"Laconia" and Jack Reacher

Mr. V · 08-09-2019, 10:39 AM

I'm reading another Jack Reacher novel written by Lee Child, "Past Tense," and it is set in what the author calls "Laconia, N.H." and the surrounding area.

The problem is that the "Laconia" he describes and writes about does not seem to exist in reality: the stores, the layout, the roadways: it's as if he chose the name "Laconia" but then applied it to his concept of small town New England created from whole cloth.

For those who have read the book: does it seem that way to you as well?

The Real BigGuy · 08-09-2019, 02:00 PM

Yes

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Garcia · 08-09-2019, 02:15 PM

Agree - Laconia in name only. Liked the book!

On a side note, Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? That was just wrong! Jack Reacher is 6' 5", 220 - 250 pounds (depending on the book). Tom Cruise, not so much...

rick35 · 08-09-2019, 02:34 PM

If you’re only now reading Past Tense you’re only 9 months behind me and probably most Reacher lovers. That’s one of the authors that is on preorder and arrives on my kindle the day it is released.

I was excited to hear that there was going to be a movie until I found out Tom Cruise was starring in it. He’s just not the right size to play Reacher (and I’m not a big fan either). That was a few years ago and there hasn’t been another Reacher movie since. I understand Cruise owns the rights so if there is another one we’ll be stuck with him. If they made Past Tense into a movie they’d probably make it some town in Vancouver where it’s cheaper. Another blow for being authentic NH.

Hillcountry · 08-09-2019, 03:11 PM

Doesn’t matter where, physically, a fictional place is. Sounds like the author’s intent was to place his story in a laconic setting such as many small towns in NH are. What more “laconic” name than “LACONIA”?

thinkxingu · 08-09-2019, 03:39 PM

Agreed on Cruise, Laconia, and Child.

LOVE the series.

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Mr. V · 08-09-2019, 04:13 PM

Tom Cruise does as good a job as he can, given his *ahem* lack of stature.

But yeah, I'd like to see an actor playing the part who is as big and tough as the one Lee Child writes about, but no particular actor comes to mind.

Nominees for the part, anyone?

The Real BigGuy · 08-09-2019, 04:34 PM

Kinda like Mark Wahlberg playing Marcus Luttrell in Lone Survivor

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NH4me · 08-10-2019, 08:17 AM

Timely post - I just finished the book this morning! I agree about Laconia. It wasn't the city I know, and it seemed odd in using the name that the author wouldn't have at least mentioned the lake. Makes you wonder if he did his research!

Weekend Pundit · 08-10-2019, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. V

Tom Cruise does as good a job as he can, given his *ahem* lack of stature.

But yeah, I'd like to see an actor playing the part who is as big and tough as the one Lee Child writes about, but no particular actor comes to mind.

Nominees for the part, anyone?

I was thinking someone like Jason Statham (without the British accent) or Dwayne Johnson. Possibly Chris Hemsworth?

Weekend Pundit · 08-10-2019, 07:29 PM

Quote:

For those who have read the book: does it seem that way to you as well?

Yup. Kept trying to relate the places he mentioned versus the actual Laconia and came up with nothing. A little research on the 'Net and use of Google Maps would have fixed that particular problem.

I.C.Isles · 08-11-2019, 08:13 AM

I read an interview with the author. He has never visited NH but his books sell well in NH so he placed the story here.

He did sell out when he let Tom Cruise buy the movie rights to his Jack Reacher books.

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rick35 · 08-11-2019, 08:32 AM

I forgot that there were two Reacher movies: Jack Reacher (based on One Shot) and Never Go Back. I googled movie three and found an article from November that said there would be no more movies and that a tv series was in the works. Lee Child was quoted as saying the tv Reacher would include a new actor more befitting the imposing, burley character he created in his books. Now we’re talking.

rick35 · 08-11-2019, 08:50 AM

Just read that Amazon is producing the Reacher tv series. They did a good job with Jack Ryan and I’m sure Jack Reacher will be good too.

winterh · 08-11-2019, 09:52 AM

have not read a reacher book or seen the movie. I was a big fan of the Vince Flynn books. Are they similar?

Dickie B from HB · 08-11-2019, 01:04 PM

For years we have wondered who could play Reacher, and have yet to answer that. Cruise's demeanor isn't bad, but he is clearly not the guy. But those stories needed to be made into movies, so what are you going to do?
I have noticed that Lee Child does that: he picks out a town or an area of the country, but he doesn't follow thru with an exact description of what is really like. But love the books anyway.

rick35 · 08-11-2019, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winterh

have not read a reacher book or seen the movie. I was a big fan of the Vince Flynn books. Are they similar?

Nobody has a character like Reacher. In all the other “male adventure” books the main characters are or were part of something (eg CIA or ex-CIA). Reacher is a drifter going from one adventure to the next with only the clothes on his back and a toothbrush. He even gets the girl sometimes. Check him out in Wikipedia but don’t read too much because you’ll want to binge read all 27 books.

