Bleachers By: John Grisham Publisher: Doubleday Year of Publication: October 2003 Reese Tatum

Introduction This story takes place in the town of Messina where Neely Crenshaw was one of the best quarterbacks during his time. Neely returns to Messina after 15 years and finds himself in the bleachers of the field reliving memories and moments. He had not returned to Messina in 15 years because of Coach Rake and their conflict between each other.

Protagonist/Antagonist Antagonist Coach Rake would one the antagonist. He was the coach at Messina. He was a legendary coach but scarred many of his players. His players either loved him or hated him. But for Neely, Coach Rake is someone who he needed to come to terms with before going on with his life. Protagonist Neely Crenshaw would be described as the protagonist. He was the best quarterback in Messina football history. But during his sophomore year in college, he suffered from a career- ending knee injury. Neely was hit by Coach Rake in 1987 and hadn’t returned to Messina in 15 years.

Central Conflict The central conflict is between protagonist Neely and antagonist Coach Rake. Rake had hit Neely years ago and it caused Neely to not return to Messina for 15 years. Neely’s life went everywhere but he hoped it would go. Coach Rake was a legend, but scarred many players by his coaching style. Maybe Neely will resolve his conflict with Rake before he dies.

Minor Characters Rabbit He was hired as a teacher at Messina High School even though he wasn’t educated past the ninth grade. Coach Rake saved his job by making him the assistant athletic director. Rabbit turned on the lights on the field every night while the coach was sick.

Minor Characters Randy Jaeger He was the person who ran the most laps in the Spartan Marathon. (83)

Minor Characters Scotty Reardon Scotty was the young man who collapsed dead into Rake’s arms while running the Spartan Marathon. His death led to Rake losing his job.

What Critics Said “Couldn't put it down. And it makes you think about how people influence you and how strong a bond is between coaches and players. This was excellent.” –Lynda July 19, eachers

What Critics Said “Poignant and emotional, but plotless and somewhat boring...” –Jerry July 20, eachers

My Take on Bleachers I thought this book was rather boring and a waste of time to read. It did not spark my interest at all. Although I do admire John Grisham as an author, this was not one of his better novels.