Books, Media, Movies

Books, Movies, Media

Several years ago, I stumbled into a series of novels starring Jack Reacher. Read a few in paperback, then started building a Lee Child/Reacher series collection. Think I’ve got most in hardback/first edition. The character is described as six-foot, five inches tall. In the latest novel, the character has a broken nose, and looks like, “A gorilla with a broken nose.”

“The gorilla should be upset,” is how the character reacted, with trademark self-deprecating humor.

That protagonist? Loner with solid moral compass that points true north at all times, ex-military cop, and the most recent novel is tightly plotted. The author directed TV at one time, or wrote for TV, or something, and his almost minimalist style is workable, readable.

Big points for an oblique Pink Floyd allusion, buried halfway through the story.

The latest book is quite good, and for winter reading, surprisingly enough, some of the stories stick with me.

Here’s the problem, the Jack Reacher character, the protagonist in the series, he stands a solid 6’5″….

In the forthcoming movie, he is to be played by Tom Cruise. If I understand the popular media properly, the box-office mega-star is a foot, to a foot and a half too short. Probably can’t fill the character’s shoes.

Judging by the amount of hardback and paperback copies are for sale at Costco? The series is doing well as a print book. Best-seller, even.

So how does the book align with the movie?