Descant · 08-11-2019, 03:56 PM

Sometimes a new, non-actor personality will do well, but for some it will be tough to overcome he image set by Tom Cruise. We all adapted to different actors playing James Bond, didn't we?
Tom Brady! He's got a built in audience, appears great on screen, and will need work in a few years.

Mr. V · 08-11-2019, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Descant

Tom Brady! He's got a built in audience, appears great on screen, and will need work in a few years.

Brady isn't big enough.

I'm thinking that Josh Duhamel might work, but he's only a tad over six foot and a few pounds shy of 200: he's probably not big enough.

winterh · 08-11-2019, 05:44 PM

Do you recommend starting with the first book in the series?

thinkxingu · 08-11-2019, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winterh

Do you recommend starting with the first book in the series?

Yes. Though there are a few books that play with narrative timing, there's a lot in the first books that set up what follows.

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rick35 · 08-11-2019, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Descant

Sometimes a new, non-actor personality will do well, but for some it will be tough to overcome he image set by Tom Cruise. We all adapted to different actors playing James Bond, didn't we?
Tom Brady! He's got a built in audience, appears great on screen, and will need work in a few years.

Tom Brady could be made to look “imposing or burley” with makeup but he has a boy’s voice. Not exactly what I’d expect Reacher to sound like.

The Real BigGuy · 08-12-2019, 06:24 AM

Gronk!

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hilltopper · 08-12-2019, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winterh

have not read a reacher book or seen the movie. I was a big fan of the Vince Flynn books. Are they similar?

Nah, not really similar. In my opinion Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp character, and his books, are much better. RIP Vince...you were much too young.

thinkxingu · 08-12-2019, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hilltopper

Nah, not really similar. In my opinion Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp character, and his books, are much better. RIP Vince...you were much too young.

Hmmm...maybe a new series for me? I love Parker, Sanford, Child, and most of Lehane. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Tim Dorsey--funny as all get-out--and the Kingsbridge series.

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Garcia · 08-12-2019, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Hmmm...maybe a new series for me? I love Parker, Sanford, Child, and most of Lehane. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Tim Dorsey--funny as all get-out--and the Kingsbridge series.

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All good - Vince Flynn is a definite addition to your reading list. Also, if you haven't read them, Michael Connelly and CJ Box are good reads.

The Real BigGuy · 08-12-2019, 02:45 PM

How about Harlan Coben & his Myron Bolitar series.

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Garcia · 08-12-2019, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Real BigGuy

How about Harlan Coben & his Myron Bolitar series.

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Another great series!

thinkxingu · 08-19-2019, 12:32 PM

I've got American Assassin on library request AND found out there's a movie version--let's roll!

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Dave R · 08-20-2019, 06:10 AM

I have enjoyed the Jack Reacher books even though they are basically silent, tough guy versions of stories from "Murder She Wrote"... If memory serves, Jack's dad was mentioned as being from Laconia in a few books.

I always thought Liev Schreiber would be an ideal Jack Reacher in the movies.

Weekend Pundit · 08-21-2019, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave R

I have enjoyed the Jack Reacher books even though they are basically silent, tough guy versions of stories from "Murder She Wrote"... If memory serves, Jack's dad was mentioned as being from Laconia in a few books.

I always thought Liev Schreiber would be an ideal Jack Reacher in the movies.

I thought he made a great "Mr. Clark" in the movie version of Tom Clancy's Sum Of All Fears.

Another possibility is Adam Baldwin.

08-09-2019, 10:39 AM	#1
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,388 Thanks: 63 Thanked 253 Times in 172 Posts	"Laconia" and Jack Reacher I'm reading another Jack Reacher novel written by Lee Child, "Past Tense," and it is set in what the author calls "Laconia, N.H." and the surrounding area. The problem is that the "Laconia" he describes and writes about does not seem to exist in reality: the stores, the layout, the roadways: it's as if he chose the name "Laconia" but then applied it to his concept of small town New England created from whole cloth. For those who have read the book: does it seem that way to you as well? __________________ basking in the benign indifference of the universe

08-09-2019, 04:13 PM	#7
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,388 Thanks: 63 Thanked 253 Times in 172 Posts	Tom Cruise does as good a job as he can, given his ahem lack of stature. But yeah, I'd like to see an actor playing the part who is as big and tough as the one Lee Child writes about, but no particular actor comes to mind. Nominees for the part, anyone? __________________ basking in the benign indifference of the universe

08-11-2019, 01:04 PM	#16
Dickie B from HB Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 62 Thanks: 9 Thanked 18 Times in 11 Posts	Who for Reacher? For years we have wondered who could play Reacher, and have yet to answer that. Cruise's demeanor isn't bad, but he is clearly not the guy. But those stories needed to be made into movies, so what are you going to do? I have noticed that Lee Child does that: he picks out a town or an area of the country, but he doesn't follow thru with an exact description of what is really like. But love the books anyway.

