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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Is there a more one-dimensional character than Jack -no middle name - Reacher?
How anyone can honestly say that they have enjoyed this tediousness is beyond me.
That's all I want to write about this waste of ink.
How anyone can honestly say that they have enjoyed this tediousness is beyond me.
That's all I want to write about this waste of ink.
I love Jack Reacher stories. This is a collection of short stories, and it's a perfect summer read.
The Jack Reacher character has spawned 24 books and two movies. I liked both movies, so I figured it was time to give the books a chance.
"No Middle Name" is a collection of Jack Reacher stories that, for the most part, hew to a simple formula: the titular Reacher shows up somewhere, outsmarts some evildoer(s), beats up some evildoer(s), and goes on his way. I think I can reasonably assume that this is the same formula as full-length Jack Reacher novels.
And hey, y'know what? These stories are pretty good! They aren't navel-gazing, MFA in Creative Writing bullshirt. They're solid tales well told, and I lost track of time while reading them. Author Lee Child's writing style is workmanlike, and these stories probably won't lead you toward deep thoughts about the meaning of life. But they rocket right along, they don't overstay their welcome, and they add up to a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.
Will I now be in a hurry to read some proper Jack Reacher novels? I don't think I'll seek them out; I've "got it," if that makes sense. If, however, I were to find myself in a bookstore with nothing to read, I'd be perfectly happy picking up another book by Lee Child. This guy knows how to tell a story.
"No Middle Name" is a collection of Jack Reacher stories that, for the most part, hew to a simple formula: the titular Reacher shows up somewhere, outsmarts some evildoer(s), beats up some evildoer(s), and goes on his way. I think I can reasonably assume that this is the same formula as full-length Jack Reacher novels.
And hey, y'know what? These stories are pretty good! They aren't navel-gazing, MFA in Creative Writing bullshirt. They're solid tales well told, and I lost track of time while reading them. Author Lee Child's writing style is workmanlike, and these stories probably won't lead you toward deep thoughts about the meaning of life. But they rocket right along, they don't overstay their welcome, and they add up to a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.
Will I now be in a hurry to read some proper Jack Reacher novels? I don't think I'll seek them out; I've "got it," if that makes sense. If, however, I were to find myself in a bookstore with nothing to read, I'd be perfectly happy picking up another book by Lee Child. This guy knows how to tell a story.
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.