Playing for Pizza: A Novel by John Grisham (Epub)

Description

Rick Dockery is the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually gets into the game. With a seventeen-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provides what is arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he becomes a national laughingstock—and is immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams.

But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Rick finally gets a job—as the starting quarterback for the Mighty Panthers . . . of Parma, Italy. The Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player—any former NFL player—at their helm. And now they’ve got Rick, who knows nothing about Parma (not even where it is) and doesn’t speak a word of Italian. To say that Italy—the land of fine wines, extremely small cars, and football americano—holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.

User’s Reviews

Review “Delightfully comic . . . a deeply satisfying story.”—The Boston Globe “Fans of John Grisham live for his legal thrillers, but now and then he serves up something unexpected. That’s exactly what he does, with great success, in Playing for Pizza.”—USA Today “A light-hearted story of football, food and love.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch “Enthralling.”—People

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ This was clearly a departure for Grisham, much like Bleachers and Skipping Christmas, insofar as they departed from his usual lawyer-related books. Actually, he seems to enjoy the departure as these light-hearted books tend to be well written and enjoyable. In this case, Playing for Pizza is a light hearted romp through Italy using football as an excuse to settle on a topic. The story line is predictable as is the ending, so we’re left with a not-too-deep story of an ex-NFL quarterback and his PLAN B which is to play somewhere – anywhere. Somewhere in this case is Italy, mostly near Milan in the small town of Parma (where they make Parmesan cheese!). Rick Dockery is the ex-quarterback who reluctantly arrives in Parma and begins a transition from “ugly American” to a convert to life in a small Italian town. Along the way he meets Livvy, another ex-pat who wants to know everything there is to know about Italy. Rick (or Reek as the Italians pronounce it) walks a fine line between his first love (football) and his desire to please Livvy in her pursuits of Italian churches and castles. The interactions with the locals including his teammates is the basis for the story. And Grisham navigates the storyline in a comfortable manner. Reading this book is a relaxing departure from most of today’s books where excitement is needed in every chapter in order to create a sellable book. If you like football, if you like Italy (and, even better, if you’ve ever traveled there), and if you enjoy a laid back love story, you’ll probably enjoy Playing for Pizza. I marked the book down one star because, after all, it’s not Gone with the Wind.

⭐ This story is not about lawyers. Instead it is about a football player in Italy, but not really even a sports novel. A very good read. Don’t expect a whodunit, but sit back and enjoy a story of travels in Italy. The only complaint is when I finished the book, I wanted to immediately go to Italy and had to wait.

⭐ Having lived in Rome for 9 months while a student during which I played on an Italian (club) baseball team, I re-visited some of the wonderful moments re-learning the game form the Italian perspective. Several of the characters in the book were very much like some of my teammates. While they practiced and played with intensity, the comaraderie and food/wine were even more important.The protagonist’s arc of “Italianization” from his initial awkwardness to nearly complete immersion driven by the friendly, accepting Parmesans is accurately and realistically portrayed.

⭐ Quick John Grisham read— one of three novels he has written that have sports as a setting (as far as I know). Story of a fallen NFL football player who finds himself playing in a lower-level Italian American-style football league held interest. Liked watching the main character grow as a person and realize sports is secondary to relationships. My mother was Sicilian— so I enjoyed the Italy travelogue and cultural references. Definitely a light read— his other two sports-related books (Calico Joe | baseball and Bleachers | Football both have a more serious theme). I recommend Playing for Pizze to football fans— but others should look for another John Grisham book (he has many). I enjoyed both Cocalico Joe and Bleachers— would recommend you read them. Which one? Go by the sport you prefer. Not a sport fan? I’d go with Cocalico Joe.

⭐ Not a mystery. Not a legal story. It’s the fun story of an athlete facing what appears to be the end of his time in the sports world, but finding fun and discovering things he never imagined. It’s a fun and quick read, but you will remember it!Not the excitement of a courtroom. But it does the excitement of dinner at a great Italian restaurant.

⭐ This is an unusual book from Grisham. It revolves totally around football, it’s a bit dry for anybody that doesn’t follow football and the plot lines rather impotent next to The dissecting of the football plays. I really liked the book but I really like football. For those who don’t enjoy football I don’t recommend this book for all others I do recommend

⭐ There’s not much else in this book. While there is a plot, it’s not the least bit interesting. I suspect Mr. Grisham wrote this book to show case his love of football and to have a pay day for researching Italian history. I skimmed over all parts football and history and finished the book in less than two hours. I wouldn’t read it unless you’re deep into football or Italy.

