Jack Reacher

I have been away for the past 3 odd months due to health issues (now resolved, though still recuperating), so am getting back to my blogging.

I know at least one reader of my blog who will be happy about this post :) This is for you, Sudeep!

Though my taste in fiction runs more towards British detective fiction (PD James, Ian Rankin and the like), I have long been a fan of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch as well as Lee Child's Jack Reacher. In this post, I will focus on Reacher, imho, Bosch is a more complex character and needs more time for me to do justice to him. I am posting this under Detective fiction, though these are clearly not murder mysteries (thrillers is more appropriate), however since Reacher was a Major in the US Army serving in the 110th MP, I think I can get away with it. May re-categorize later.

Lee Child - Jack Reacher (Official Lee Child site)

Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels represent escapism in its more extreme form. Apparently Reacher lives in the world of today, but the outrageous manner in which he goes about creating mayhem makes him as close to a blue collar James Bond as possible. In my view, Lee Child is today's Ludlum !

The books tend to have a fairly one-dimensional plot, however they are by no means badly written. Suspension of disbelief is a must as one would expect in watching a Terminator or Die Hard movie. The action is relentless and Reacher as a character is very appealing (at least from a male point of view, I would love to get some perspective from a female viewpoint, so any ladies reading this, would like to know your views on Reacher).

Reacher is at once, quite egoless but at the same time has extremely high self-esteem and is supremely confident of his own abilities. I quite like the early books which revolved around Reacher's association with the US Army as a major in the Military Police. Off late, Reacher has been put in more contemporary situations and in my view this doesn't work as well the previous books. Reacher has a very strong moral code and though acknowledging the power of money, he has no desire to pursue it or any worldly possessions (Reacher famously carries only his passport, ATM card and collapsible toothbrush with him). Reacher is very strong physically (6'5"" - more than 220 pounds, almost all muscle) and has a sharp brain to match. He has extremely fast reflexes and rarely loses a fight (typically he disables his opponents within 10-15 seconds of the fight starting).

Among the books that I enjoyed more than the others are One Shot, The Enemy and The Visitor. I quite liked Joe Reacher and would have liked to see more of him had he not been killed off in one of the books.

In summary, this is a series very much in the thriller genre, however written with a style and protagonist that keeps you wanting to come back for more. The true test for any book (or movie/music) is whether you would reread (watch again/ listen again) it, and on that count, Jack Reacher passes the test as far as I am concerned. Clearly the books wont make great demands on you (e.g. reading P D James requires you to give full attention to the book), but the time still remains well spent.