The Jack Reacher Series and the Beano
All the Jack Reacher Books by Lee Child. They are detective action thrillers, nothing special or metaphorical about them, not earth shattering or society influencing, just balls to the wall action and intrigue. The main character is an ex military-police man mountain, tough as nails, smart as a smart thing. Takes no shit.

It's hard to think of the series as life changing, but the more I think about it the more I realise how much it has influenced me over the last few years.

The strong visual action imagery made me realise my appreciation for a good action scene. I could visualise these scenes so well that I wanted to see them on the big screen. I would often say to myself "You could film it like this, tracking shot here..." or "That actor would make a really good Reacher...".

I started to dream of being able to make a film myself but always presumed it just too big a dream to achieve. I am past university age and have a house and bills to pay. Not an environment to just go and learn film.

The outlook of the main character, morally correct, but usually responding violently to anyone being immoral, helped develop my otherwise cripplingly shy attitude into a take no crap attitude. Although I don't (usually) beat up or kill some I don't agree with I now realise I don't have to accept the point of view of the person shouting loudest. I am allowed to express my differing view too instead of sitting in silence.

Coupling this newly found attitude and the love of envisioning film I decided my supposedly un-achievable dream of making films shouldn't be so un-achievable. So I found a small local course, and with people from that have formed a small film company. We are just making short films and experimenting at the moment, but it is a good start and I am making new friends and having fun.

It may have happened anyway as I gained life experience, but I can't help thinking a simple crime thriller with a strong and likeable main character influenced me to take life by the horns.

I recommend the books as just a thumping good read too.

The Beano
At about the age of 8 I was struggling with reading and writing. Not sure why, I think I was just not finding it interesting. I remember my parents were getting quite desperate with me.

I recall being told to read a book for five-year-olds out loud to them before I could go out to play. I struggled horrendously.

Then I got bought the Beano. I think it may have started because my dear Nan bought me an Annual for Christmas one year.

I didn't realise it at the time of course, but looking back now, it helped my reading and writing skills a lot. I went from under-achiever to over-achiever very quickly.

I think it was because I didn't realise I was reading when I was reading the Beano. I figured it was just a comic. The constant onomatopoeia of "Tee-Hee"s and "Ker-Bang"s helped me appreciate the sounds that words make and structure of them and how syllables work and how different sounds can be written.

I feel I owe the Beano a lot and have a special place for it in my heart. I think it may have kept me afloat at school. I sometimes wonder if I may have gone down a more destructive and darker route due to failing grades and academic frustration.

A lot of the above sounds like I'm taking the Mick, but I'm not. I'm deadly serious...

Length? It's the Beano's Fault
(stubbledchin, Fri 16 May 2008, 12:30, 3 replies)

Good yarn
*click* earned.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Fri 16 May 2008, 12:39, closed)

Lee Child
I'm also hooked on Lee Child's Reacher books.

You would probably like the "Parker" novels by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark.

A similar hard, loner character, but is a professional armed robber/burglar. Fast paced action like Child's Reacher.

A couple of dozen Parker novels have been written over the last 20 or more years. I believe the last was only a year or two age.
(barrycounty, Sun 18 May 2008, 15:48, closed)

Sounds Good
I'll give them a try!
(stubbledchin, Mon 19 May 2008, 10:36, closed)