Book Reviews

Review of Fredrick Forsyth"s "The Day of The Jackal"

One of the more and popular novels of Fredrick Forsyth,The Day of The Jackal is a thrilling chase,a race against time to catch one of the most dangerous assassins in the world.

Set in 1963, a revolutionary organization named O.A.S hires an anonymous Englishman to kill then French President General De Gaulle. The mysterious assassin codenamed "Jackal" , a remorseless and a deadly killer, a man who has no records in any police file in the world,proves to be a serious challenge to the security establishment.

The book begins with the execution of members of O .A. S who attempted to assassinate the president,it then dwells into the circumstances in which De Gaulle became the president,his ideals,his steps,the discontent among many when he grants Algeria its freedom,which in fact results in the formation of O.A.S.The plot is intriguing and the characters are well developed, Forsyth never loses the sight of the human side and he fleshes out the main characters.

But what really makes the book a page turner is the ruthless,meticulous and ultra professional "The Jackal".  As the reader dwells into the killer"s physic,  one marvels at his methods,his eye for details,his no-nonsense attitude and his cold single minded pursuit to his goal. He makes assassination look cool and stylish..

But the author even gives this cold-blooded killer a slight human element,when you get to know the fact that the "Jackal" actually wants this mission so that he can retire in the countryside in peace!!!

The reader joins the "Jackal" as he goes on for his preparation for his toughest assignment till date.Right from the weapon to his looks,his fake documents,he gets it done from the best and leaves nothing to chance and if people act funny he disposes them off quite nonchalantly!!

As one marvels the Jackal and his ways, the plot takes twist and turns as the Security agencies gets the whiff of this conspiracy,as the people who matter understand the gravity of the situation  and they appoint there finest police detective on the task.The author must be complemented that he highlighted the importance of good old police detective work, as the detective and his team tracks down the elusive,mysterious killer,it is an hell of a ride.

It tests the nerves of the people involved in the detection( and of the reader :)) interspersed with Jackal"s own journey through different parts of France,his tryst with women,the leakage of information from the security agencies,the mad chase in which the criminal seems to be always one step ahead.

All this builds into a thrilling climax,where it unfolds in a cinematic fashion..

It is a novel which makes you yearn for more,a novel which is not just for entertainment,but it coaxes the reader to use his/her brains,to have an eye for detail like the characters in the novel do.

A thrilling and a joy to read.It is a classic in its  genre. Read if you want an edge on the seat of entertainment.

  *The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971. It became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel.

* Source-Wikipedia