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mavis_tully's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dustindonley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
As is almost always the case I liked the book more than the movie. And if you’ve seen the movie 100 times like I have it’s still well worth the read. It’s a lot different in that in the book Rambo isn’t necessarily the innocent guy and the Sheriff isn’t necessarily the bad guy. You can see both good and bad in both characters and it’s really a wild ride. I loved it!
shamelessbibliophile41's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
italianstallion91r's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ipanzica's review against another edition
5.0
A gripping story that still is topical today. Every character was well rounded and sympathetic in their own way to the point that I don't know which side you should be rooting for. It is an amazing book and if you are on the fence about whether or not you should read this book, read it because you will not be disappointed.
knightofswords's review against another edition
4.0
Casting a long shadow over this novel is the 1982 movie, which changed the character of Rambo (and made him into one of the iconic 80s pop culture figures). With that in mind, this book (which was actually condemned as "Carnography" (a combination of the words "carnage" + "pornography") for its graphic violence by some critics upon release in 1972 is surprisingly well done for a genre novel.
While the First Blood novel has some barebones similarities to the movie, Rambo's character is the thing which was changed the most. Morrell writes Rambo more as an unsympathetic vicious killer, broken by the military and his experience in Vietnam and a man who seemingly lives only for violence - and its a bit surprising to read him going *beast mode* on hapless small town cops and National Guardsmen (unlike in the movie, which presented Rambo as a traumatized veteran who is reluctant to directly kill his pursers and is presented very sympathetically)
Also, a lot more emphasis on the motivation and character of Sheriff Teasle too, who is fully fleshed out and presented as a foil to Rambo as opposed to the snarling maniac that Brian Denahey played him as.
A quick read, but fun.
While the First Blood novel has some barebones similarities to the movie, Rambo's character is the thing which was changed the most. Morrell writes Rambo more as an unsympathetic vicious killer, broken by the military and his experience in Vietnam and a man who seemingly lives only for violence - and its a bit surprising to read him going *beast mode* on hapless small town cops and National Guardsmen (unlike in the movie, which presented Rambo as a traumatized veteran who is reluctant to directly kill his pursers and is presented very sympathetically)
Also, a lot more emphasis on the motivation and character of Sheriff Teasle too, who is fully fleshed out and presented as a foil to Rambo as opposed to the snarling maniac that Brian Denahey played him as.
A quick read, but fun.
heather93's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
the_glendon's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
zare_i's review against another edition
5.0
In the days of WW1 and WW2 it was called what it is - shell-shock. Then came more "understanding" era and this clear and pretty self-explanatory psychological state became convoluted to unimaginable levels. Because, hey, how can you say that in your society you have shell-shocked people, you can only have traumatized people. And while this might have started by bureaucrats unfortunately it was picked up by a medicinal profession that just had to classify every superficial facial or body tick as a separate trauma. And thus main substance got lost.
This book, truly a very rare book on the subject because there is no surplus of drama, no over-emotional layer to it, although a critique of a war and what it does to the person (no matter the era, be it Korean or Vietnam war, and I think it was same with WW1 and WW2) it is first and foremost critique of the way society greets its soldiers after the conflict they are sent to fight [by that very society]. Because they are embarrassment and it would be much more convenient if nobody returned from the war at all - as they say "far from sight, far from heart".
Book has a much stronger effect than the first movie in the series. To describe it in a single sentence it would be unfortunate-turn-of-events. When man returning from hell in Southeast Asia, John Rambo, comes across a veteran from earlier days who is having his own personal problems, Teasle, both proud and stubborn, time-bomb starts to tick last seconds to destruction. What starts as war of wills soon escalates in a full scale conflict in the country where John Rambo manages to tie full force of law enforcement and National Guard until he gets cornered while raising hell trying to escape.
Excellent novel on how misunderstanding and unwillingness to understand and know the other can have devastating effects. When pushed to the limits and to wall only way remaining is forward because there is nothing to lose. Only other novel that made same impact on me is novel Testament by the same author.
As is case with all Morrell's novels highly recommended to fans of action thriller. It is a sad and tragic story and as all tragedies truly worth reading.
This book, truly a very rare book on the subject because there is no surplus of drama, no over-emotional layer to it, although a critique of a war and what it does to the person (no matter the era, be it Korean or Vietnam war, and I think it was same with WW1 and WW2) it is first and foremost critique of the way society greets its soldiers after the conflict they are sent to fight [by that very society]. Because they are embarrassment and it would be much more convenient if nobody returned from the war at all - as they say "far from sight, far from heart".
Book has a much stronger effect than the first movie in the series. To describe it in a single sentence it would be unfortunate-turn-of-events. When man returning from hell in Southeast Asia, John Rambo, comes across a veteran from earlier days who is having his own personal problems, Teasle, both proud and stubborn, time-bomb starts to tick last seconds to destruction. What starts as war of wills soon escalates in a full scale conflict in the country where John Rambo manages to tie full force of law enforcement and National Guard until he gets cornered while raising hell trying to escape.
Excellent novel on how misunderstanding and unwillingness to understand and know the other can have devastating effects. When pushed to the limits and to wall only way remaining is forward because there is nothing to lose. Only other novel that made same impact on me is novel Testament by the same author.
As is case with all Morrell's novels highly recommended to fans of action thriller. It is a sad and tragic story and as all tragedies truly worth reading.
papidoc's review against another edition
3.0
Liked the book better than the movie, but enjoyed both. Sort of a reactionary fairy tale, complete with anti-hero who is both sympathetic and tragic. At the time, it appealed to the survivalist in me. Damaged veteran returns from the war, traveling through a small town finds himself persecuted by the police, and reacts out of instinct as he would militarily. The rest is predictable, but well-written, as he makes use of his well-earned survival and fighting skills to first escape, then survive, and finally hunt down his persecutors. Has undertones of anti-war sentiment, but generally is a good example of Morrell's adventure fiction.