Jack Reacher

A couple of days ago I finished One Shot, the ninth Jack Reacher novel by Lee Childs.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Reacher, or who may only know him as portrayed by Tom Cruise (more on THAT below), Jack Reacher is a former Army MP who has no fixed address or employment.  He is a man who enjoys being off the grid, living a simple life, and seeing the country.  Unfortunately, things seem to seldom be simple (if they were, there would be no point in writing a book about him).  In each novel Reacher seems to show up somewhere, usually by bus, and is somehow drawn into a murder, kidnapping, or other violent crime investigation.  Often there is a personal connection, as in One Shot.

James Barr has been arrested for shooting and killing 5 people in a sniper attack.  He tells his lawyer to find Jack Reacher.  With this scene we must read on to find out the connection between the two men, and the intricate interactions in this small Indiana town that resulted in James Barr being arrested.

Reacher knows how to investigate.  As a character he comes across (to me anyway) as intelligent, observant, with a mind that is always working.  He tries to live simply, as I stated above.  He travels mainly by bus, seeing the country, stopping off in towns and cities as the mood strikes him.  In a couple of the novels we see him staying in a place for a few months and working, but usually, he is on the move.  He travels light, buying inexpensive clothing, then replacing it after he feels it has been worn enough.  He does not do laundry, he does not carry luggage. 

I think much of the appeal of these books is Reacher's lifestyle.  I'm certain that I'm not alone in thinking how nice it would be to live like that for a while, seeing the country, studying the human condition.  On top of that, the twists and turns of each case grip readers right to the end of the story.  Childs writes the mysteries well, letting us in on Reacher's thought processes a little at a time, until everything falls into place in the end.  At this point in the series for me, I will say that there is absolutely a bit of formula to these novels, however it hasn't started to feel old yet.  Within each novel we are also given a piece of Reacher's backstory:  his brother, his mother, his former lovers, and military colleagues.  There are a few more of these to go, so I will post more as I read them.

Now, Tom Cruise.  I learned that this movie was being made before I read the first book, and I have not seen it (and I doubt I will).  After starting the first book I thought:  What were they thinking??????  Tom Cruise????  Reacher is described fairly accurately and consistently in each volume.  He is 6' 5", 250 lbs.  Tom Cruise is.... not quite either of those.  If I can be allowed to go off topic just slightly... The key (in my opinion) to ensuring that loved characters can carry on in new formats or new versions is to cast the parts correctly.  J. J. Abrams did this in Star Trek.  That cast is very true to the original iconic characters.  Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher misses this mark.  If you disagree, convince me I'm wrong and maybe I'll watch the movie.  Until then, I will move on to the 10th book:  The Hard Way.