Introduction
Last few weeks have been excellent for me in terms of reading novel. Due to vacation season, I have been on constant travel and a must in every travel is a novel. So this time it was John Grisham's The Firm. I was recommended this book a long time ago by one of my friends, but really got a chance to lay my hands on it only now.
The Firm
The firm is a novel about a small sized law firm based in Memphis. The firm specializes in tax suits and pays rather too well for its size. Although not well known and also located at a rather remote area of Memphis, the firm seems to be minting money. Apart from minting money, the Firm seems to have high level of morality and social responsibility towards the families of each of employees. The firm advocates a strong marriage life and encourages advocates to have babies and buy houses.
Mitch Mcdeere, an hotshot young Harvard passout, with three job offers in hand, receives a call from this Firm. Mitch casually accepts to give the interview and is goes through the interview casually till he hears his package. Base salary of 80 K plus bonuses. A low interest mortgage to buy a home, two country club memberships and a new BMW on joining.
Mitch's eyes shot wide and within weeks he is in Memphis with the firm.
Things start to get weird once Mitch lands up at Memphis. The work rate is very high and the life starts becoming very hectic, though the colleagues are very friendly. One fine day tragedy strikes the firm and two members get killed in an accident. Mitch soon discovers that a total of 5 members have died in mysterious circumstances in the 15 years that the firm has been working. Apart from that nobody really left the firm to join any other firm. Weird.
So Mitch's curiosity gets the better of him and he begins to do some investigation and bumps head on to FBI. The FBI seem to be very interested in the Firm for some reason. Thus, begins Mitch's career in the firm, a firm that gave him the dreams of quick dollars and a retirement as a millionaire.
Find out where the Firm is churning out its millions from? What is FBI interest in the firm? What is the secret behind the high death rate at the Firm?
Analysis
The novel jump starts into the plot from the first page and never really lets down the pace. The story has twists and turns every few pages. The way with which young Mitch comes to terms with what is happening around him is developed quite interestingly. The novel is around 500 pages long, which I felt was a bit too long with too many pages being devoted to stuff like what each character eats and so on and so forth, but amazingly that does not drop the pace of the novel a bit.
Of course, a novel entailing a set of people taking on FBI and trained professionals and holding their own, has to have its own idiosyncrasies. The investigative agencies on both the sides are sometimes shown as very mature and level headed and then at times are shown as naive and down right crazy. I would have been much happier had Mitch gone ahead and played game with the FBI.
As far as the in depth development of characters are concerned, the novel does not delve deep into any other character other than Mitch. The others are kept at a hands distance.
The theme of the novel of a tax firm playing with black and white money is a good one and has a lot of potential. But the story at the midway seems to loose the plot, when Mitch suddenly seems to assume superheroic vision to steer clear of trouble in all cases. Also the FBI and the Firm are at times shown as very penetrative and at other very naive. These inconsistencies dampen the potential this plot had.
Main Characters
Mitch Mcdeere - Hotshot Harvard law school graduate, who lands up this hot and happening job with the Firm in Memphis.
Abby Mcdeere - Mitch's wife. A housewife who is not happy with the Firm meddling into her personal life, but doesn't mind the free flow of dollars in.
Oliver Lambert - One of the senior partners in the firm and perfect fatherly character to have around. Lambert is the mediator in most hot situations.
Nathan Locke - Another of the senior partners in the firm and one with real wicked eyes!! Those eyes seem to betray his inward self.
DeVasher - Head of security of the firm. Seems that the orders for this head of security comes from somewhere else than the firm.
Wayne Tarrance - FBI agent on a mission to investigate the goings on of the Firm.
Summary
Though not a masterpiece of any kind, 'The Firm' is a fast paced and entertaining novel that would keep the John Grisham loyalists on the edge of their seats. If you miss the book, nothing to really fret about. A three star rating from this law firm.
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