A Sprawling Epic That Slowly Meanders Through It’s Plot
John Grisham’s latest novel, Biloxi Blues, takes place in the seedy coastal city of Biloxi. The novel is full of characters and a conflict that bubbles up to an explosive finale. The setting is well-realized and you really get a sense of the scale and the seemingly unending array of gangsters and crime in the city. ..
The Boys from Biloxi is a sprawling epic, depicting the rise and fall of Biloxi and the inhabitants within the city who keep things ticking over – or attempt to tear it down. At the center of the bubbling conflict are two childhood friends with very different backgrounds. Keith Rudy, a white man from a middle-class family, and Hugh Malco, an African American man from a poor family, come from two very different worlds. Despite their differences, they become close friends as they grow up in Biloxi. The Boys from Biloxi tells their story as they navigate their way through life – both together and apart – during one of America’s most tumultuous decades. ..
Hugh is a young man in the grips of a powerful and dangerous force. He’s in love with the money, and he’s willing to do anything to get it. He’s also in love with Nevin, who is the man who will help him make his dream come true. Nevin is a ruthless businessman who will do whatever it takes to make his goals a reality. Together, they will take on the Dixie Mafia and their powerful allies – including Keith’s father Jesse Rudy and Lance Malco – and bring justice to the Strip.
Jesse Rudy promises to clean up the coast and Keith works his way through law school to follow in his father’s footsteps. An inevitable showdown between the mafia and Rudy’s family ensues – one destined for the courtroom.
The Boys From Biloxi is a beautifully written book with a solid premise. However, the first part is very long-winded and could have been condensed by 60-70 pages. ..
The first part of the novel introduces the sweeping history of Biloxi, introducing a whole array of characters that are inconsequential to the story; the grandfathers of our main characters who build the foundations for our central cast to ease into. There’s also an abundance of long-winded descriptions for different sports too, with a solid 4 page description of a boxing match and another 3 page description for baseball. While well-written and interesting, it feels like unnecessary fluff and adds absolutely nothing to either plot or character development. Sure, one could argue that the boxing is a way of conveying a “never say die” attitude, but it feels like a stretch, given it’s never referenced or mentioned beyond these early parts outside of a call-back flashback late on with Keith, long after the dust has settled. ..
The rest of the narrative actually progresses quite well, and there’s a solid 150 page chunk here that’s absolutely gripping and a proper page-turner. I found myself reading late at night, desperate to find out what happens to our characters. A twist late on will likely catch you completely off-guard, in a lovely cliffhanger that’ll have you scrambling to turn the page. ..
The Boys from Biloxi falls short in the final part of the book. Although everything is wrapped up nicely, the final confrontation lacks any “oomph” needed thanks to the problems mentioned early on with the abundance of characters, and a last minute “twist” that takes up precious time that doesn’t really go anywhere. ..
The real star of the show here is Biloxi itself. The city is brought to life in such a compelling way that you can’t help but compare it to some of the more richly detailed locations in different fiction novels across the years. There are immediate parallels to Nolan’s Gotham City and how Harvey Dent crusades to clean up the streets through The Dark Knight.
The setting of Biloxi is beautiful, but the story meanders and fails to make a strong impact.
The Biloxi Boys ended up in the United States after their home country was ravaged by a devastating hurricane. They were able to find a place to live and make new friends, but they also faced challenges. One of the biggest was learning English. The boys had to be patient and learn the language quickly, but they also had to be brave and face new challenges.
