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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm not the biggest fan of short stories, but I've got a slight Jack Reacher addiction, so when I came across a used copy of this collection, I went for it. In the short format we get distilled Reacher, minus the outlandish coincidences and lovingly long descriptions of firearms. We are treated to some of Reacher's typical short, brutal street fights, and of course trouble just seems to find him no matter how hard he tries to mind his own business. The author gets to step outside the formula a bit here.
Originally published between 2009 and 2017, plus one story from 1999, the stories vary widely in length. The longer ones ("Too Much Time," 63 pages, and "High Heat," 78 pages) were absorbing. The shortest ones were satisfying in their own way, given that I understand Reacher well by now.
In "High Heat," Reacher is 16 years old and footloose in New York in the July heat wave of 1977. I wasn't surprised to discover he was already mostly himself. In "Second Son," we meet his mother, living alone in a Paris apartment, and we get to know his brother, Joe, a little more. Joe also appears in "Small Wars" (47 pages). In "Everyone Talks," the first-person narrator is a detective who encounters Reacher briefly in a hospital bed. In the oldest story, "James Penney's New Identity," Reacher just makes a cameo appearance at the end — but it's a winner.
Probably not the best introduction to Reacher, but good stuff if you already know and like him.
.
Originally published between 2009 and 2017, plus one story from 1999, the stories vary widely in length. The longer ones ("Too Much Time," 63 pages, and "High Heat," 78 pages) were absorbing. The shortest ones were satisfying in their own way, given that I understand Reacher well by now.
In "High Heat," Reacher is 16 years old and footloose in New York in the July heat wave of 1977. I wasn't surprised to discover he was already mostly himself. In "Second Son," we meet his mother, living alone in a Paris apartment, and we get to know his brother, Joe, a little more. Joe also appears in "Small Wars" (47 pages). In "Everyone Talks," the first-person narrator is a detective who encounters Reacher briefly in a hospital bed. In the oldest story, "James Penney's New Identity," Reacher just makes a cameo appearance at the end — but it's a winner.
Probably not the best introduction to Reacher, but good stuff if you already know and like him.
.
Closer to 2.5 probably. A bunch of half-decent shorts, but most of them feel like the start of a Reacher novel rather than complete stories.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed the stories in this. Most were pretty good, a couple were okay, and I don't think any were outright bad. I definitely need to start reading all of the Jack Reacher books so that I can actually see the universe that's been built up.
I listened to this on a long car ride. Its my shame that I read this series and that I've already read many of the novellas in it.
The novellas or longer short stories are OK. The short-short stories are not worth reading, particularly the Christmas Stories of which there are several like No Room at the Motel. Frankly, they're crap.
The novellas include:
+ Second Son (Jack Reacher #15.5)
+ High Heat (Jack Reacher, #17.5) (My review)
+ Deep Down (Jack Reacher, #16.5) (My review)
+Small Wars (Jack Reacher #19.5)
+ James Penney's New Identity / Guy Walks Into a Bar (Jack Reacher Chronological Order #14.5) (Two crap short stories worth missing)
+ Not a Drill (Jack Reacher #18.5)
Frankly, what I've concluded from this anthology was Childs is better at the novella format than either the novel or short story formats. However, you'll have to pay your dues by reading several of the novel's to 'get' the character.
The novellas or longer short stories are OK. The short-short stories are not worth reading, particularly the Christmas Stories of which there are several like No Room at the Motel. Frankly, they're crap.
The novellas include:
+ Second Son (Jack Reacher #15.5)
+ High Heat (Jack Reacher, #17.5) (My review)
+ Deep Down (Jack Reacher, #16.5) (My review)
+Small Wars (Jack Reacher #19.5)
+ James Penney's New Identity / Guy Walks Into a Bar (Jack Reacher Chronological Order #14.5) (Two crap short stories worth missing)
+ Not a Drill (Jack Reacher #18.5)
Frankly, what I've concluded from this anthology was Childs is better at the novella format than either the novel or short story formats. However, you'll have to pay your dues by reading several of the novel's to 'get' the character.
Weak
Mostly short, poorly plotted stories for us Jack Reacher suckers. The good ones have already been in the back of other Reacher books, and the new ones aren't worth much.
Mostly short, poorly plotted stories for us Jack Reacher suckers. The good ones have already been in the back of other Reacher books, and the new ones aren't worth much.
Lee Child writes great Jack Reacher stories. Love the twists and surprises in this anthology.
I'm a big fan of Lee Child (and Jack Reacher), and essentially that is why this book is getting 3 stars and not one... there are a couple of decent stories in there, but all in all, I wish I hadn't read this... sorry everyone...