Playing for Pizza

John Grisham spent a lot of time in Italy writing his legal thriller THE BROKER, and I guess he liked the country so much, he decided to write another novel based in Italy, and the result is PLAYING FOR PIZZA. In PLAYING FOR PIZZA, Rick Dockery is a 3rd string NFL quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC championship game, the Browns are winning 20-0 when the top two quarterbacks are injured. Dockery enters the game and engineers an epic collapse and the Browns lose. Dockery is hated in Cleveland and laughed at everywhere else. His agent finds a team that might actually want him, the Parma Panthers. The Panthers play American football in Italy, where the crowds are sparse, the fields are rough, and the players play for the love of the game and the pizza and beer afterwards.

Rick joins the team in Italy, hoping for a new start in life, trying to avoid a paternity suit, and wanting to hook up with the team cheerleaders. His new teammates embrace him and Rick is given a tutorial in Itialian culture, including the long four hour meals. The description Grisham gives of the meal was enough to convince me that I must go to Italy just for the food. The team's goal is to win the Italian Super Bowl and the face a lot of hurdles during their quest. They lose players to injuries or apathy, and they get sidetracked by women and partying.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel because Grisham is a good writer. But while I enjoyed Rick and his escapades, I didn't really care for Rick because Rick didn't care for anything. Sure, he wanted to put the horrible Cleveland performance behind him, but he is still a shallow, horny, irresponsible person. The romance toward the end of the book seemed without substance.

I've always enjoyed Grisham's work, even if some of his latest novels have been a bit disappointing. For some reason, I think Grisham knows exactly what he's doing. In Playing for Pizza, he created a novel about an American idol (football) in an Italian culture. That was the story. The characters were secondary. The book excels at covering Italy and even gets the football stuff right. Grisham is still a great writer, his plot choices just are sometimes boring. I recommend this book to Grisham fans, but you should probably get it from the library.

I have missed John Grisham - Bleachers wasn't my favorite, but the title, Playing for Pizza made me take a closer look. It is the story of a third string quarterback, Rick Dockery, who has pretty much played himself out of American and Canadian football - part is wrong timing, part is he is not much of a scrambler, but he lost a really big game and ended up in the hospital with injuries - There is practically a lynch squad outside the hospital. Rick's agent is running out of options where to place Rick- there is a very intruiging offer - a position for a quarterback - a starting quarterback with the Panthers - no, not Carolina, Parma - Parma Italy! They have football teams there and while most of the members of the team play for the passion and fun of it, they are willing to pay to have an American play with them - The dollar figure offered is not great, but after some difficulties in the states, Rick goes to Italy -
He is welcomed, but soon, in spite of perks of being paid, a car, an apartment gratis, he has to train with the rest of the team - forget about quarterbacks not training with the team - he had to get into shape - and prove himself. He comes to love the Panthers, his team mates, his new country - And the football action is fantastic.
Yes, it is a story of redemption, but it is so much more - and beautifully and lightly written by Grisham -
He states his next book will have 'lots of lawyers' - I wish one of them represented the Panthers and had to visit them in Parma -
This is maybe my 2nd favorite Grisham - the first being A Time to Kill - there is no comparison between the two, but they are wonderful in their own rights.

Known and loved for his legal thrillers, John Grisham has managed to break free from expectations with whimsical novels such as "Skipping Christmas" and "Bleachers." He delved into literary writing with "A Painted House," and wrote a decent if a bit dry non-fiction work. I've enjoyed each of these departures for different reasons and in varying degrees.

"Playing for Pizza" captured my interest with its continental flair and themes of failure and commitment. Rick Dockery, formerly and ignobly of the NFL, has escaped to Parma, Italy, where he can play for pizza and a pittance, while avoiding the troubles back home. Along the way, he discovers a few things about himself. As I started the book, I thought it might pull together all the pieces and give us a great Italian meal--humor, pathos, wisdom, and history in a fine recipe.

I was wrong. Though this modern tale gives nice insights into Italian architecture and cuisine, it is short on humor, and the wisdom is diluted by Rick's incessant selfishness and bland approach to many things. It's hard to believe an emotional and physical slacker such as this could've ever made it to the NFL in the first place. Even in conclusion, he resolves very few of his own issues back home, and instead continues to escape from them. I kept wanting to like him. I kept wanting to like the book. But even the women he picks for relationships are shallow or weak.

As usual, Grisham's writing moves at a fast clip. The book is--thankfully--not long. It's worth a few hours for those who love anything Grisham writes, and it has its satisfying moments. Overall, though, this is more spaghetti than cannoli, more Vespa than Ferrari.

I'm sure that many hardcore Grisham fans will not see this as one of Grisham's best books -- and they will be right, but I really liked this book. Yes -- it is true that the characters aren't as well crafted as many of his others are, but then these are really likeable people. Rick Dockery is just like the jocks you know -- a big goofy guy who isn't too deep but then he has a sense of honor and openness that makes it hard not to like him. He likes to play football and that is really all he knows so he is willing to play for peanuts -- not really Pizza but not much more. It is a wonderful trip watching him develop from the aging frat boy into a real man who finally sees himself and others as they truly are. I particularly liked his discovery of Opera, because it was similar to my own. I even sympathized with his view of all of those historical churches and cobblestones -- like him I loved Italy but there are more churches and cobblestones than I care to see. His girl friend is a little enigmatic but then she really drives him to a more mature view of himself and others. Grisham also captures the feel of Italy and the Italian attitudes better than any book I have ever read. The Italians have a view of life that is hard to beat and Grisham really captures that feel in this book and it is that Italian view of life that eventually captures Rick as well.

There is really only one bad guy in the book and he isn't all that bad -- he is more like pain in the neck and Rick deals with him very effectively and precisely like you would expect someone like Rick to deal with a pain in the neck -- as I said Rick is not deep or devious. I liked this book and highly recommend it even though it is a little fluffy compared to other Grisham works. If you want to read a feel good book -- buy this one. I would love to see the movie.

This is a delightful book for readers who enjoy American football and Italy. The author understands living in Italy. It is a fun read. His insights of how Italians plan their days around eating are so true.

I have a friend who has played for the Milan Football Team for years. The players are devoted to the game. They paly in all sorts of weather to a small group of fans. That is real devotion.

Of course after the game they eat like kings.

I have lived in Italy for many years and found the story very true to life.