Jack Reacher - any good?
Discussion
yellowjack said:
With my birthday in November, the new Lee Child book is usually a shoo-in for a present from my wife. This year though, she took me out for dinner and to see Dave Gorman live. sadly I think the reason for that is an indication that Reacher should either be retired quietly or expire in a blaze of glory soon. "I didn't buy you Blue Moon because the last two Reacher books are still gathering dust in your bedside cabinet" says it all really. I was an 'early adopter' of the Reacher books, and long enjoyed them, waiting in anticipation for the new one and always buying (or being bought) the hardback edition. Now, with the release of Blue Moon, I'm three books behind, and quite frankly I'm not that bothered about catching up anymore. Although I would really like to see some of the early books made for movie or TV release. You could get a relatively unknown actor to play him for TV with a two to three season story arc taking in the books in (Reacher's) chronological order, perhaps with a couple of flashback/forward suspense elements, but also making the character a little more three-dimensional and "filling in gaps" in his timeline with screenwritten episodes not adapted from the books. I think TV would suit the character better than film really, allowing a book to stretch over perhaps half a season rather than editing things down to fit a feature film release length. But for me, for now at least, the books seem to have gone off the boil a little...
fingers crossed. https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/jack-reac...I found the latest one very odd. He kills a lot of people for a start. Got to be getting on for 40 or 50.
It follows the normal Reacher turns up somewhere, gets into a feud with some baddies, they have some scam/unusual enterprise in the background. Except it seemed like not even the author could be arsed this time.
It follows the normal Reacher turns up somewhere, gets into a feud with some baddies, they have some scam/unusual enterprise in the background. Except it seemed like not even the author could be arsed this time.
hairykrishna said:
I found the latest one very odd. He kills a lot of people for a start. Got to be getting on for 40 or 50.
It follows the normal Reacher turns up somewhere, gets into a feud with some baddies, they have some scam/unusual enterprise in the background. Except it seemed like not even the author could be arsed this time.
Blue Moon?It follows the normal Reacher turns up somewhere, gets into a feud with some baddies, they have some scam/unusual enterprise in the background. Except it seemed like not even the author could be arsed this time.
I have it on my Kindle but haven't started it yet.
I listened to a Lee Childs interview with Simon Mayo recently, and it was quite enlightening.
I'm looking forward to the anonymous town he's written about this time...
surveyor said:
fingers crossed. https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/jack-reac...
Yeah, for about 3 or 4 books' worth only though. That's how long it took me before it all started to seem the same story and themes rehashing themselves over and over. And certainly, get someone to play Reacher who actually looks like he's described in the books. Casting Tom Cruise was just baffling (well, clearly apart from the big name box office draw). The whole premise of Reacher is that he is an utter mountain of a man, able to dominate opponents and obliterate them due to his great size, plus use his guile and wits as well. A sharp minded small person with fighting skills is a different book.
Edit: Hmm John Krasinksi doesn't seem right to me either. He's along the right lines, but will be interesting how he plays it different to his Jack Ryan character (nor either his other character's I've seen him play).
Edited by prand on Tuesday 3rd December 10:22
I have all the Reacher books, infact its the only 1 i buy as soon as its released. This latest one was the worst by far. I know all the stories follow the same path, little town, bad people, shag the local tottie, beat up some people, maybe kill the odd 1 or 2, then leave. Easy reading
This one, as someone above said, at least 50 die and badly at that. Completely over the top and not something ive read in previous books.
So far removed from the normal Reacher is was like reading an entirely different character, and for some reason his latest shag ends up talking like him, all logical and s
t lol, wound me up !
Think he may have now reached the end of the road. Really disappointing
This one, as someone above said, at least 50 die and badly at that. Completely over the top and not something ive read in previous books.
So far removed from the normal Reacher is was like reading an entirely different character, and for some reason his latest shag ends up talking like him, all logical and s
t lol, wound me up !Think he may have now reached the end of the road. Really disappointing
addsvrs said:
I have all the Reacher books, infact its the only 1 i buy as soon as its released. This latest one was the worst by far. I know all the stories follow the same path, little town, bad people, shag the local tottie, beat up some people, maybe kill the odd 1 or 2, then leave. Easy reading
This one, as someone above said, at least 50 die and badly at that. Completely over the top and not something ive read in previous books.
So far removed from the normal Reacher is was like reading an entirely different character, and for some reason his latest shag ends up talking like him, all logical and st lol, wound me up !
Think he may have now reached the end of the road. Really disappointing
Possibly thinking of being for the big screen? This one, as someone above said, at least 50 die and badly at that. Completely over the top and not something ive read in previous books.
So far removed from the normal Reacher is was like reading an entirely different character, and for some reason his latest shag ends up talking like him, all logical and s
t lol, wound me up !Think he may have now reached the end of the road. Really disappointing
RC1807 said:
Childs already said he's advanced in serialising his books for TV, and Cruise is an EP in the project, but Cruise ISN'T, thankfully, playing the lead ... he's far from 6' 5" !
Perhaps Americans do height the wrong way round, like they do dates, and Casting thought Reacher was 6"5'.RC1807 said:
Blue Moon?
I have it on my Kindle but haven't started it yet.
I listened to a Lee Childs interview with Simon Mayo recently, and it was quite enlightening.
I'm looking forward to the anonymous town he's written about this time...
That's the one. I found it seriously disappointing; I thought it read like bad Reacher fan fiction. I have it on my Kindle but haven't started it yet.
I listened to a Lee Childs interview with Simon Mayo recently, and it was quite enlightening.
I'm looking forward to the anonymous town he's written about this time...
Lee Child has written his last Reacher book. No more from him. Well nearly, the cover of the next Reacher novel will be by Lee Child with Andrew Child. He's handed the rights to his younger brother, an author in his own right, on condition he uses the Child name. Lee Child tried to kill him off but just couldn't do it, kill Reacher that is, not his brother.
Jack Reacher series author Lee Child 'quits and lets brother step in
Jack Reacher series author Lee Child 'quits and lets brother step in
Halb said:
FiF said:
He's handed the rights to his younger brother, an author in his own right, on condition he uses the Child name. Lee Child tried to kill him off but just couldn't do it, kill Reacher that is, not his brother.
glad you cleared that upI’ve been on Blue Moon since I got it for Christmas. It’s the first Reacher book that I’ve not blown through in about a week. I’m about 2/3 of the way through it now but it has been sat untouched for the last couple of weeks. I’ve no real interest in picking it up again. They all stretch credibility a bit with Reacher’s fighting prowess, but this one has really gone to town with him taking on no less than two sets of foreign gangsters single-handedly.
Silverage said:
I’ve been on Blue Moon since I got it for Christmas. It’s the first Reacher book that I’ve not blown through in about a week. I’m about 2/3 of the way through it now but it has been sat untouched for the last couple of weeks. I’ve no real interest in picking it up again. They all stretch credibility a bit with Reacher’s fighting prowess, but this one has really gone to town with him taking on no less than two sets of foreign gangsters single-handedly.
There are good and bad Reacher's - I found Blue Moon in my local charity shop for £1.50, so I bought it, but I loaned it to a friend who reads them, too.Mostly they're easy reading thriller stuff, but some are downright unpleasant to read and some are cleverly twisted.
I reckon, if I'm honest, I found about half of the one's I've read enjoyable and the rest just tolerable.
I read the Visitor most recently and really quite enjoyed it (although I sussed out a big clue to the killer very early), before that I read Killing Floor and, honestly, if I'd started with that one, it would have been the ONLY one...
M
RC1807 said:
Read them all
Blue Moon was the most disappointing; too many single-handed killings
Totally agree. Re-reading some of the earlier JR books throughout lockdown just puts into sharp focus how poor Blue Moon is (in comparison - still an acceptable read as a standalone).Blue Moon was the most disappointing; too many single-handed killings
On recommendation of a mate, I've just moved on to the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. Enjoying so far.
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