy, so the reader is privy to his thoughts and motivations as he searches for a job and pursues his cases. He has a quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor. It explores legal ethics from the perspective of a new lawyer who wants to “do the right thing” while dealing with unscrupulous tactics of others. The story is entertaining and a fast read despite its length. The downsides include a bit of ageism and sexism, and a subplot related to an abused spouse does not work as well as the court case. Recommended to those that enjoy a story that engages the brain and provides an opportunity to root for the underdog.
March 25, 2016
One of Grisham's books that I forgot I had read a long time back. Very good!!
October 20, 2010
Leave it to John Grisham to turn a story that pivots on the technical language of an insurance policy into a riveting court room drama! One of his best.
I would've liked A more fleshed resolution to Miss Bertie's problems however.
I haven't read a Grisham book since The Runaway Jury in 1997. This book made me want to go back and read his other works to see what I might have missed.
I would've liked A more fleshed resolution to Miss Bertie's problems however.
I haven't read a Grisham book since The Runaway Jury in 1997. This book made me want to go back and read his other works to see what I might have missed.
June 21, 2020
I hadn't remembered this until I saw a recent review. I'm adding so I don't re-read.
This is a great story about the flip side of the attorney business. An inexperienced lawyer wanting to do right by his clients against a stone wall of an insurance company not performing their contract.
A David and Goliath tale with a satisfying conclusion, I enjoyed reading this.
This is a great story about the flip side of the attorney business. An inexperienced lawyer wanting to do right by his clients against a stone wall of an insurance company not performing their contract.
A David and Goliath tale with a satisfying conclusion, I enjoyed reading this.
February 14, 2026
Het verhaal gaat over een pas afgestudeerde advocaat die geen werk vindt bij een goed kantoor. Ten einde raad besluit hij samen met een man die maar niet in zijn advocaatsexamen slaagt, een eigen kantoortje op te richten. Hij is op het spoor gekomen van een verzekeringszaak waarbij de firma weigerde de beenmergtransplantatie van een jongeman met leukemie te betalen, en de jongen daardoor nu stervende is. Samen met zijn partner spit hij de hele zaak uit, en het zou wel eens het proces van zijn grote doorbraak kunnen worden. Maar het loopt zeker niet van een leien dakje, want de verzekeringsfirma beschikt over heel veel geld en een massa dure advocaten...
Geen slecht boek, maar met vele herhalingen vond ik, vooral over de bewijzen en de correspondentie tussen de twee partijen, en ook de stukken over de verschilllende zittingen en wat daar besproken werd vond ik nogal langdradig (en weer herhalingen van bekende feiten). Toch las het boek wel redelijk vlot.
Geen slecht boek, maar met vele herhalingen vond ik, vooral over de bewijzen en de correspondentie tussen de twee partijen, en ook de stukken over de verschilllende zittingen en wat daar besproken werd vond ik nogal langdradig (en weer herhalingen van bekende feiten). Toch las het boek wel redelijk vlot.
November 12, 2011
John Grisham gives me hope that someday my writing will become noticed and that I will be able to make a living as a novelist. I say this because The Rainmaker made it to number one on the New York Times best seller list despite the fact that it is only an average book.
The writing was good enough to keep me turning the pages, but the story lacked and the characters were painfully stereotypical, except oddly enough for the main character. For a good guy, Rudy Baylor was unlikable, not in an anti-hero fashion, but in a the-guy-is- kinda-nothing-special- fashion. I just didn't care for him, but as the book unfurled he became surrounded by people who were even more unpleasant so it began to seem he was changing, but not so much that I began to care.
Now the main problem with the book was with the story itself. It's a court case drama, but there is a definite lack of drama. You expect that there is going to be some sort of obstacle to Rudy winning this case and it helps to keep you interested, but after like three hundred pages,nothing. He wins and you know it long before it happens. Every fact, every witness, everything goes his way so that you know the evil insurance company is going to lose and it won't be close. But surely, when the defense has their chance there will be fireworks...no. Nothing on cross examination, no surprise witnesses. The bad guy are still bad and they still lose.
Oh, did I tell you the bad guys are evil? Yes evil corporate suit types just like you see in every movie and yes they have evil lawyers who are rich and powerful, but for some reason in this case they seem not to know which way up is, dazzled by this complete rookie. Yeah Rudy has never tried a case before. It's not believable.
Now two more bad parts. Sorry. The side stories are a complete waste of time and could be cut altogether. Lastly, the anti-climatic trial ends and then stuff happens that I don't really care about. Rudy kills some guy who's been domestically violent and for some reason, he decides to quit being a lawyer. Did you read that? Sort of out of the blue especially after sticking it to all the evil. I mean he just kicked evil's ass and then he quits lawering to become... you guessed it, a teacher. I had to shake my head and wonder if I missed a chapter somewhere.
My review might suggest that I hated the book, but that isn't true. It started slow, but picked up steam with good writing and the possibility of a court room brawl and for that I give it two and a half stars.
The writing was good enough to keep me turning the pages, but the story lacked and the characters were painfully stereotypical, except oddly enough for the main character. For a good guy, Rudy Baylor was unlikable, not in an anti-hero fashion, but in a the-guy-is- kinda-nothing-special- fashion. I just didn't care for him, but as the book unfurled he became surrounded by people who were even more unpleasant so it began to seem he was changing, but not so much that I began to care.
