The Firm – John Grisham, 1991 ★★½

Reconsidering John Grisham's Big Debut

The archetypical thriller of its day, The Firm offers a fascinating glimpse at an era defined in our rear view by caviar dreams and corded telephony. Though less gripping as a thriller, it still presents a terrific premise and a first hundred pages reminiscent of Frederick Forsyth.

Is there such a thing as being too clever for one’s own good? Meet Mitchell Y. McDeere. A top student at Harvard Law School, Mitch is recruited hard by a Memphis law firm, Bendini, Lambert & Locke.

A Comedy Of Errors – William Shakespeare, c. 1594 ★★★★

It's Raining Twins

Though I doubt many Shakespeare buffs put A Comedy Of Errors on their Bard Top Ten list, I have to ask: Does any comedy of his deliver the same measure of pure silly delight as this early farce? It’s not going to win anyone a Tony, no, but can you imagine an audience of youngsters having more fun watching another Shakespeare play?

Heck, I like it. More than that, I admire it. I said it, and now I’ll try to explain why I think you should, too.

Asterix The Gaul – Rene Goscinny & Albert Uderzo, 1961 ★★★

A Star is Born

How does a comedy legend take flight? Well, if you are a certain wing-headed warrior of ancient Gaul, you do it by establishing a simple formula, developing a steady flow of bad puns and easy laughs, and saving the big guy for the sequel.

That’s the approach writer René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo took in 1959 when they launched their international cartoon superstar Asterix, first in the pages of French comic magazine Pilote and then in a series of books two years on, beginning with this.

Truman – David McCullough, 1992 ★★★★

Historian as Cheerleader

When does an author’s enthusiasm for a subject bleed into full-blown boosterism while still holding together? I submit David McCullough’s Truman. It’s a fine history and marvelous narrative that nevertheless gets tinny and strained by giving Give-‘em-Hell Harry every break.

Shroud For A Nightingale – P. D. James, 1971 ★★★½

Death Visits the Nurses's Wing

A mystery can be too good to properly enjoy when one of two things get in the way: 1) Getting too invested in one possible outcome to the point of resenting another the author goes with instead, or 2) Being so caught up that you race through the final pages and miss key details.

I think Shroud For A Nightingale might have been for me an example of the first. I definitely did not rush the ending, but it still caught me short. I found myself more interested in the red herrings than the final solution.