Tom Clancy books

[Velocd]

I have a question about Patriot Games, for those of you who have read it. Why in the book is Jack Ryan referred either by his first or last name in a mixture of spots. For example, in a dialog it will say "jack said" and then maybe on the same page in another dialog by him it will say "ryan said". In alot of spots he keeps changing, it's interesting that this never bothered me throughout the whole reading of the book, but I noticed it after looking it over.

[Larz]

Forgive me Velo, but you really have too much time on your hands if you're noticing that.

As a pro writer/journalist, it's a technique I would use to vary my language and avoid making the text monotonous - Clancy is a master at making the text light and easy-to-read, I really try to learn a lot of that whenever I re-read one of his books.

I've been through all of them - there is no other author that comes even close to his style.

[Radon3k]

His books are great. He has a few series, the main one is the one starring Jack Ryan in it. The Hunt For Red October, Partriot Games, The Sum Of All Fears, etc.

Then there's the Op-Center series, which I like as well. All of his books are good except the NetForce series

[Velocd]

Originally posted by Larz
Forgive me Velo, but you really have too much time on your hands if you're noticing that.

As a pro writer/journalist, it's a technique I would use to vary my language and avoid making the text monotonous - Clancy is a master at making the text light and easy-to-read, I really try to learn a lot of that whenever I re-read one of his books.

I've been through all of them - there is no other author that comes even close to his style.

Heh, well I guess you could say I'm usually keen about those little things in books. Not to mention I had to question myself who Jack and then who Ryan was at the beginning of the book.

[FlyBoy73]

Sum of All Fears was a major letdown for me at the movies.. Not only did they chop up the story but I can't believe T.C. screwed up the chronology of his books (Producer, wasn't he?) by using Ben Aflek, who is MUCH younger than Jack Ryan should have been in Sum of All Fears. Jack Ryan played by Allec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red "Octobyr" was the first book where he was "young" and recently out of the military himself.
Anyways.. maybe my eyes are a bit jaded but I think Harrisson Ford was the perfect Jack Ryan.. He would have played a perfect president when Jack Ryan ascinds to that position later.
I quit wasting my money on the Op-Center and Net-Force books long ago.. They definitely were not his style.. Rainbow 6 was decent and the Bear & The Dragon was good, and more foreshadowing on Clancy's part.. He really see's things in advance.. especially Terrorism, Biological warefare, and the Ruskies moves..

David

PS. As for the best book Tom Clancy ever wrote, WITHOUT REMORSE gets my vote.. I don't know what they are thinking passing this one up for a movie.. It would be awesome
(The actor playing John Clarke also didn't fit in MHO)

[Martin CX]

I've read a lot Tom Clancy novels, I have read Red Storm Rising several times. Still, I have to say, that even though he makes good plots and exciting novels, his writing style isn't my favorite. His characters never really surprise me and has seldom more than one dimension. But then, they don't really have to - reading a Tom Clancy novel is like watching an action movie.

He seems to be in love (lust?) for anything that is the military (which, I admit, is part of the thrill - boys and toys, I suppose ), and frankly, to an outsider, his books reads as rather partisan republican? Combine that with a, IMHO, somewhat superficial insight in international politics, and my disbelief just spoils what would otherwise be great entertainment.

Well, I suppose most police officers feel the same way about most cop shows. You really can't help yourself notice where he exaggerate or skip over information.

[Larz]

I in some way agree with dFrisk, and then still not fully - as far as I'm concerned, no movie has ever come as close to hitting the general atmosphere of the books as Sum of All Fears did.

Ben Affleck was good as Ryan - he was way better than the goofy-looking Harrison Ford, yet not as good as the young-but-competent-looking Alec Baldwin. Jack Ryan in my mind is young and ambitious, yet always a tad intimidated byt the magnitude of the situation - while remaining incredibly sharp in his thinking at all times. Affleck shows that, Baldwin perfected it, Ford was too action-oriented, and a bit goofy looking.

I'm not sure you're right about the chronology - TC seems to have decided to tell two different stories. One of Movie-Ryan, and one of Book-Ryan. It's fine by me, the movies and books would never fit together anyways, given the vastly different story-telling techniques used in the different media.

As I see it, regardless of how he would have placed such dramatic events into the timeline, it would have been a misfit. This one takes an entry-level CIA-agent, and gives him a jumpstart in the agency - a jump-start that fits very well with the trusted employee status that Ryan has in Red October. As far as I recall, the inconcistencies that this placement creates are only in the stuff that helps tell a credible story but isn't crucial to the "meat" of the stories.

Timeline for the movies as I see it now is:

Sum of All Fears
Red October
Patriot Games
Clear and Present Danger