The Rainmaker (novel)
| Author | John Grisham |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Legal thriller novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | 1995 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 434 pp |
| ISBN | 0385424736 |
| OCLC | 31969873 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3557.R5355 R35 1995 |
The Rainmaker is a 1995 novel by John Grisham. It differs from most other novels and books in that it is written almost completely in the simple present tense.
Plot summary
Rudy Baylor is a law graduate from Memphis State Law School. He secures a position with a Memphis law firm, which he then loses when the firm is bought out by another, larger firm. As one of the few members of his class without a job lined up, Rudy is forced to apply for part-time and poorly-paid law positions. He gets an offer from a large Memphis law firm, but it falls through before he has even begun. Desperate for a job, he reluctantly allows "Prince" Thomas, the crooked owner of a sleazy bar where he's been working part-time, to introduce him to J. Lyman "Bruiser" Stone, a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser, who makes him an associate. To earn his fee, Rudy is required to hunt for potential clients at the local hospital, where he must pick up injury cases and sign them up. He is introduced to Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former insurance assessor, now "paralawyer" (having graduated from law school but failing to pass the Bar examination after six tries).
Rudy already has two cases which he passionately believes in. One case putting together a will for an old woman who becomes his new landlady after he is evicted from his former home, and another a case of insurance bad faith. He represents a poor family, Dot and Buddy Black, whom he met through a class visit to a community center. The case could be worth several million dollars in damages. With his employer about to be raided by the police and the FBI, he and Deck set up practice themselves and file suit on behalf of the Blacks, whose son Donny Ray is dying of leukemia but almost certainly could have been saved with a bone marrow transplant for which his identical twin brother is a perfect match. The procedure should have been covered and paid for by their insurance company, Great Benefit Life Insurance.
Rudy, having just passed the bar exam, has never argued a case before a judge and jury - but he now finds himself up against a group of experienced and ruthless lawyers from a large firm, headed by Leo F. Drummond. It is daunting but he has several supporters and a sympathetic newly-appointed judge to sustain his commitment. While preparing the case in the local hospital, he meets and later falls in love with Kelly Riker, a young battered wife healing from her latest injuries.
Before the trial commences, the Blacks' son dies. The case goes to trial and Rudy uncovers a scheme Great Benefit ran throughout 1991 to deny every insurance claim submitted, regardless of validity; Great Benefit was playing on the odds that the insured would not consult an attorney. A former employee of Great Benefit testifies that the scheme generated an extra $40 million in revenue for the company. The trial ends with a plaintiff's verdict of $50.2 million.
Great Benefit quickly declares itself bankrupt, thus allowing it to avoid paying the verdict. This starts a chain of further lawsuits as well as further financial catastrophes for the company, and they ultimately go out of business. Thus, there is no payout for the grieving parents and no fee for Rudy, although Dot Black was never concerned with the money from the trial, so for her helping to put the company out of business represents an even greater victory. In fact she testified that if awarded any money from Great Benefit, she would donate all of it to the American Leukemia Society.
During the Black trial, Rudy finds that Kelly is in hiding after another beating from her husband, Cliff, and is in the process of helping her get a divorce. Rudy runs afoul of Cliff while helping her retrieve items from her home. Cliff attempts to hit Rudy with his softball bat and threatens to kill him. Rudy gets the bat away from Cliff and strikes him with it. Kelly intervenes and tells him to leave. However, Cliff dies as a result of the injuries sustained, and Kelly allows herself to be charged with manslaughter to stop Rudy being prosecuted. Kelly spends a day in jail before Rudy gets the charges dropped. He and Kelly leave the area, heading for someplace where Rudy can let his law license expire and then become a teacher, and Kelly can go to college.
Film adaptation
In 1997, The Rainmaker was adapted into a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight and Danny Glover.