Amazon.com: Playing for Pizza (9781846053689): John Grisham: Books

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
new quarterback

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
John Grisham, Super Bowl, Rick Dockery, Signor Bruncardo, The Professor, Coach Russo, Charley Cray, Franco Harris, Judge Franco, Stadio Lanfranchi, Trey Colby, Alex Olivetto, The Bandits, Greatest Goat, Davenport South, Panthers of Parma, Parma Rick, Parma They, United States, Fabrizio Sam, Bergamo Lions, Italian Rick, English Rick, Colorado State, Rat Mullins

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Customer Reviews

380 Reviews

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(102)
3 star:		(72)
2 star:		(66)
1 star:		(60)

Average Customer Review

3.2 out of 5 stars (380 customer reviews)

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50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Writing novels for Pizza, October 5, 2007

By	Bill Garrison (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Playing For Pizza: A Novel (Hardcover)

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.

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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming read -, September 29, 2007

By	ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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This review is from: Playing For Pizza: A Novel (Hardcover)

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.

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114 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More Vespa than Ferrari, October 4, 2007

By	Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Playing For Pizza: A Novel (Hardcover)

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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars good gift
read this book at library and bought as present for friend. Happy with vendor, happy with book and friend is now happy with book - WIN-WIN situation

Published 1 day ago by Joyce Velehradsky

1.0 out of 5 stars A Waste of Time!
I've read everything written by Grisham. This is, by far, the worst. Basically, it's his travel journal being passed off as a novel. Read more

Published 26 days ago by Tony Barone

5.0 out of 5 stars Something different from Grisham's usual, but fun.
Having been let down by reading the last Grisham's novel, The Innocent Man, I was reluctant to pick up Grisham's next work, Playing for Pizza. Read more

Published 27 days ago by PS

5.0 out of 5 stars Playing for Pizza
Easy read that is pure entertainment as the story combines the best of both worlds, sports, Italy, great food, and the deeper side of the true meaning of life!

Published 28 days ago by Kevin J. Johnson

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Little Trip Even For a Non-Football Fan. . .
I used to read a lot of John Grisham's law thrillers, but in the last decade I've been more inclined to pick up his non-law ones, like Skipping Christmas and Bleachers. Read more

Published 1 month ago by K. Caldwell

4.0 out of 5 stars Will Leave You Hungry - Literally!
"Playing for Pizza" is a short novel which enthralls the reader about the culinary, cultural and architectural marvels of Italy through the fall and rise of a loser NFL... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Zohar Laor

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best Grisham, but an enjoyable read....
This is not typical Grisham, but it is an enjoyable read. I actually read it right after I read The Broker and while I haven't checked I wouldn't be surprised if some of the... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Alan G. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Review: Playing for Pizza
In 1991 a Mississippi lawyer enthralled America with his groundbreaking novel, The Firm. Since then John Grisham has rattled off an impressive list of best selling legal thrillers... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Stuart R. Donald

1.0 out of 5 stars I WISH CHARLIE CRAY COULD REVIEW THIS GARBAGE!!
I wanted to like this book, however . . . vapid . . . everything. This book was about three things: 1) Rick, 2) Rick and football, 3) Rick and womanizing. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Kristin A. Orrantia

2.0 out of 5 stars I Hope Grisham Didn't REALLY Write This!
I've read most of Grisham's books, and this one is really a cut below. The plot line is as thin as spaghetti, so he fills the large type/widely spaced pages with a travelogue... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Jeffrey A. Riley

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