Playing for Pizza

A Novel

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: Christopher Evan Welch

Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game against Denver, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughingstock and, of course, was immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams.

But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback: for the mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy.

Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player, any former NFL player, at their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers, at least until a better offer comes along, and he heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma, not even where it is, has never been to Europe, and doesn't speak or understand a word of Italian. To say that Italy holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.

©2007 Belfrey Holdings Inc (P)2007 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Great light read

John Grisham's legal dramas are my favorite but I love when he strays away from the courtroom too.

Will Leave You Hungry

I really enjoyed this story. Lots of fun, interesting characters. The descriptions of the food made you want to travel to Italy and spend long hours eating and drinking. Not sure if this is a story doubling as a travelguide or a travelguide with a good story.

If you love football, love food, and are looking for a light story this is a good one.

Kept my interest.

Football story, not a complex plot. The ending was not a surprise. Easy listening. Have recommended to others.

Great story for any football fan.

Great story, felt connected with the main character. Good read for any football fan. A story of the underground. Life doesn’t always turn out how you expect it but there are still blessings in the trails.

I loved it I didn't want it to end I wanted more a

more and more it was an excellent story it pulled me right in John Grisham is the best

Italy, food, sports, and redemption.

This is a second read/listen. An enjoyable story. The game, the journey, traveling, the description of the Italian meals, and the loyal redemption.

another hit for Gresham and one of my favorite.

absolutely loved this little story. I consider it one of my favorite audible stories in the last couple years and I listen to about one a week. doesn't disappoint in any way. I hesitate to even remark about the narrator but if there's any negative aspect whatsoever it's that the voice inflections hardly change depending on the person supposedly talking. no big deal and it did not detract from the story at all.

One if the best of John G

I nave been to Parma and football exists with great passion. Rick D story captures this and shows a lot what Italy is.

Football

The story wasn’t bad and different from other Grisham books, but I don’t care about football, Kept my interest enough to listen to the whole book.

Just a potboiler

If you need a definition of "potboiler" look no further than this book. Best I can say for it is that it is well written in the technical sense. Realistic dialogue and descriptions, especially of Italian food, make the book tolerable. But there is no mystery, no suspense, no surprises - nothing, in other words, to give the reader a sense of discovery or achievement. This story was obviously quickly dashed off. The plot is transparently thin: third rate NFL player winds up in Italy and becomes the star of a ragtag team. He finally meets a girl from the States and they fall in love. I have only 20 minutes more to listen to but I already know what's coming. The big game. They'll probably win. Then he and the girl will go back to the States, get married, and disappear from notice. Or they'll stay in Italy and do the same. Ho-hum. If it turns out any different, I'll either edit this or write a follow-up.