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Hello Doug!

** On Sunday 14.06.20 - 22:20, Doug Cooper wrote to August Abolins:

 AA>> Not a bad attempt to package the novel as a film in about 100
 AA>> minutes. Lots of punches and bullets. But I think the book would
 AA>> lead to a more "complete" story.

 DC> I'm a huge fan of Vince Flynn.  He passed away from Cancer a few years
 DC> ago and I think Brad Thor is ghost writing his books now, thank god.

Kyle Mills has taken up the baton to continue for Vince Flynn.


 DC> What I love about his books is that they all feature Mitch Rapp as
 DC> the main character.  I think any good book is hard to fit into a
 DC> movie.

For me, a book can often "complete" the story when I've seen it as a film.  
The original book provides additional dialog/insights that a film often  
has to skip over.


 DC> Two great examples that just didn't stack up:  DaVinci Code, and
 DC> Enders Game. Both books required several pages to build to climax and
 DC> suprising endings.

Never read DaVinci Code, but saw the film. Not interested in the book.   
However, many people love it for it's complexities and "connections" of  
one piece of the puzzle leading to the next and fuller explanations of the  
various historical elements.

Enders Game: never saw the film.  The book is rather complex, and I heard  
that the film leaves out a lot of salient or pivotal elements.  Maybe that  
one might have worked better as a multi-episode tv series.


 DC> Vince Flynn books are great reads, yet not as complex or lengthy as
 DC> Clancy (who I love but have trouble staying focused on his 1,000 page
 DC> books).  I agree they could have made it two movies.  Frankly, the
 DC> story they told was 2 books in one -- the 1st and 2nd Flynn wrote.
 DC> The 1st barely touched the surface of Rapp, and focused more on the
 DC> surrounding characters to prepare you for Rapp.  The second was more
 DC> about his recruitment and first mission.

The film ended with only a few short scenes of the next book "Kill Shot"  
about the Lybian president, as lead in for the next assignment.  But the  
vast majority of the film *was* the plot in book 1.


 DC> ...There have been two knock offs of terrorists taking over the white
 DC> house, that I believe Flynn had to sue over -- one with Samuel
 DC> Jackson I think ... If you like spy novels, I'd recommend the read,
 DC> especially if youw want something a bit more simple yet detailed
 DC> enough to intrigue, and full of action and great character
 DC> development.

I didn't know about the litigation.

Can you imagine if the reverse could take place: publishers/authors sueing  
people that take ideas out of their stories? "The Night of Camp David"  
(1965) and "It Can't Happen Here" (1935), both depict leaders that  
seemingly become insane, believe that media is conspiring against them,  
become despots, etc..  Both books have elements of what is happening in  
the US right now.

Anyway.. the book form is often the better choice to get into the  
character's heads and develop a better understanding of subsequent  
actions.

I thought the book Life of Pi was unlike any other story I read before.   
The film was a respectable visual version too.. (primarily for its special  
effects), but the book had much more "thought processes" going on.

But check out Clooney in The American, if you can.  I think you might like  
its intelligent storyline (not based on any book that I am aware of), its  
European setting, etc.

  ../|ug

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