John Grisham

John Grisham: Biography

John Grisham (John Ray Grisham) was born on February 8th, 1955 and is currently 69 years old. John Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA. Grisham attended University of Mississippi School of Law where he received a Juris Doctorate Degree and Mississippi State University where he received a B.S. in Accounting.

John Grisham (John Ray Grisham) is probably best known for his Standalone Novels. There are currently 29 novels available. The first standalone was released in 1992 with the novel The Pelican Brief. The most recently released novel was The Boys from Biloxi which was released in 2022. There are no upcoming standalone novels by John at this time.

John Grisham has also written Theodore Boone series which has 7 books including Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer / Young Lawyer and The Abduction.

Grisham has been on the Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! list in Japan one time. His novel The Firm was ranked #9 on the 1993 list. John Grisham was awarded the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award in 2005 after the original winner, Tony Hillerman, became ill and was not able to accept the award.

Grisham is a member of The Nielsen Bestseller Award's 21st Century Platinum Hall of Fame.

The Rooster Bar was named one of the Best Legal Thrillers of 2017 according to the website The Real Book Spy.

In a 2006 interview on the Charlie Rose show, Grisham said it usually takes him only six months to write a book, and his favorite author is John le Carré.

John Grisham: Awards & Accolades

John Grisham has won multiple awards including: The Helmerich Award, Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, in 2005, British Book Awards, Outstanding Achievement, in 2007, Library of Congress Prizes, Creative Achievement Award Fiction, in 2009, Library of Virginia, Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2009 and Theakston's Old Peculier, Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction, in 2018.

Grisham's book, The Whistler won the Nielsen Awards, Silver Bestseller, in 2018.

John Grisham books have also been nominated for multiple awards, The Runaway Jury was nominated for the Audie Award, Best Fiction, in 1997. The Testament was nominated for the Audie Award, Best Fiction, in 2000. The Associate was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller, in 2009. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer / Young Lawyer was nominated for the Agatha Award, Best Children’s/Young Adult, in 2010. Ford County was nominated for the Audie Award, Best Short Stories or Collections, in 2011. Sycamore Row was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Best Mystery/Thriller, in 2013.

John Grisham: Lists & Other Mentions

• The Pelican Brief was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 1992.
• The Client was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 1993.
• The Chamber was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 1994.
• The Rainmaker was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 1995.
• The Runaway Jury was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 1996.
• The Partner was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 1997.
• Skipping Christmas was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2001 and 2002.
• A Painted House was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2001.
• The Summons was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2002.
• Bleachers was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2003.
• The King of Torts was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2003.
• The Last Juror was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2004.
• The Broker was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2005.
• Playing for Pizza was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2007.
• The Appeal was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2008.
• Ford County was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2009.
• The Associate was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2009.
• The Confession was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2010.
• The Litigators was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2011.
• The Racketeer was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2012 and 2013.
• Sycamore Row was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2013 and 2014.
• Gray Mountain was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2014 and 2015.
• Rogue Lawyer was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2015 and 2016.
• Camino Island was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2017.
• The Whistler was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2017.
• The Rooster Bar was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2017.
• The Reckoning was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2018 and 2019.
• The Guardians was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2019.
• A Time for Mercy was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2020 and 2021.
• Camino Winds was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2020.
• The Judge's List was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2021 and 2022.
• Sparring Partners was a New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2022.

John Grisham: TV/Movies Based on Books

Many of John Grisham's novels have been adapted into a movie.

The Firm was the first novel to be adapted into a movie, in 1993. The legal thriller starred Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, and Ed Harris. Notably, The Firm was the highest-grossing R-rated film of 1993.

In the same year, The Pelican Brief was released as a movie. It starred Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.

The following year, The Client became a movie. This one starred Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro.

1996 saw two more movies released based on John Grisham novels. A Time to Kill, which had an all-star cast of Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey and Matthew McConaughey. It was directed by Joel Schumacher. And The Chamber, starring Gene Hackman and Chris O'Donnell.

In 1997, The Rainmaker was adapted. The story of underdogs taking on the big insurance company, it starred Matt Damon, Jon Voight, and Danny DeVito.

The Gingerbread Man was released in 1998. This one actually wasn't a book, but it was based on a manuscript that had been discarded by Grisham. It starred Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Berenger.

Runaway Jury was released in 2003, based on the book by the same name. There was a big storyline change in this one however. The novel was based on the big tobacco companies and fighting against them, after someone died from lung cancer. This one was based on a mass shooting, and the villains were the big gun companies. It starred John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz.

