I’ve been a fan since reading **The Killing Floor **and I’ve read them more or less in order since. I can’t remember which book title goes with which plot (except for Echo Burning and Killing Floor), but I always put the latest one on reserve at the library as soon as it comes out.
My husband and I have been trying to cast a plausible Reacher but everyone we can think of falls short in some way (too young, too old, too skinny, etc.). Maybe it’s best that he exists as I see him in my mind as I read.
My favorites are the one when he gets accidentally kidnapped with the lady FBI agent and ends up in a militia compound, and the one with the rug/arms dealer in Maine who has the 'roided up guard. I told you I couldn’t match titles with plots. I also liked the one that brought his old Army buddies together again in California. The one with the dude who had been captured in Africa and had to make a choice every year about which extremity to lose – a little too oogy for me.
Cool! A Jack Reacher thread! I have two of his books sitting here that are due back at the library soon: “One Shot” and “Bad Luck and Trouble”. I liked the latter, as it brought in the MP’s that were under Reacher when he was in the Army.
There IS a bit of formula to them. For example, Jack beats up a few ppl near the beginning of every book, just to show any new readers that he’s a bad-ass. I love the investigative side of it, but sometimes I think it’s a stretch to reach the conclusions he comes to with the evidence given, but I go with it.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might have the build for Reacher, but the acting chops are questionable. Adam Baldwin would work well for me. They’re both a couple inches too short, but line up with a cast of Hollywood regulars, and they’ll LOOK six-foot-six.
I’m very glad to hear there’s a new novel on the way. I heard there’s a new Dresden Files book out in April as well. I’ll be checking out some books from Southern Gentleman’s author list. Thanks!
I’m not surprised , there has only been two dirk pitt movies since time began, Raise the titanic and sahara, even though there is enough source material to rival the james bond franchise.
Some of my favourites too. To the best of my recollection they are “Die Trying”, “Persuader”, “Bad Luck and Trouble”, and “The Hard Way”, respectively. Yes, he’s good at gruesome. Remember the maid’s death in “Persuader”? Or the construction workers in “Die Trying”?
Maybe you are being facetious, but FILB suggested Adam Baldwin, not Alec Baldwin. Adam Baldwin played Jayne on Firefly and is currently a regular on Chuck.
Realism isn’t the point. These stories are all pretty much male fantasy fodder. That’s why we read them. We all wish we had a little more Reacher in us, to summon up whenever we need to kick some righteous ass. Plus, the whole “living off the grid” thing, never leaving a trace of himself anywhere he goes, constantly covering his tracks out of habit. Not traveling light, but traveling with literally nothing at all; connecting with nothing, nowhere, and nobody except for fleeting instants, and living that way not because he has to, but because he likes it. And managing to do it very, very well. Absolutely, totally unrealistic, but extremely cool.
My favorite of the series is definitely Persuader. Excellent use of out-of-sequence storytelling.
*Persuader *was the first one I read, and I was totally blown away. It’s probably my favorite of them all, although there are others that I really enjoy but haven’t re-read them enough to know the plot inside and out like I do with Persuader.
I could definitely see Jason Statham as Reacher (and he’s probably the most likely candidate if a movie comes to fruition any time soon), even if he isn’t quite tall enough. I love Adam Baldwin, but I haven’t seen him as anything besides Jayne Cobb so I don’t know how well he would pull it off. Jeez, now you guys have got me hankerin’ for a Reacher movie series!
I love Jack Reacher, and I love reading about him, even if Child’s has worked his way into a formula for telling the story.
Reading about Jack Reacher always makes me feel as if I could kick someone’s ass if need be. I probably couldn’t IRL, but like the feeling that I could.