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A review by knightofswords
First Blood by David Morrell
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.