2003 also saw the release of A Painted House. This was a coming-of-age story which was a TV movie, and starred Robert Sean Leonard and Logan Lerman.

The 2004 comedy Christmas with the Cranks was based on the book Skipping Christmas and starred Tim Allen, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis.

As an additional note, Mickey was released in 2004. This was not based on a novel but was written by Grisham and starred Harry Connick Jr. As a trivia note, the director was Hugh Wilson and was the last film he directed.


John Grisham has had a few of his novels adapted into TV series.

The Client was a one season TV series launched in 1995. It had 20 episodes and aired on CBS. As a note, the premiere was like a movie and was two hours long. It starred Jon Heard and JoBeth Williams.

The Street Lawyer had a TV pilot starring Eddie Cibrian and Mario Van Peebles. Unfortunately it was never picked up. This was in 2003.

The Firm was adapted into a TV series in 2012, airing on NBC. It was set as a sequel to the novel and 1993 movie. It took place 10 years after the events of the book. Unfortunately it was canceled after one season.

The Innocent Man had a 6 episode mini-series in 2006. This was a true crime documentary.

John Grisham: F.A.Q

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Dave W.

2 years ago

One of my favourite authors of all time, and just the master of the legal thriller.

I felt the quality of the books faded for a few years but he really got it back later on and I look forward to all of his books now.

Hard to say what my favourite one is. The Firm is a fantastic book but I also love The Client. I think overall though The Partner is probably my #1 John Grisham book of all time. It’s just so fun picturing that entire thing and being that person and what you would do – and had some great twists.

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Kyler F

2 years ago

The first Grisham book I read was The Firm, inspired to do so by the adaptation that came out starring Tom Cruice. I was totally hooked and finished it virtually overnight, and when done instantly went to see what else I could find from the author. I was a solid reader of his books for the next decade, and watched the movies that were made as well. Not as good as the written versions, but still enjoyable enough. I dropped off reading his stories after a bit as I found new authors, but as of late have gone back to check out his latest output, and I must say it’s still just as good as the first group. Taut thrillers, morally ambiguous heroes, courtroom drama that’s actually entertaining, still all there. I still be sticking with Mr Grisham for a while to come.

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Austin D.

2 years ago

Now I haven’t read much of Grisham’s work, but from what I have checked out, it has been pretty well done. He does a great job of writing compelling novels that feature specific details about the law. Kudos to him for making the law interesting, and being able to write skillfully about the profession and populate his novels with brilliant and clever lawyers.

Books I have enjoyed so far include A Time to Kill, The Firm, Pelican Brief, and The Associate, and I cannot wait to check out more of his work in the future. The Firm is still probably my favorite.

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Edgar A.

2 years ago

Like many legal thriller aficionados I was introduced to the works of John Grisham reading The Firm.
Since then I have gone on to read his other works such as The Partner and Rogue Lawyer that were just as great.
What makes Grisham one of the best at his craft is that is that he has a method to his writing.
All his novels usually include detailed descriptions of laws, legal procedures and acts probably because of his background as a lawyer.
Grisham also writes very straight forward plots that typically involve a struggling or disgraced lawyer fighting against vested interests or a corrupt organization or fighting for his clients.
Regardless of whether he is writing about racism in The Chamber or A Time to Kill or the price an ambitious lawyer pays in The Firm, I know that I can always count on Grisham to provide some thrilling rides.

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Andrew M.

2 years ago

John Grisham has a way of writing a real page –turner.
I loved The Client, it’s a quick read, fast paced, plausible and exciting.
Only Grisham could create such an excellent court room drama as he’s a trained court lawyer.
Thanks for the great and thrilling characters and a lot of suspense to keep the reader glued to the seat.
The Client novel has been adapted into a movie featuring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones and it’s truly breathtaking.
But I love the fact that most of the books are far more interesting than the movies.
You will like Mark Sway as clever and powerful and of course the smart and bad ass lawyer.

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Teddy B.

2 years ago

John Grisham’s style of writing intriguing legal thrillers is quite fascinating. As a reader, I find his courtroom dramas very interesting to read. John’s long list of achievements includes selling over 300 million copies of books across the globe.

A rare feat to his name, along with J.K. Rowling and Tom Clancy, is selling 2 million copies on the very first printing.

John’s first bestseller called The Firm has been adapted into a movie with the same title, featuring Tom Cruise as the main lead.

The books that I have enjoyed the most from John Grisham’s book list include The Client, Bleachers, A Time to Kill, The Associate, The Confession, Pelican Brief, The Reckoning, etc.