Now the main problem with the book was with the story itself. It's a court case drama, but there is a definite lack of drama. You expect that there is going to be some sort of obstacle to Rudy winning this case and it helps to keep you interested, but after like three hundred pages,nothing. He wins and you know it long before it happens. Every fact, every witness, everything goes his way so that you know the evil insurance company is going to lose and it won't be close. But surely, when the defense has their chance there will be fireworks...no. Nothing on cross examination, no surprise witnesses. The bad guy are still bad and they still lose.
Oh, did I tell you the bad guys are evil? Yes evil corporate suit types just like you see in every movie and yes they have evil lawyers who are rich and powerful, but for some reason in this case they seem not to know which way up is, dazzled by this complete rookie. Yeah Rudy has never tried a case before. It's not believable.
Now two more bad parts. Sorry. The side stories are a complete waste of time and could be cut altogether. Lastly, the anti-climatic trial ends and then stuff happens that I don't really care about. Rudy kills some guy who's been domestically violent and for some reason, he decides to quit being a lawyer. Did you read that? Sort of out of the blue especially after sticking it to all the evil. I mean he just kicked evil's ass and then he quits lawering to become... you guessed it, a teacher. I had to shake my head and wonder if I missed a chapter somewhere.
My review might suggest that I hated the book, but that isn't true. It started slow, but picked up steam with good writing and the possibility of a court room brawl and for that I give it two and a half stars.
May 16, 2018
How does John Grisham do it? Seriously. He keeps me turning pages long into the night, and with baited breath — something no author accomplishes as well as he. He makes it look easy, creating tantalizing and memorable stories; not to mention the colorful and sympathetic characters that populate those stories.
The Rainmaker is an early Grisham hit, and it follows he formula this author well known for: pitting an underdog (in this case, a fresh-out-of-school trial lawyer) against a formidable enemy (here it is a scheming Insurance company). Throw in an interesting subplot about a will reconfiguration to the tune of twenty million dollars, and a domestic abuse case, and you’ve got riveting reading.
This novel is unique in Grisham’s body of work: it is the only one to be narrative in first-person simple present tense. This choice on the author’s part causes the narrative to have a breakneck feel, a sense of dizzying danger about to happen at every corner. And often, it does. This 1995 bestseller is filled with more twists than any novel I have read in recent months; at times I had to physically will myself to shut my mouth, for it was hanging open. Prepare to finish this one in a matter of days, for it is effortless, thrilling reading served up in classic John Grisham style.
The Rainmaker is an early Grisham hit, and it follows he formula this author well known for: pitting an underdog (in this case, a fresh-out-of-school trial lawyer) against a formidable enemy (here it is a scheming Insurance company). Throw in an interesting subplot about a will reconfiguration to the tune of twenty million dollars, and a domestic abuse case, and you’ve got riveting reading.
This novel is unique in Grisham’s body of work: it is the only one to be narrative in first-person simple present tense. This choice on the author’s part causes the narrative to have a breakneck feel, a sense of dizzying danger about to happen at every corner. And often, it does. This 1995 bestseller is filled with more twists than any novel I have read in recent months; at times I had to physically will myself to shut my mouth, for it was hanging open. Prepare to finish this one in a matter of days, for it is effortless, thrilling reading served up in classic John Grisham style.
March 9, 2013
This is one of my 2 favorite Grisham novels—don’t bother with the movie, it’s a campy mess of bad acting and awful direction IMHO (actually, the movie is so bad that it is occasionally amusing).
I love courtroom drama. RAINMAKER pits the law student who hasn’t even passed the bar yet and his “paralawyer” against the Big Bad Insurance Company that routinely denies EVERY claim made it against—initially.
Grisham is at the top of his game here; most of his novels are great first-reads (then give it a toss), but this one has pulled me back in for many re-reads. The out-of-court action keeps veering off into sidebars that ultimately tie-in to this David versus Goliath tale. In court David nukes the giant, doesn’t just bang him in the forehead, which is perhaps a weakness in this novel; but the Baddies manage to slither out of judgment by declaring bankruptcy.
The hero gets the girl, murders her abusive husband and gets away with it, kills a naughty insurance company, and retires from the law after a 1-0 lifetime score and a $500,000,000.00 victory. What’s not to like? @hg47
I love courtroom drama. RAINMAKER pits the law student who hasn’t even passed the bar yet and his “paralawyer” against the Big Bad Insurance Company that routinely denies EVERY claim made it against—initially.
Grisham is at the top of his game here; most of his novels are great first-reads (then give it a toss), but this one has pulled me back in for many re-reads. The out-of-court action keeps veering off into sidebars that ultimately tie-in to this David versus Goliath tale. In court David nukes the giant, doesn’t just bang him in the forehead, which is perhaps a weakness in this novel; but the Baddies manage to slither out of judgment by declaring bankruptcy.
The hero gets the girl, murders her abusive husband and gets away with it, kills a naughty insurance company, and retires from the law after a 1-0 lifetime score and a $500,000,000.00 victory. What’s not to like? @hg47
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