The Day of the Jackal (1971)

Still my favorite novel by Forsyth. Great book. It's long but interesting. Read it in my twenties and read it decades later. Good both times. The movie is also good. ( )

I read "The Day Jackal" as a preteen, a few years after it came out. I know I did not understand half of what was in it then. I do remember that it was pivotal in my choice to read adult-level books in the future.

What makes Jackal such a good book is its pacing, realism, and equality in the players.

There is a little bit of description and then action. Sometimes Frederick Forsyth uses dialog to convey details, keeping the book moving.

Frederick Forsyth was first a reporter, a teller of truth. When he couldn't make enough money with that fact, he tried fiction. Jackal was his first novel, but he researched it just like any factual story, scoping sites and interviewing people.

Here are some character notes:
OSA Guard whose daughter has leukemia--They only found him because he filled out a Will. He gave up his daughter for adoption to his friend.
Claude Lebel comparison with the Jackal--The French detective leading the search for the Jackal is "henpecked," while the Jackal preys on women.

The equity in the foes is what sets "The Day of the Jackal" apart. The Police Departments are competent but have their leaks. Jackal is a professional and very good at his job, but his pride gets him killed.

My favorite lines from the book are when the wiretaps happen. How did you know to wiretap such-and-such? "I didn't. I wiretapped all of you," and he leaves. Door Slams. Excellent.

Can you tell I loved this book? I am so happy I found it again. ( )

This book was written almost 45 years ago, and even though I knew the plot & the outcome, it had me madly turning page after page. A classic thriller that does not get old. ( )

I have never read any books about espionage. So I was really interested in this topic. And the book “The Day of the Jackal” has a lot of good reviews and high average rating.

The beginning was quite interesting: assassination attempt, OAS’ failure and finding new ways of assassination. Plan that was made up by leaders of OAS, looked quite courageous and intellligent for me. I really wanted to know how it would be realized. But when all the preparations of the mercenary - Jackal - started, reading became harder. I prefer a lot of action, that’s why it was boring to read about all the things Jackal prepared for assassination. I understand that this part is important too and it would be difficult to understand the subsequent events without it. But, in my opinion, the author could have omitted such details.

While reading I started sympathizing with the main hero so much that I wanted his success with all my heart. I was sincerely worried about him. But at the same time I felt that it was cruel with regard to his victims, Jackal is an assassin after all. So this book made me feel mixed emotions about it.

I gave this book 3 stars because the plot was really good. But it was interesting to read it only at some places, I would make it much shorter. And the ending made me sad, though it was quite realistic. ( )

This is a brilliantly written thriller based on a fictional assassination attempt against French President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. While we know from history that he won't succeed, the novel focuses on the Jackal's thought processes, how he devises his plans, develops a weapon and constructs several false identities. It follows the manhunt and how the efforts of the various French agencies to track him down are frustrated by a combination of the killer's resourcefulness, bad luck and a mole in the authorities' midst. Even when he is cornered in Paris he almost succeeds in carrying his audacious plan. This is deservedly a classic of the genre, focusing on detail in almost an instructional sense, but still managing to be a gripping narrative which never flags. ( )