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 First edition cover | |
| 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 | 0-385-42473-6 |
| OCLC | 31969873 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3557.R5355 R35 1995 |
The Rainmaker is a 1995 novel by John Grisham, [1] his sixth. [2]
The book's title is derived from a lawyer who wins spectacular cases and earns huge sums in damages being called "a rainmaker". The book's protagonist dreams of becoming such a "rainmaker" – which comes true, but not exactly in the way he expected.
Rudy Baylor is a third-year law student at Memphis State. During an outreach session for a class in elder law, he comes across two clients. One is Miss Birdie, an 80-year-old woman who needs a revised will drawn. The other is a poor family, Dot and Buddy Black, whose leukemia-stricken son, Donny Ray, could have been saved by 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 carrier, Great Benefit Life Insurance, but the claim was instead denied.
Weeks before graduation, Rudy loses his upcoming job after his employers are bought out by Tinley Britt, a powerful Memphis law firm that represents Great Benefit. After failing to secure a position with another firm, Rudy is recruited by J. Lyman "Bruiser" Stone, a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser with corrupt business dealings. To earn his fee, Rudy is required to hunt for potential clients at the local hospital and sign them up to personal injury lawsuits. He is mentored by Deck Shifflet, a less-than-ethical former insurance assessor who received a law degree but failed the bar exam six times.
While studying for the bar exam at the hospital cafeteria, Rudy meets Kelly Riker, a beautiful teenage patient recovering from injuries inflicted by her husband, Cliff. Though they quickly fall in love, Kelly is reluctant to file for divorce out of fear that Cliff might kill her if she did. Rudy continues to stay in contact with Kelly after she is discharged, providing support and encouraging her to break free of her abusive relationship.
When Stone's firm is about to be raided by the police and the FBI, Rudy and Deck set up their own private practice and represent the Blacks in their lawsuit against Great Benefit.
Donny Ray dies just before the case goes to trial. Rudy uncovers a scheme by Great Benefit to deny every insurance claim submitted, regardless of validity. Great Benefit was playing 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 the jury awarding the plaintiff's the unprecedented sum of $50.2 million - a sensational verdict making the headlines and catapulting Rudy, a young and hitherto unknown lawyer into the limelight. However, Great Benefit quickly declares itself bankrupt, thus allowing it to avoid paying the judgment. This leads to a series of lawsuits which forces Great Benefit out of business. It turns out that executives had managed to smuggle the company's assets out of the country, leaving it an empty shell.
Ultimately, there is no payout for the grieving parents and no fee for Rudy, although Dot was never concerned with the settlement money, because for her helping to put the company out of business is an even greater victory.
During the Black trial, when Kelly is again beaten again by Cliff, Rudy shelters her in a safe house for abused women and files for divorce on her behalf. While he and Kelly secretly retrieve items from her home, Cliff ambushes them and attacks Rudy with a baseball bat. Rudy manages to wrestle the bat away during the struggle and cracks Cliff's skull with it. Kelly intervenes and orders him to leave. Cliff dies from the injuries and Kelly allows herself to be charged with manslaughter to protect Rudy. Rudy gets the charges dropped, but Cliff's vengeful family have made several death threats against them both. Rudy and Kelly leave the state, heading for someplace where Rudy – who has become disillusioned with the law – can become a teacher, and Kelly can attend college. Rudy goes as far as deciding never to register as a voter, so as not to be called to serve in a jury and "never see the inside of a courtroom".
The Los Angeles Times called the book "an indictment of the legal system from law school to the jury’s verdict." [2] Entertainment Weekly wrote that "if The Rainmaker’s outcome is a bit predictable, Grisham’s vivid minor characters and near-Dickensian zeal for mocking pomposity and privilege are apt to endear him to his many readers all over again." [3] Publishers Weekly wrote that "this bittersweet tale, the author's quietest and most thoughtful, shows that Grisham's imagination can hold its own in a courtroom as well as on the violent streets outside." [4]
The book sold 300,000 copies in its first four days, one of the fastest selling novels in history at the time. [5]
In an interview with Time magazine, John Grisham said that Rudy Baylor is the one protagonist from all his novels that he would like to be the most. [6]
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. [7]
In 2018, it was reported that Michael Seitzman and Jason Richman were developing a television adaptation of The Rainmaker with Hulu and ABC Studios; it was conceived as part of a shared universe of series based on John Grisham's novels, and was to be developed and filmed concurrently with an adaptation of Rogue Lawyer containing interwoven plot elements and recurring characters. Neither series went forward with Hulu. [8] [9]
The project was later revived as a standalone series with Blumhouse Television and Lionsgate Television; USA Network ordered it to series in June 2024. [9] It premiered on August 15, 2025. [10]
