There comes a time in a reader’s life when he must ask himself, is Jack Reacher a sociopath?
And also, so what if he is?
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I found myself contemplating these questions recently when I was simultaneously watching the most recent season of the “Reacher” television show and reading the 31st installment of the book series, “Chain Reaction” by Lee Child and Andrew Child.
That’s a high concentration of Jack Reacher in a person’s life.
First, readers should know that “Chain Reaction” is a terrific installment in the series. I’m not a Reacher completist, but of the 20 or so I’ve read, I’d put it firmly in the top quarter. Reacher is reunited with Susan Turner, once Reacher’s successor as head of the special military investigation unit, but now a general overseeing a much larger internal operation meant to ferret out threats to Pentagon operations.
One of General Turner’s investigators has been killed in a seemingly random, unrelated act of violence while investigating near a data center in Colorado. Turner is suspicious, but is worried about internal leaks, so she enlists Reacher as an off-the-books investigator.
The resulting mystery — involving shadowy private military contractors and AI tech bros — is satisfying both in terms of logic and pacing, as well as the action we’ve come to expect from a Jack Reacher story. Once Reacher is on the job, he’s knocking heads, shattering kneecaps and charming some locals into helping with the investigation. Turner and one of her subordinates join in, and while they remain outnumbered, it’s the good guys that, for the most part, retain control.
But like any good action story, reversals happen, which require quick thinking and quick acting and highlight the unique capacity of Reacher and crew’s brains and brawn.
Reacher and Turner had a previous face-to-face adventure in 2013’s “Never Go Back,” in which Turner is portrayed as every bit Reacher’s equal — except in physical stature. They establish a relationship of mutual respect, which includes sexy time, an aspect of the relationship that quickly rekindles in “Chain Reaction.” While there’s some suggestion that Turner is the kind of person who may get Reacher to give up his itinerant lifestyle, we know this will never happen. This knowledge actually ups the poignancy of their time together.
None of what I’ve shared is a spoiler because we’re talking about a formula, where the pleasure is in the story’s specifics.
But I will admit that my high concentration of Reacher had me wondering about our hero’s character. In the most recent TV season, there is a scene where Reacher pulls a man’s head through the bars of a jail cell, mostly detaching an ear from the man’s head. It’s pretty gruesome, and while it allowed Reacher to free himself, he also seems to enjoy it.
“Chain Reaction” is filled with extrajudicial executions both by Reacher and others. In the context of the novel, there is zero doubt these people deserve, and to some degree based on their behavior, expect these fates. But there is very little debate about the morality of these acts. In the real world, I would never accept such actions from people in authority or anyone else. This is no way to have a functioning society.
If Reacher existed in the real world, we would have to lock him up, but this is why we must continue to be able to separate the escapist storytelling of a Reacher novel from our real world.
“Chain Reaction” is a deeply satisfying read about justice being served, and the world being saved by very brave people.
But also, we must remember, it’s a fantasy.
Book recommendations from the Biblioracle
John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books you’ve read.
1. “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke
2. “Strangers” by Belle Burden
3. “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy
4. “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck
5. “Under the Falls” by Richard Russo
— Diane T., Chicago
We need something with some drama, some mystery, and plenty of attention to character: “We Run the Tides” by Vendela Vida.
1. “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles
2. “Mystic River” by Dennis Lehane
3. “Speaker for the Dead” by Orson Scott Card
4. “Exit Party” by Emily St. John Mandel
5. “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” by Robert A. Heinlein
— Douglas N., Barrington
For Douglas, I’m recommending a classic of science fiction that seems very relevant to the moment, “A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller Jr.
1. “Telephone” by Percival Everett
2. “Dr. No” by Percival Everett
3. “Geek Love” by Katherine Dunn
4. “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan
5. “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen
— William M., Urbana
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This is a reader who doesn’t mind piecing things together to fully appreciate the narrative: “The Tsar of Love and Techno” by Anthony Marra.
Get a reading from the Biblioracle
Send a list of the last five books you’ve read and your hometown to [email protected].
John Warner is the author of books including “More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI.” You can find him at biblioracle.com.