My mining through old college journals has discovered a vein of notes on John Grisham novels that I’ve since gone back to peruse. Although I began this blog as a 28-year-old seminarian, I’d long since been a note-taker, writing book reviews in my journals for my own private pleasure. It nice finally to give them some air.
The Broker was a quick read for me—much faster than his earlier novels, which seemed to delve deeper into the characters and plot—about as quick as The Street Lawyer yet far more entertaining. Grisham’s books are generally considered “legal thrillers,” but this one felt more like a mystery, gripping and hard to put down.
I know we’ve got AI now, and perhaps I’ll ask Grok the question in a moment, but at the time of reading (20 years ago now!), I wondered at what reading level Grisham wrote his books. Despite his themes, I get caught up on nothing when I read him and zip right through his books with ease.
NOTE: I fell down the rabbit hole and learned some great facts about reading scale calculations, but it turns out that Grisham writes at a Jr. High reading level: 6th-10th grade (Lexile Measure), 8th-10 (Flesch-Kincaid).
The Broker‘s protagonist, Ray, seemed more heartless than other leads in Grisham’s world. While he might excuse using the “flawed hero” motif by claiming to write about true humanity, the focus here is almost entirely on human weakness—not the healthiest world to wallow in, especially if you’re in Junior High. Tastes differ, obviously, but I personally related less Ray far than I did to Rudy Baylor in The Rainmaker, a good-hearted person despite life’s problems. That being the case, it’s like I read The Broker at arm’s length but was completely absorbed in The Rainmaker. It’s an intriguing shift in perspective.
Overall, this was an enjoyable mystery with easy reading and a less-than-desirable lead character. I’ve got one more blast-from-the-past Grisham review to post, and then I’ll probably never one again—unless I re-read a classic from his early career. His later books have been mostly terrible, and there’s so much more out there to explore.
©2025 E.T.
Read More from John Grisham:
- The Rainmaker (1995)
- The Street Lawyer (1998)
- Skipping Christmas (2001)
- A Painted House (2001)
- The Summons (2002)
- The Broker (2005)
- Playing for Pizza (2007)
- Gray Mountain (2015)
- Camino Island (2017)
- The Rooster Bar (2017)