Jack Reacher books

[Headhunter]

For Christmas I was given about 8 of the jack reacher books. It's not a series I'd ever really heard of before. I've seen some of the first Tom cruise movie and that got me wanting to check out the books. I've now read the first 2 (killing floor and die trying) and I think they're great books. Very gripping adventures, not necessarily as action packed as you'd think bit still good stories and the reacher character is very interesting. A cross between Jason Bourne, James Bond and Sherlock Holmes and there's some good fight scene description in them to. Very realistic fighting as well. I'd definitely recommend them.

Thing is I doubt I can ever watch the cruise movies now though as reacher in books is 6'6 and 260 pounds of muscle....Tom cruise...not so much lol.

 

[Buka]

I've read them every one since the git go, absolutely love them. Some are real corkers.

Lee Child was thinking of killing Reacher off. He said he was going to write a few books on the character, and the next thing he knew, he had written over twenty.
When the word came out, and was foreshadowed in a recent book of Reacher having unexplained terrible head pain, a bunch of folks, myself included, took to writing Lee Child and begging him not to. I said, "You want to kill him?! Just marry him off and stop writing him, same thing. Then if you change your mind years from now, you can bring him back."

From what scuttlebutt I've heard, he has reconsidered.

Yeah, Tom Cruise bought the rights. We were all up in arms over him playing Reacher. I mean a three foot tall Scientologist playing jack Reacher? Nooooooo!
But he did a pretty good job, all things considered.

Then the question came up.....who could have played Reacher? We bandied about names. Maybe Liam Neeson when he was younger. Maybe The Rock now, as the Reacher character doesn't really talk a lot. Any thoughts on who might have played him?

Also, there's a few books of short stories that have Reacher in them. They all sucked. Big time sucked. Remember that should you see one.

 

[Headhunter]

I've read them every one since the git go, absolutely love them. Some are real corkers.

Lee Child was thinking of killing Reacher off. He said he was going to write a few books on the character, and the next thing he knew, he had written over twenty.
When the word came out, and was foreshadowed in a recent book of Reacher having unexplained terrible head pain, a bunch of folks, myself included, took to writing Lee Child and begging him not to. I said, "You want to kill him?! Just marry him off and stop writing him, same thing. Then if you change your mind years from now, you can bring him back."

From what scuttlebutt I've heard, he has reconsidered.

Yeah, Tom Cruise bought the rights. We were all up in arms over him playing Reacher. I mean a three foot tall Scientologist playing jack Reacher? Nooooooo!
But he did a pretty good job, all things considered.

Then the question came up.....who could have played Reacher? We bandied about names. Maybe Liam Neeson when he was younger. Maybe The Rock now, as the Reacher character doesn't really talk a lot. Any thoughts on who might have played him?

Also, there's a few books of short stories that have Reacher in them. They all sucked. Big time sucked. Remember that should you see one.

Im no expert on the character yet but I think killing him off would be a better ending for that type of character. I don't think a guy like him would settle down peacefully they'd always get back in action. I think getting him married isn't a bad idea but have him having adventures from that. E.g wife gets kidnapped etc or a bigger one gets married rides off into the sunset. Next book wife gets murdefed reacher goes ape **** looking for revenge.

I think killing him would be a good ending and if he did want to write more he could always right prequel stories to that one like what happened with Sherlock Holmes.

Meh I think Tom cruise just played typical Tom cruise type tough guy. I saw little difference to his jack reacher than his Ethan hunt.

As for who I'd get to play him. Personally I'd say Scott Adkins. Maybe not as big and strong but he's still got a good strong physique. He can fight well on camera and got a good ex army tough look about him.

I mean this is how I pretty much see reacher in my head. You can give or take the beard.





ard.

 

[Martial D]

For Christmas I was given about 8 of the jack reacher books. It's not a series I'd ever really heard of before. I've seen some of the first Tom cruise movie and that got me wanting to check out the books. I've now read the first 2 (killing floor and die trying) and I think they're great books. Very gripping adventures, not necessarily as action packed as you'd think bit still good stories and the reacher character is very interesting. A cross between Jason Bourne, James Bond and Sherlock Holmes and there's some good fight scene description in them to. Very realistic fighting as well. I'd definitely recommend them.

Thing is I doubt I can ever watch the cruise movies now though as reacher in books is 6'6 and 260 pounds of muscle....Tom cruise...not so much lol.

It's a shame the fighting system they used in the movie wasn't equally as realistic.

*Grabs his ears in En guard position*

 

[Headhunter]

It's a shame the fighting system they used in the movie wasn't equally as realistic.

*Grabs his ears in En guard position*

I think the style in the movie worked well for cruise. In the books reacher uses mainly his strength and a few "dirty" moves but obviously cruise doesn't have that size so the keysi style works better for him

 

[punisher73]

The way he is described, I always pictured more of this type of person. Aaron Eckart

 

[punisher73]

 

[Headhunter]

The way he is described, I always pictured more of this type of person. Aaron Eckart

That's the beauty of books. You can imagine anything you want from the characters

 

[Headhunter]

Thinking about it I reckon jack reacher would make a better tv series than movies. Every episode a new story a new place he visits and maybe put in a over reaching story line that connects all episodes for the finale

 

[Buka]

There was an article in the paper a couple months ago about how the author chose his pen name. Kind of a cool story.

Lee Child

 

[Brian King]

There was an article in the paper a couple months ago about how the author chose his pen name. Kind of a cool story.

Lee Child

Good article Buka. Thanks. Love John D. MacDonalds Travis McGee series of books. Still read them now and then or listen on Audible. Lee Child has written the forward on the newest run of Travis McGee books...pretty cool.

 

[Tez3]

How do people feel Lee Child has captured the American background of his books?

If you haven't read Alistair MacLean's book, do, they are all very good.

 

[Buka]

How do people feel Lee Child has captured the American background of his books?

If you haven't read Alistair MacLean's book, do, they are all very good.

I think he captured the American background pretty well.

And thanks for the tip on MacLean.

 

[Tez3]

I think he captured the American background pretty well.

And thanks for the tip on MacLean.

Many of his books were made into well known films, Where Eagles Dar, Ice Station Zebra, The Guns of Navarone, Breakheart Pass etc.

 

[Headhunter]

Just finished die trying and have now just started the visitor. Awesome start reacher taking out 2 guys, the first with just 2 elbows to the head. Love how real his fights are and now been arrested a lot more action packed start than the first 2

 

[punisher73]

Just finished die trying and have now just started the visitor. Awesome start reacher taking out 2 guys, the first with just 2 elbows to the head. Love how real his fights are and now been arrested a lot more action packed start than the first 2

I found that after the first two Reacher books, he kind of hits his stride with writing and they are much better in action and plot flow.

 

[Headhunter]

I found that after the first two Reacher books, he kind of hits his stride with writing and they are much better in action and plot flow.

Yeah I noticed the first 2 didn't have massive action, felt more like detective novels than action. They were still great stories don't get me wrong

 

[Steve]

I've read several, but like many series of this kind, they get a little repetitive. Similar books that are pretty good are the John Rain series by Barry Eisler. Author trained in Judo, IIRC, and likes to incorporate some of that into background into his story.

 

[Headhunter]

On the discussion of who to play reacher I've been watching the tv show arrow lately and I think Manu Bennett who plays slade Wilson/ deathstroke would be a good choice

 

[Headhunter]

Just finished the visitor. Really enjoyed it, probably had the least action scenes of all the ones I've read but it was probably the best story. I kind of guessed who the killer was early on but the reasoning and the explanations were clever. Well onto the next one tomorrow