Lee Child - Jack Reacher Novels

M007

Well just interested to hear what others think of his novels - i find them enjoyable if a bit off the wall at times at the punishment he can take and still keep going ala Jack Bauer!

Eoin

M007 wrote: »

if a bit off the wall at times at the punishment he can take and still keep going ala Jack Bauer!

That's my biggest problem - he is all but invincible, and is an expert at pretty much everything. I read "Bad Luck and Trouble", where he suddenly has mathematical abilities that would put rainman to shame, and was once again everyone's idol. Then there was "one shot" where it turns out that he is one of the best ever marksmen in the US Army.

r3nu4l

I do really like the novels simply because they are simple to read and very entertaining...it's like Die-Hard in a book at times

Likewise though, I find it a bit tiresome simply because as has been said, he is the best at everything, 6ft+ 250lb, lean, fit, and apparently all women want to sleep with him, even though he walks around in throwaway clothes and sometimes hasn't cut his hair (or seemingly washed) in months

It's great cheesy stuff but I was really put out in one of the books (can't remember which one) where Reacher was able to look at a guys hospital chart, decipher a medical acronym relating to a symptom and make a diagnosis on the 'suspect' based on this symptom. That was stretching his knowledge base a little too far imo. So not only is he an excellent investigator, mechanic, marksman, fighter and lover but he's also a doctor, engineer...the list goes on.

Once again, despite my complaint, these are really great books if you are just looking for a bit of escapism

M007

it is a wonder they haven't started making movies of the novels - then again that markey is saturated!

Yeah i love the "Women can't resist him" tag line:)

ReacherCreature

M007 wrote: »

it is a wonder they haven't started making movies of the novels - then again that markey is saturated!

Yeah i love the "Women can't resist him" tag line:)

Child gave the movie rights away a couple of times but nothing's ever come of them. Rumour mills on a 'film' are crazy along with who might possibly portray him.

Hate that "Women can't resist him" tagline!

r3nu4l wrote: »

It's great cheesy stuff but I was really put out in one of the books (can't remember which one) where Reacher was able to look at a guys hospital chart, decipher a medical acronym relating to a symptom and make a diagnosis on the 'suspect' based on this symptom. That was stretching his knowledge base a little too far imo. So not only is he an excellent investigator, mechanic, marksman, fighter and lover but he's also a doctor, engineer...the list goes on.

Once again, despite my complaint, these are really great books if you are just looking for a bit of escapism

I love the books but in your list of occupations/skills don't forget he can tell the time without a watch. He can't do everything, he's not the greatest driver and has no license and he can't run very well, although they sorta pale in comparision with his other skills.

eoin wrote: »

That's my biggest problem - he is all but invincible, and is an expert at pretty much everything. I read "Bad Luck and Trouble", where he suddenly has mathematical abilities that would put rainman to shame, and was once again everyone's idol. Then there was "one shot" where it turns out that he is one of the best ever marksmen in the US Army.

It might have been mentioned earlier in the books but I read on Wiki that he has a fascination with Maths and used it here.

I love the books and have each one, waiting for 'Gone Tomorrow' now.
Sure the action may be overblown and Reacher can do a hell of a lot of things but they're great fun and entertaining to read, all from an aouthor who was fired early in his career from TV. Is that what we want from books?

K4t

He uses mathematical skills in many of the books. He solves a code in one of them. Most of the books are the same so I don't remember the names but 'One Shot' wasn't bad at all. Feel good reading.

ifElseThen

And Tom Cruise is in talks to play Reacher

r3nu4l

ifElseThen wrote: »

And Tom Cruise is in talks to play Reacher

Link to that please? Sounds implausible. Reacher is 6' 4 " and 250 lb or something, Tom Cruise will need bigger platforms for this role

Mr E

Oh that's a bad bad choice. Don't like that at all.

I'm looking forward to the next Reacher book (The Affair) out in September. Looks like it's set 6 months before The Killing Floor and will most likely show how he left the army.

Eoin

That's hilarious - loads of links saying it r3nu4l. All quoting the one website though (deadline.com)

http://www.slashfilm.com/tom-cruise-jack-reacher-one-shot-silly/
http://www.anomalousmaterial.com/movies/2011/06/tom-cruise-to-star-as-jack-reacher-in-one-shot/
http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0614/cruiset.html

fiacha

I haven't been impressed by the recent books. Hopefully "The Affair" will be a return to the old Reacher. Think I might start the Killing Floor again tonight.