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Michael K.

2 years ago

I discovered John Grisham when a cousin left ‘A Time To Kill’ in my care. Young as I was, I was convinced that Carl Lee’s tale was based on a true story. Maybe the novel had exaggerated certain sections to enhance the tension, but the saga was too gripping, too emotionally-charged to be fiction.

By the time I entered my teens, I knew better. But I still think fondly of those early days where Grisham’s writing swept me away, introducing my young mind to a world that felt more tangible than the real world.

This is one of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book. However, I only watched the movie once. I cannot bring myself to watch it again. But I don’t mind re-reading the novel every few years. For some reason, the story is more digestible in literary format.

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Ciao45

1 year ago

Just finished The Boys from Biloxi and found it to be quite a story! To me it was a lot of reading to get to the middle of the story where it really picks up and leaps forward! His stories are soooo good and his description of the law is really enlightening for those of us who know very little of the law.
He does tie up the loose ends of all the characters which is a plus! Enjoy!

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Phil Ammar

10 months ago

I’ve read all of John Grisham’s books except for his short stories and children’s series. I found them all to be very good to great. He one of my favorite American authors of all time.

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Chris

7 months ago

I’ve found that Grisham’s books are written so clearly and succinctly that I can understand the sometimes complicated legal undercurrents in the story. He makes the story interesting with these legal details and somehow pulls it all together to make an exciting book. Obviously, some of his books appeal to me over others, but, all in all, if I pick up a Grisham book, I know that I’ll be entertained.

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Cindy M

7 months ago

The Firm was my favorite of his books. He definitely knows how to write the legal aspect of thrills and plot surprises! I haven’t picked up one of his books in awhile, so will have to see what he has that is current.

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Denis M

7 months ago

I’ve got all his books, but haven’t yet read them all. He keeps me engaged and has a way of simplifying the complexities of characters and circumstance. I can’t wait to get into those waiting for me.

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aaryoung

6 months ago

I have enjoyed his books on sports, Playing for Pizza, Sooley, and Calico Joe. I have a few other non sports books of his that I am looking forward to reading.

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Patti Moore

6 months ago

Have ALWAYS enjoyed Grisham’s legal thrillers. That’s probably why his sequel to The Firm is such a huge disappointment. Don’t know why Grisham would depart from what has worked so well for decades, but The Exchange is awful. And to call it a sequel to The Firm begs the question as to what qualifies as a sequel. Sure, two of the characters are the same, but that’s where the similarity ends. I won’t belabor this point any longer, suffice it to say I am deeply disappointed in The Exchange.

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stalsma

5 months ago

My intention was to reread The Firm before reading The Exchange but it came up from my holds list before that happened so I just jumped in. There was no problem following the story and I don’t think reading The Firm would make any difference other than a little more depth to some characters but not at all needed for the story line. I have read a lot of John Grisham’s books but not all of them. For me, I would put The Exchange at the bottom of the list as far as ones I liked the best. It held my attention but not an on-the-edge-of-your-seat book and in my opinion, not an example of Grisham’s best writing.

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Carleen

5 months ago

I wish I had read Ford County years ago. It is one of my new favorite books. I had no idea Grisham had packed so much punch into these short stories – so many well-developed characters and fascinating story lines. A different side of this author to admire!

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Phil Ammar

3 months ago

I just finished John Grisham’s latest book (The Exchange) and it was very good. Not his best work, but he’s written so many great books that the very good ones are well worth reading. When it comes to Grisham, read them all.

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Jody1254690066

2 months ago

Spoilers for The Exchange ahead:

Sadly disappointed with the ending of The Exchange. The story seemed to be building up to something big, but nope. Paid the money, got the hostage back, quit the firm, The End. I was looking forward to some tie in with The Firm. There was so little there was no real point in bringing it up.

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Graeme

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Reply to  Jody1254690066

2 months ago

I know exactly what you mean. Overall I felt it was an entertaining enough story, but yeah was missing that big ending and really wasn’t a McDeere novel.

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msdelisle

1 month ago

I love all of Grisham’s books but my favorites are when the characters travel to the MS Gulf Coast because it puts me right in the middle of the action. I love reading books set in places familiar to me.

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stalsma

11 days ago

A Time for Mercy – I enjoy a legal/courtroom book especially when there’s more to it than just a basic story. This one didn’t tie a bow in everything at the end but it was a satisfying finish.

Last edited 11 days ago by stalsma

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