When you read books of all shapes, sizes and genre's, as I do, you come across a multitude of characters, most of whom inhabit the pages and then pass from your memory. Once in a while, a rare character comes along - one who may not be what you are or what you want to be, or even what you stand for - but when you read about this character you want to know more and understand what drives him/her.
A few weeks ago, while sifting through the thriller section at a bookstore, I saw a book that featured a character named Jack Reacher. The book (Persuader) was the 7th in the series. I confess that I am a big fan of mindless action thrillers, but I was stumped as I had never heard of either the character or the author - Lee Child. The only reason I picked it up was because it was the 7th in the Jack Reacher series, and I am a sucker for recurring characters.
Just one sentence into the novel, I was hooked. So much so that I then bought 8 other Jack Reacher novels the next day (there are a total of 10 in the series so far). The latest book - The Hard Way - has not yet been released in paperback and I could not get myself to pony up the big bucks for the hardcover version.
With each story, Reacher gets some more layers, his compulsions get more clearly defined and, oddly, he gets more intriguing. I think, somewhere deep down, I have a latent wish to be like Reacher (without the guns, the guts, the girls, and the gory mayhem he usually find himself in). Reacher is as independent a character as you'll probably get and, in many ways, reminds me of Howard Roark, another drummer who marched to his own beat.
In the end, maybe it is all about wanting to be independent, isn't it?
A few weeks ago, while sifting through the thriller section at a bookstore, I saw a book that featured a character named Jack Reacher. The book (Persuader) was the 7th in the series. I confess that I am a big fan of mindless action thrillers, but I was stumped as I had never heard of either the character or the author - Lee Child. The only reason I picked it up was because it was the 7th in the Jack Reacher series, and I am a sucker for recurring characters.
Just one sentence into the novel, I was hooked. So much so that I then bought 8 other Jack Reacher novels the next day (there are a total of 10 in the series so far). The latest book - The Hard Way - has not yet been released in paperback and I could not get myself to pony up the big bucks for the hardcover version.
With each story, Reacher gets some more layers, his compulsions get more clearly defined and, oddly, he gets more intriguing. I think, somewhere deep down, I have a latent wish to be like Reacher (without the guns, the guts, the girls, and the gory mayhem he usually find himself in). Reacher is as independent a character as you'll probably get and, in many ways, reminds me of Howard Roark, another drummer who marched to his own beat.
In the end, maybe it is all about wanting to be independent, isn't it?
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