For another slightly more believable all american hero, the Earl Swagger books by Stephen Hunter are worth checking out. Unfortunately, the latest books are tripe (Elderly ex sniper Swagger re-invents himself as a Sumurai and takes on the locals in Japan :rolleyes:)
linky

Mr E

fiacha wrote: »

For another slightly more believable all american hero, the Earl Swagger books by Stephen Hunter are worth checking out. Unfortunately, the latest books are tripe (Elderly ex sniper Swagger re-invents himself as a Sumurai and takes on the locals in Japan :rolleyes:)

Night of Thunder (out earlier this year) is a return to form.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Thunder-Stephen-Hunter/dp/1847399126/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1308054731&sr=8-3

Edit: Seems its not so new after all, sorry. I bought it last weekend thinking it was a new one.... Hope I didn't read it 3 years ago!
Its next on my list after I finish The Lion (Nelson De Mille)

ReacherCreature

Cruise, even though I like him, is fundamentally a terrible choice for Reacher.

Am I the only one not looking forward to The Affair? It doesn't appeal to me so far.

Bandana boy

I love the books ,they are complete Right Wing throw away escapisim.But they know this and never take themselves too serious.

My Missus told me yesterday they were doing a movie and asked who I would cast as Jack I had a few suggestions but nothing concrete.She reversed it and asked who I would not cast the 2nd name I mentioned was Tom Cruise.

We need an Actor mid to late 30's ,not good looking per say 6-5 Muscular and fairly emotionless.

Who would you cast ?

Amirani

Might not fit the height description but I think Mark Wahlberg would do a good job.

Perhaps Sam Worthington or Michael Fassbender?

ReacherCreature

I was thinking Worthington but I'm not entirely sold on his acting ability, then again I haven't seen a whole lot with him in it. He was bland in Terminator I found.

Fassbender's intriguing though...

Mars Bar

Tom Cruise as Reacher?

Eh...no. Please no!

ReacherCreature

mars bar wrote: »

Tom Cruise as Reacher?

Eh...no. Please no!

Amen to that.

tbukela

Worthington, actually thought he was decent in Terminator.
What about the Rock?

apsalar

Can't imagine anyone playing Reacher at all!

The books are fun... best for me was Echo Burning.. reads just like a cheesy 80s action movie

I guess the settings and Jack himself are too implausible to be taken seriously, but sometimes I read a story just for that, the story. And I've gotten my money's worth each time.:)

jassha

Bandana boy wrote: »

I love the books ,they are complete Right Wing throw away escapisim.But they know this and never take themselves too serious.

My Missus told me yesterday they were doing a movie and asked who I would cast as Jack I had a few suggestions but nothing concrete.She reversed it and asked who I would not cast the 2nd name I mentioned was Tom Cruise.

We need an Actor mid to late 30's ,not good looking per say 6-5 Muscular and fairly emotionless.

Who would you cast ?

Liam Neeson

Eoin

jassha wrote: »

Liam Neeson

For when Reacher's dad features in a film?

ReacherCreature

...Tom Cruise...

Bandana boy

I genuinely believe Danny De Vito would be a better casting choice than Tom Cruise

ReacherCreature

I actually like Tom Cruise, but I'm not fond of this choice.

Child is actually getting criticism from folks on his facebook page over the selection. Apparently he had little to do with the choice of Cruise. There's people making recommendations for Reacher and some of them, in physical stature make more sense than Cruise.

But oh well. Nothing we can change now. Positives that may emerge from a successful film will be that people will go about buying the books and the film might make a few movies. There's some good storylines that would work well on the big screen.

TheChevron

Any Lee Child fans might get a chuckle from this. It appears in the Sept-Oct issue of Private Eye Magazine.

Sorry about the size.

