Calico Joe: A Novel

This was good but better for baseball fans. Gresham is the best but this was different. He had wonderful characters, per usual.

My husband has read almost all of John Grishams books. This was one of his favorites.

Book Review – Calico Joe – John GrishamIn preparation for John Grisham’s first ever basketball story coming out in late April entitled “Sooley” - about an African born (Sudan) basketball player – I decided to re-read his first baseball novel, “Calico Joe.” Grisham's story telling in this sports fiction novel is impeccable. Naturally he is good at crime and courtroom drama in his legal thrillers, but in this fictional sports story, he also ‘knocks it out of the park’! The character development is just where it needs to be, realistic and compelling. The story pacing is like a baseball game itself, no time clock forcing an end. Instead, the story of Calico Joe unfolds like life itself, full of cause and effect, decisions and consequences, uncertainties of outcomes. Grisham’s brilliance and versatility of using factual names and places in a fictional story are on display in this wonderful sports fiction written primarily for the nostalgic baseball fan. Although Calico Joe is a baseball story, it is mainly a ‘people’ story. It brings together very different individuals and tells a surprising and moving tale of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, all set in the world of Major League Baseball. The baseball part of the story is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes Calico Joe a must read. I highly recommend it…

The story is amazing. It's not a Grisham legal suspense thriller, but as a sports fan, it was a wonderful diversion into the world of baseball with an unforgettable ending.The only negative was the fact that I didn't even make it to chapter 2 before the paperback literally fell apart. Poor assembly, and if it were any other author, I would have shipped it back. It was a Grisham novel, so I didn't want to wait for a new book, even though I finished it with no cover and several pages falling out.

Grisham must love baseball and he certainly weaves an interesting tale. This story is of a boy, his screwed up ball played father and a newly discovered hero. Calico Joe is the stuff of legends. Warren Tracey the opposite in every way, I couldn’t put it down.

I loved this novel, just as I've loved all of John Grisham's stories because his characters have such heart. I feel as though I know Paul Tracey now, I know what it's like to love baseball and to want a parent to be your hero, and have your admiration always shut down. I feel like I can watch baseball now and know enough to enjoy it because of Grisham's story, and that is exactly why I read. To be immersed in another world to the point where I feel as if I've actually visited that world.Calico Joe is a story about a young boy, Paul and his love for both this father, and for baseball. Unfortunately for Paul, his father, who's a pitcher the New York Mets, is not worthy of his son's admiration. A narcissist bordering on sociopath, Warren Tracey is the kind of guy who shifts his responsibilities onto everyone else so his ego can stay falsely inflated. The story takes us from 1973 to 2003 in flashbacks centering on a moment in baseball history that changed Paul's life, his father's, and a promising rookie named Joe Castle.John Grisham entertains us with an important life lesson, wrapping it in his love for baseball that gives the story its extra-special dimension. The lesson is about how we have to claim responsibility for what we do in order to be a good person, and while forgiveness is possible, it can't change the messes we make in our lives. Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting, it means moving forward and getting on with life the best we can under new circumstances. Joe displays grace in the face of horrific circumstances that could have been avoided, while Warren shows how blaming others can leave a trail of regrets.This is a story that will stick with me for a long time. Sure the good guys and the bad guys were very black and white, but that's not to say that there aren't people out there that display such a contrast of light and dark. Grisham is a writer at the top of his game, and always a pleasure to read. He's one of my favorite writers of all time, and I hope he doesn't stop writing in my lifetime.

It is heart breaking story with a happy ending. We all could learn from Joe his grace, forgiveness, and his unconditional kindness

John Grisham é absurdamente genial. Poucos autores conseguem criar personagens que, mesmo com backgrounds completamente diferentes, os leitores se identificam.Calico Joe é curto, mas na medida certa. Certamente irei revisitá-lo.Recomendo fortemente.

L'atmosfera e lo spirito del libro sono davvero interessanti...tipicamente USA.La trama e l'intreccio sono a volte un poco scontate, però sempre bella l'analisi psicologica,

....peut être parce que le livre traite de ce satané cancer et que j'en ai ras-le-bol d'en entendre parler? certainement aussi parce que l'anglais n'étant pas ma langue natale et n'étant pas une fan de sport...les longs passages flash-back sur les matches de baseball m'ont paru interminables et assez incompréhensibles...même si grisham a fait l'effort de créer un lexique des termes employés dans ce sport pour éclairer la lanterne de ses lecteurs ne venant pas d'amérique :-)Au final, l'histoire se déplie assez rapidement et dès mi-parcours on devine le "qui /quoi /comment /pourquoi". Bref je mets 3 étoiles parce Grisham , tout comme Connelly, çà fait partie de mon top 5 et que c'est toujours avec plaisir que je le lis...mais sur ce coup là j'ai pas aimé le sujet. J'attaque maintenant Litigators!

If you are into Baseball and like a good - if short - read focused around it then this might be for you. Characterization is a bit of a shortcoming - the game is in focus here.About it being a typical Grisham I could not say - it was my first read from this author.For non-English readers (as myself): If you are familiar with Baseball you will find it an easy read. If, however, you are a newbie to this sport I urge you to read it in your mother language.I had a good time reading it.

Grishamの作品は弁護士サスペンスと、ホームドラマとでも言うべきストリーの二種類があるが、本書は後者である。１９７３年のアメリカメィジャーリーグで驚異的な記録を次々と塗り替えたルーキー Joeが僅か１ヶ月余で、敵地でビーンボールにより倒れ、野球人生が一瞬のうちに終焉する。ビーンボールを投げたピッチャーの息子が本書の「私」、当時11歳のリトルリーグのピッチャーである。「私」が憧れのスターJoeが自分の父親によりビーンボールを受けたショックと、domestic violenceだらけだった父への憎しみの中で、３０年後、末期癌で死に直面する父へ、Joeへの謝罪を迫る。1973年当時の事は過去形で、３０年後は現在形でストーリーが展開する。ほとんど結末を想像できるストーリーだが、それでも、結末が気になる。1973年から2003年までの30年間にはほとんど記述が無いが、このストーリーでは、それが効果的だ。なお、メジャーリーグやメジャーリーガーが主要な舞台だからある程度はやむを得ないが、ややslang的な表現が多すぎるような気がする。　Dell 社のpaperbackの表紙の写真が実に良い。