08-11-2019, 03:56 PM	#18
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,333 Thanks: 1,337 Thanked 1,619 Times in 1,051 Posts	Tom Brady Sometimes a new, non-actor personality will do well, but for some it will be tough to overcome he image set by Tom Cruise. We all adapted to different actors playing James Bond, didn't we? Tom Brady! He's got a built in audience, appears great on screen, and will need work in a few years.

08-09-2019, 02:00 PM	#2
The Real BigGuy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,306 Thanks: 125 Thanked 467 Times in 285 Posts	Yes Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

08-09-2019, 02:15 PM	#3
Garcia Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 602 Thanks: 135 Thanked 273 Times in 167 Posts	Agree - Laconia in name only. Liked the book! On a side note, Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher? That was just wrong! Jack Reacher is 6' 5", 220 - 250 pounds (depending on the book). Tom Cruise, not so much...

08-09-2019, 02:34 PM	#4
rick35 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bear Island/Merrimack Posts: 807 Thanks: 58 Thanked 203 Times in 130 Posts	If you’re only now reading Past Tense you’re only 9 months behind me and probably most Reacher lovers. That’s one of the authors that is on preorder and arrives on my kindle the day it is released. I was excited to hear that there was going to be a movie until I found out Tom Cruise was starring in it. He’s just not the right size to play Reacher (and I’m not a big fan either). That was a few years ago and there hasn’t been another Reacher movie since. I understand Cruise owns the rights so if there is another one we’ll be stuck with him. If they made Past Tense into a movie they’d probably make it some town in Vancouver where it’s cheaper. Another blow for being authentic NH.

08-09-2019, 03:11 PM	#5
Hillcountry Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: In the hills Posts: 2,420 Thanks: 1,677 Thanked 786 Times in 466 Posts	Doesn’t matter where, physically, a fictional place is. Sounds like the author’s intent was to place his story in a laconic setting such as many small towns in NH are. What more “laconic” name than “LACONIA”?

08-09-2019, 03:39 PM	#6
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,206 Thanks: 1,167 Thanked 2,046 Times in 1,269 Posts	Agreed on Cruise, Laconia, and Child. LOVE the series. Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

08-09-2019, 04:34 PM	#8
The Real BigGuy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,306 Thanks: 125 Thanked 467 Times in 285 Posts	Kinda like Mark Wahlberg playing Marcus Luttrell in Lone Survivor Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

08-10-2019, 08:17 AM	#9
NH4me Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 12 Thanks: 7 Thanked 19 Times in 3 Posts	Timely post - I just finished the book this morning! I agree about Laconia. It wasn't the city I know, and it seemed odd in using the name that the author wouldn't have at least mentioned the lake. Makes you wonder if he did his research!

08-11-2019, 08:13 AM	#12
I.C.Isles Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 51 Thanks: 60 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	I read an interview with the author. He has never visited NH but his books sell well in NH so he placed the story here. He did sell out when he let Tom Cruise buy the movie rights to his Jack Reacher books. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

08-11-2019, 08:32 AM	#13
rick35 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bear Island/Merrimack Posts: 807 Thanks: 58 Thanked 203 Times in 130 Posts	I forgot that there were two Reacher movies: Jack Reacher (based on One Shot) and Never Go Back. I googled movie three and found an article from November that said there would be no more movies and that a tv series was in the works. Lee Child was quoted as saying the tv Reacher would include a new actor more befitting the imposing, burley character he created in his books. Now we’re talking.

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LoveLakeLife (08-11-2019)

08-11-2019, 08:50 AM	#14
rick35 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bear Island/Merrimack Posts: 807 Thanks: 58 Thanked 203 Times in 130 Posts	Just read that Amazon is producing the Reacher tv series. They did a good job with Jack Ryan and I’m sure Jack Reacher will be good too.

08-11-2019, 09:52 AM	#15
winterh Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 248 Thanks: 26 Thanked 134 Times in 61 Posts	have not read a reacher book or seen the movie. I was a big fan of the Vince Flynn books. Are they similar?

08-11-2019, 05:44 PM	#20
winterh Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 248 Thanks: 26 Thanked 134 Times in 61 Posts	Do you recommend starting with the first book in the series?

08-12-2019, 06:24 AM	#23
The Real BigGuy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,306 Thanks: 125 Thanked 467 Times in 285 Posts	Gronk! Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

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thinkxingu (08-12-2019)

08-12-2019, 02:45 PM	#27
The Real BigGuy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,306 Thanks: 125 Thanked 467 Times in 285 Posts	How about Harlan Coben & his Myron Bolitar series. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

08-19-2019, 12:32 PM	#29
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,206 Thanks: 1,167 Thanked 2,046 Times in 1,269 Posts	I've got American Assassin on library request AND found out there's a movie version--let's roll! Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

08-20-2019, 06:10 AM	#30
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,984 Thanks: 246 Thanked 743 Times in 443 Posts	I have enjoyed the Jack Reacher books even though they are basically silent, tough guy versions of stories from "Murder She Wrote"... If memory serves, Jack's dad was mentioned as being from Laconia in a few books. I always thought Liev Schreiber would be an ideal Jack Reacher in the movies.