TheChevron

Oh, and Vigo Mortensen would make a decent Reacher.

genericguy

hugh jackman maybe? He's a decent enough actor, 6'2", could get to a reasonable weight. Or if it was 'sacrifice quality and just get someone who looks exactly the part' how about ray stevenson? he's huge, and was good in a leave your brain at the door kind of way in punisher war zone.

meh, i'm pretty sure anyone would be better than tom cruise. who is not gay, apparently.

two wheels good

r3nu4l wrote: »

Link to that please? Sounds implausible. Reacher is 6' 4 " and 250 lb or something, Tom Cruise will need bigger platforms for this role

It's in production according to some film show I saw\heard.
Yes, it's true. Looks like he may even be working on a second film
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000129/

If Hollywood can rewrite WW2, Robin Hood etc.....

I read one J Reacher novel. Parts of the plot were simply ludicrous. For pulp fiction I'd prefer Elmore Leonard - once in a while.

M007

I see that the trailer is out for the movie - can't believe they went with Tom Cruise to play the lead. All about putting bums on seats I guess.

Eoin

M007 wrote: »

I see that the trailer is out for the movie - can't believe they went with Tom Cruise to play the lead. All about putting bums on seats I guess.

Thank God Danny DeVito turned it down first.

TheChevron

It's a joke really.

Jack Reacher:

• 6'5"
• 220-250 lbs
• 50" chest
• Dirty-blond Hair

Tom Cruise's puny ass:

• 5"0'
• Lightweight
• Pidgeon Chest
• Dark Hair

two wheels good

Even more amusing when you know the origin of the name "Reacher".
I heard the following in a R4 interview with the author some time ago.

"He has said that he chose the name Reacher for the central character in his novels because he is himself tall and, in a supermarket [...] his wife Jane told him: "Hey, if this writing thing doesn't pan out, you could always be a reacher in a supermarket."... "I thought, Reacher — good name."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Child

ReacherCreature

Trailer is laughable. One scene is where Reacher/Cruise gets out of a car and walks into a crowd and gets a cap off a passerby. Then he blends in perfectly. The book version Reacher would not have been able to blend, he's 6"5 for Jesus' sake.

r3nu4l

ReacherCreature wrote: »

Trailer is laughable. One scene is where Reacher/Cruise gets out of a car and walks into a crowd and gets a cap off a passerby. Then he blends in perfectly. The book version Reacher would not have been able to blend, he's 6"5 for Jesus' sake.

Indeed, in fact most of the books feature at least one point where Reacher's sheer size and physical presence make it very difficult for him to either blend in or to hide/crawl into a space. In one of the books he has to fight in a tight space and Child makes much of the fact that this is a hindrance for him.

Bandana boy

Just back from this in the cinema and it was not as bad as I thought it would be ,They got a lot of the tone from the books spot on

ReacherCreature

Well at least that's something.

giftgrub

I know its a slightly older thread but I just finished Killing Floor.

Its not going to win the Man Booker prize anytime soon but its a but of popcorn...

He IS an amazing fighter, lover, genuis etc etc.

ReacherCreature

giftgrub wrote: »

Its not going to win the Man Booker prize anytime soon but its a but of popcorn...

It actually won the Anthony Award and the Barry Award, the former of which is quite prestigious in the mystery/thriller literary world. Not Man Booker but it's received a lot of critical praise over the years.

El Guapo!

I just bought my first Reacher book, A Wanted Man.

I'm only starting chapter two but I'm struggling to read on. From what I've read so far, Child seems like a terrible writer! I'm finding it hard to understand why he's so popular. The writing is just awful.

TheChevron

Not his best book. The last few Reacher novels have been disappointing.

buck65

This is a literature site.

Chikablam

El Guapo! wrote: »

I just bought my first Reacher book, A Wanted Man.

I'm only starting chapter two but I'm struggling to read on. From what I've read so far, Child seems like a terrible writer! I'm finding it hard to understand why he's so popular. The writing is just awful.

Same, used to love him, but then came to realise the writing really isn't anything to write home about.

giftgrub

buck65 wrote: »

This is a literature site.

And?

r3nu4l

Chikablam wrote: »

Same, used to love him, but then came to realise the writing really isn't anything to write home about.

It really depends on what you are looking for from a book. When I want an enjoyable 'switch the brain off' book I'll read one of Lee Child's because they are action packed and fast paced. If I want something contemplative, thought-provoking and engaging then I'll read something else.