John Grisham's new novel, Broadway play open the same week
Author John Grisham is enjoying a pretty special week.
His new book 鈥淪ycamore Grove鈥� hit bookshelves today, and the Broadway play based on his novel 鈥淎 Time to Kill鈥� opened on Oct. 20. However, Grisham told the almost-matching dates were completely unplanned.
鈥淵ou know it makes us look real smart,鈥� the author said. 鈥淭here is no way, if we had planned, that it would ever happen. It is completely coincidental.鈥�
Both feature the same protagonist, Grisham鈥檚 lawyer Jake Brigance. The novel 鈥淭ime鈥� was first released in 1989 and 鈥淪ycamore鈥� is the first novel in which Jake has made a reappearance.
Jake is the closest to an autobiographical character that he鈥檚 written, Grisham said, having written 鈥淭ime鈥� when he was still working as a lawyer himself.
鈥淚 dreamed of the big case, a big showdown, a big murder case with everybody watching, and a lot at stake and big issues and stuff like that," he told NPR. "Those were my dreams back then, and I had this idea for a case, a trial, and it eventually became what we now know as A Time to Kill, and that's how Jake Brigance came to life.鈥�
So far, Sycamore is earning mainly positive reviews, with writer Patrick Anderson saying that 鈥淕risham鈥檚 return to Clanton is triumphant. 鈥楽ycamore Row鈥� is easily the best of his books that I鈥檝e read鈥� and calling it one of the best novels in recent years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an ambitious, immensely readable novel,鈥� Anderson wrote. 鈥溾�橲ycamore Row鈥� is enlivened by many colorful characters.鈥�
writer Dennis Moore agreed with Anderson鈥檚 positive assessment, giving the novel three-and-a-half out of four stars.
鈥淛ake is one of the most fully developed and engaging characters in all of Grisham's novels,鈥� Moore wrote. 鈥淕risham's acute sense of place permeates the book.鈥�
Meanwhile, the 鈥淭ime鈥� Broadway adaptation was called 鈥渟turdy but dated鈥� by writer Marilyn Stasio.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a distinctly dated feeling to the material 鈥斅爊ot the topic of Southern racism, but the youthful idealism of its hero,鈥� she wrote.
writer Charles Isherwood agreed.
鈥�This workmanlike version of Mr. Grisham鈥檚 book never succeeds in generating much steam,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭his efficient but hardly pulse-racing night at the theater features some terrific actors, but it doesn鈥檛 give any of them much red meat to chew on.鈥�
