Jack Reacher novels.

I used to enjoy the series, but the whole Tom Cruise as Reacher was just too much. I won't watch the movie, and I'll never read another Reacher novel. I understand the movie didn't do too hot, and a sequel is in question. God spare us!
 
I have enjoyed some of the Jack Reacher novels but I have found I hard to believe that he never carries a knife, lighter or other useful tools as he wander over America. Jack Reacher is supposed to be an experienced and competent field soldier but never has a pocketknife, penlight, lighter or other basic Every Day Carry. Worse, some of the other characters have been decorated military men who never have a knife when needed.

Please clue in Reacher concerning the uses of a Zippo, a P-38 and a military-issue pocket knife.
:rolleyes:

This is what did it in for me. A 10 year army veteran, MP, Wondering around America with nothing but what's in his pockets, and apparently there's nothing there either. Just too much suspension of disbelief. And then casting Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher was a final straw for me. :barf:
 
I guess I'm more tolerant of Tom Cruise, there are some of his movies that I don't care for, but several that I do, I can see that he certainly doesn't fit the exact bill of Jack Reacher's 6' 5" stature so that is a bit of a stretch, pun intended ;) but I don't know that I'd discount reading the novels on his account, at least not just yet.

G2
 
I am reading #16 (The Affair) right now, and still enjoy the series even after seeing the movie. There is certainly some suspension of disbelief involved in theses novels that is for sure, but I have yet to read a work of fiction that doesn't have that at some level, whether it is Clancy, Flynn, Le Carre, Greene, Silva, or anyone else for that matter. No different than watching any Hollywood movie IMO.
 
I'm glad I read all of the books before I saw the movie. I have a strong picture of Reacher in my head and so TC didn't completely ruin it for me. Like having Pierce Brosnan as 007. Anyway, not knowing anything about guns I can overlook the inaccuracies about types of weapons. What I like about the books and the character is Reachers straight forward minimialist and yet thorough approach to getting stuff done efficiently. Like Tony Robbins on steroids and a very strong self-knowledge of right and wrong. I do find it unusual that he does not carry a pocket knife but then he is basically a walking death machine so he doesn't need one for defense. And since he doesn't carry anything or get mail or have household chores what does he need a pocketknife for. Now not having a small flashlight IS ridiculous...
 
Okay, after three of Lee Childs books, I'm done. Just too dumb and while I know that movies and novels require a period of suspension of belief, Childs just pushes the envelope too much. I don't think I'll be reading any more of his stuff. Jack Reacher just didn't reach me. Tom Cruise is welcome to the franchise. :thumbdn:

Carl, have you ever read any of Michael Conley's Harry Bosch novels? He also wrote the Lincoln Lawyer books. They are fairly clean as far as cursing and sex scenes go. Very addictive it you like good police/detective novels with some accurate background and procedures in them. You can read them out of order and not miss any of the story line, other than his reference to some repeating characters. I have read about a dozen of them and enjoyed them all.

Blessings,

Omar
 
Love this series. Just found them last year and have already read them all, and am waiting for the new one in August.

For those that are interested, here is a list of the books in chronological of Reacher's life. The "#" is the order they were written, with the 2 prequels first.

IMO, it does help to read them somewhat in order, especially the last 3 as they literally pick up right at the ending of the previous book.

The Jack Reacher novels:

#8 The Enemy (2004) Prequel set eight years before Killing Floor.
#16 The Affair (2011) This is another prequel set 6 months before Killing Floor.
#1 Killing Floor (1997)
#2 Die Trying (1998)
#3 Tripwire (1999)
#4 Running Blind: US title/The Visitor: UK title (2000)
#5 Echo Burning (2001)
#6 Without Fail (2002)
#7 Persuader (2003)
#9 One Shot (2005) Adpated for "Jack Reacher" movie with Tom Cruise)
#10 The Hard Way (2006)
#11 Bad Luck and Trouble (2007)
#12 Nothing to Lose (2008)
#13 Gone Tomorrow (2009)
#14 61 Hours (Spring 2010)
#15 Worth Dying For (Fall 2010)
#17 A Wanted Man (2012)

Child's knowledge (or lack) of firearms is glaringly bad. The no form of pocket knife (he caries a Boker in 1 book), is odd for a former military man.

I suspect that some books are ghost written by others, because Reacher's personality varies a lot, and a few books are written in first person, instead of third person, and I've never seen an author do that???

Cruise wasn't to bad, but it is strange if you're a fan, to see an actor that looks NOTHING like the character, I wish thye had gone with actor Michael Cudlitz from "Southland", accept for being 6'2" instead of 6'5" he looks a lot like how Reacher is described.
 
Nice thanks for the list !
G2
 
No problem, I was lucky in that someone told me about the prequels before I started the series, so I read them first, and was glad I did. Since his military background plays so prominent in the stories, having that in mind, made the rest of the books better to me.

I deliberately chose a Reacher novel "Worth Dying For" as my first book on an e-reader, because I knew it would keep me hooked as I adjusted to the e-reader.

BTW, "Worth Dying For" would make a great choice for the next movie!
 
I just finished my first Reacher novel. One Shot. It wasn't bad. There were several places that gave me pause. Like the VCR tapes. But then I saw where it was published in 2005 so likely written in '03 or '04. Yeah, Child isn't a gun expert by any means. He does well in trying to describe American customs and scenes, with a few rough spots... like explaining how a Chevy Silverado was a low end base model truck. And Reacher being able to exit the story with no charges or investigations into his involvement. One does wonder where he gets all his money. He is frugal to a fault, but when he needs it he has it. It was an interesting story. I read other authors I like better, but would pick up another of these books if the opportunity presented itself. Dale Brown, CLive Cussler and the like can only crank out just so many "new" ideas a year, far less than my reading capacity.
 
One does wonder where he gets all his money. He is frugal to a fault, but when he needs it he has it.

Since "First Shot" was your first novel, I can fill this in a little, Reacher in previous books, inherited a house from a former Army CO, but because of his wandering lifestyle, he sold the property and draws on it, and his Army pension. He also split a large sum of money in a previous book with former Army friends after they took in from terrorists.

Although I don't think he does it in "First Shot", he also gets quick cash (and guns when needed) by routinely beating and robbing drug dealers, and taking cash from the wallets of various thugs he's just thumped. :)
 
I see. Well, thanks for that info. Having read the book and Reacher's feats of strength endurance and his imposing size (almost tall enough to rake the top of a door frame when he walks through) I do see why people commented on the diminuitive actor chosen to play his charactor in the movie. I haven't seen the movie, but having read the book and expecting to see "Reacher", I would have been disappointed to see an actor who didn't come close to his description by the author. At least it wasn't Steven Segal. :)
 
I see. Well, thanks for that info. Having read the book and Reacher's feats of strength endurance and his imposing size (almost tall enough to rake the top of a door frame when he walks through) I do see why people commented on the diminuitive actor chosen to play his charactor in the movie. I haven't seen the movie, but having read the book and expecting to see "Reacher", I would have been disappointed to see an actor who didn't come close to his description by the author. At least it wasn't Steven Segal. :)

LOL, that would have been hilarious to see Seagal. If you decide to rent the movie, be prepared for significant changes from the book to the story, they hacked it up a lot.
 
Thanks again, but I doubt I will rent the movie. I don't own a TV as I prefer to read though occasionally I will watch a movie on the web. I learned when I was five that when I read, I make my own movies in my head and few movies can live up to that. I'll be watching for more of Child's Reacher novels though.
 
Just finished up The Enemy and the more I read these I can see how folks might take offense with TC wading into those 6' 5" shoes ;)
One line in the last story was something like "Tell you what, you don't try to put handcuffs on me, and I won't break your arms"

Reading "Worth Dying for..." now,
G2
 
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A word of warning as the later books do tend to tell things from the previous books, our library didn't have the Affair available so I got the next one and wouldn't you know it, a spoiler was in there that will make reading the Affair a little less for me :(
G2
 
I just finished Without Fail (2002),which has Jack Reacher working with the Secret Service to protect a newly Vice President from bad guys coming at the Vice President due to an incident in the past history of the Vice President. Pretty good book, and it fills in a few details about Reacher and Reacher's brother (who was killed in the line of duty as a Treasury agent). Reacher manages to destroy two villainous brothers, assist the US government, protect two elderly jazz musicians and renew a partnership with a former Army colleague who is just as deadly as he is.

Reacher, in this book, does use a knife - described as a folding Boker ceramic blade - that puts in his pocket to keep at the end of the story. Before he obtains the Boker, though, he is described as using his teeth to bite off the price taqs from warm clothing he purchases in New Jersey. I still think that the former commander of an elite Army military police unit would be a little bit better prepared:cool:

I am a bit confused abd worried about Jack. In Without Fail, he wears an Army-issue wristwatch that he constantly looks at to know the time. In other books I have read, Jack Reacher is described as having an infallible internal clock that allows him to know the exact time without consulting a watch or clock. I hope that Reacher is not losing his time sense or becoming senile as he grows older:D

I also note that the author, Lee Child, dedicated this title to a number of people, including a brother in Sheffield, England. Given the long tradition of cutlery manufacture in Sheffield, I would hope that Lee Child's brother can help Jack Reacher find a suitable knife for Every Day Carry.
 
I am a bit confused abd worried about Jack. In Without Fail, he wears an Army-issue wristwatch that he constantly looks at to know the time. In other books I have read, Jack Reacher is described as having an infallible internal clock that allows him to know the exact time without consulting a watch or clock.

It's things like that, and the occasional switch from third to first person in some books, that has me suspecting some of them are ghost written by other authors. Having read them all, I've noticed changes in his demeanor also, some books he's sort of mellow, and others just viciously violent.
 
I am now reading "A Wanted Man", where Jack teams up with a female FBI agent to foil the bad guys and save the nation. While I appreciate Jack's critical views of governmental secrecy and bureaucratic paranoia, I still don't understand how an Army brat, West Point graduate and military police team leader can not seem to understand that a pocket knife is a useful, even essential, tool,

Glancing ahead at the final pages of "A Wanted Man", it seems that Jack has to use a room key to clumsily saw through duct tape and nylon cord in order to save us from destruction. Somehow, this is disappointing. Like Jack Reacher, I was raised as a military dependent - I know that Scout troops are an important part of the military family culture. What part of "Be Prepared" did Jack Reacher fail to learn?

My copy of "A Wanted Man" includes a preview of the next book, "Never Go Back", where Reacher is involuntarily called back into the Army. This time around, In hope they teach Reacher to carry useful items such as a Zippo lighter, GI can opener, pen light, pen and note pad, a handkerchief, pocket knife and so on. Perhaps they will require some refresher classes at MP basic training:D
 
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