⭐ John Grisham has done it again! No legal mumbo jumbo (though I love those too) to wade through, just a well written story about a United States football quarterback who had become a joke in his home town. When the opportunity to play “American Football” in Italy is presented, the ageing quarterback it’s convinced by others and himself that if wanted another year playing football, this was his chance.Grisham describes each province that Rick is dragged through by the energetic girl, Livvy, who has become Rick’s lovely companion with agendas as a forceful tour guide, in such a way that you feel like you are on the same train, bus or car with them viewing ancient cathedrals, dining it al fresco with wine from the region and plenty of tasty treats that will have your mouth watering before you move on to the next province from which Rick would love to escape. Rick is more of a pizza and beer guy who would much rather spend time with his team and his bed with Livvy.Anyone who loves John Grisham will love this book. The first few chapters are a bit sluggish as Grisham defines his characters, but hang in there because the meat of the story is just beginning. Enjoy this story, it is masterfully written so that you experience every length Rick goes through proving himself worthy to the Parma Panthers while they practically worship Rick because he played in the NFL in the states.

⭐ John Grisham took an unexpected detour from his usual genre after discovering football in Italy. He accepted the daunting task of researching both the game and the culture. Outside of the inevitability of alienating a segment of diehard fans who only wished for another legal thriller of stellar proportions, many readers dropped the ball on this novel.NFL-failure Rick Dockery certainly does come across as a stereotypical meat-head, womanizing jock. The character development of Rick Dockery, however, is vastly understated by many reviewers. He displayed fierce loyalty to the Parma Panthers and a seemingly newfound ability to make compromises in the relationships that mattered most, especially in the field of romance. Moreover, Rick played the bad boy at the most opportune times, showing great tenacity during the ultimate challenge of his lifetime.Another common criticism of PFP is the perceived overabundance of Italian cuisine and architecture. Given that you have an uncultured American immersed in a new culture, however, the context of each scene is extremely relevant. The food, the buildings, the cars, the streets, the language, the culture in general… all of these things are an intrinsic part of the story. Grisham’s attention to detail is right on the money and only serves to create the atmosphere and bring the novel to life.More profoundly, though, is the misperception that Grisham simply deviated from what he does best, as if PFP were created in a vacuum. His knack for building suspense and involving various characters, such as sleazeball sports journalist Charley Cray, came into play here. The series of events, detailed encounters and wide assortment of players culminate into a highly engaging story that could easily lend itself towards movie territory.

⭐ This was the first book that I had read by this author. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, not only from the standpoint of it has some sports influence that are really quite realistic, but it also covers other cultures.I had been given the book by a co-worker, and had lost the book on an airplane. Just prior to getting the Kindle, I bought the book in paperback form. I then purchased the Kindle and later purchased the Kindle version. I found it easier for me to read it in that manner, then trying to read the paperback version. The good thing about getting the paperback is that I got it from Amazon for a very reasonable price in a used format. That way, I was able to return the book to the original owner.I haven’t been a big reader of fiction in the past, although I do enjoy to read. I just never seem to have time. This book got me back into reading, along with the Kindle. John Grisham writes in a manner that is hard to put down, and easy to digest. Those of you that know his other books already realize this. But this book kept me waiting for what was going to happen next, and what the main character was going to have to do next.If you enjoy American football, and you would enjoy learning a bit about how other nationalities and cultures might think of it, this isn’t that unrealistic of a view of that. Mr. Grisham states that this is based upon what actually goes on in Europe and Italy, where the majority of the book is based. It is a great story about a Quarterback at that point of his career that has to decide if he will keep trying to fight the “second string” fight (if he will even be allowed to), go to a Canadian league, or play the game based upon his love of the sport, along with those others that love it as well. It shows a lot of sides to the game, and it is a very well done story if you are a football fan.I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Keywords

Free Download Playing for Pizza: A Novel in Epub format
Playing for Pizza: A Novel Epub Free Download
Download Playing for Pizza: A Novel 2058 Epub Free
Playing for Pizza: A Novel 2058 Epub Free Download
Download Playing for Pizza: A Novel Epub
Free Download Ebook Playing for Pizza: A Novel