The RainmakerThe Rainmaker
Score Modern
What it's about
Rudy Baylor is about to graduate from law school in Memphis when the firm that hired him is bought and his job disappears. Broke and desperate, he takes on a case from a legal aid clinic: a young man dying of leukemia whose insurance company refused to pay for the transplant that might have saved him. Rudy, who has never tried a case, takes on a giant company and its army of lawyers.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, and Francis Ford Coppola filmed it with Matt Damon. It's an underdog courtroom story with real anger behind it.
You'll love it if you liked
The Client
The Pelican Brief
Presumed InnocentGood to know
There's a subplot about domestic violence. It's one of Grisham's more character-driven novels.
By the numbers
- Readers46 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #177 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #671 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1266 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by John Grisham
The Pelican Brief
The WidowThe Client
The GuardiansIf you like this, read next
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
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The Martian
2666
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Quick answers
Is The Rainmaker worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list, and Francis Ford Coppola filmed it with Matt Damon. It ranks #1,266 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Rainmaker about?
Rudy Baylor is about to graduate from law school in Memphis when the firm that hired him is bought and his job disappears. Broke and desperate, he takes on a case from a legal aid clinic: a young man dying of leukemia whose insurance company refused to pay for the transplant that might have saved him. Rudy, who has never tried a case, takes on a giant company and its army of lawyers.
How long does it take to read The Rainmaker?
About 15 hours (611 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Rainmaker?
If you liked it, try The Client by John Grisham, The Pelican Brief by John Grisham or Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow.