Dec 19, 2005 02:45 PM
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(Updated Dec 19, 2005 02:45 PM)
Frederick Forsyth and Alistair MacLean are masters of thriller. Their books always make your hair stand at their end. The Day of Jackal is another good thriller by Fredrick Forsyth. This book is story of an assassin code named Jackal. He is assigned by organization OAS to kill President Charles De Gaulle. President Charles De Gaulle was responsible for giving Algeria back to Algerian nationalist and calling back to France, the French troops and French settlers in Algeria. An organization came to be formed of French army who wanted to take revenge of this event which according to them was a betrayal for France and French troops. This organization was called OAS.
Book consists of three major parts
Anatomy of Plot,
Anatomy of Manhunt and
Anatomy of kill.
In the story OAS Chief Marc Rodin hires an assassin whose real identity no one knows. The Assassin is code named Jackal. Jackal is a very professional assassin who meticulously plans his kill. He makes detailed study of French President and very cautiously makes arrangement to kill him. French police comes to know about it and they appoint Commissionaire Claude Lebel to do manhunt for the killer. Then starts the Cat and Mouse chase, typical in most of Forsyth’s novel. Like most of Frederick’s novel the assassin is a step ahead of Claude Lebel.
After some time the story of novel seems monotonous. Every time Jackal makes a move, Lebel comes to know about it and at eleventh hour Jackal escapes. This happens three times.
The best amusing thing in the novel is in the end when they come to know one thing about Charles Calthrop. Obviously I wont tell who is Charles Calthrop and what was their in the end; because it will turn out to be a big spoil sport.
Overall the novel is good. The manner in which Jackal prepares himself for assassination is described in a very detailed manner. He prepares for kill with a special gun made by a very good professional.
He makes detailed note of everything while forging passports and making other arrangements.
Frederick Forsyths other books like Dogs of War, The Icon, Fourth Protocol etc are also good. But even today the best book of Fredrick Forsyth which I like is The Avenger.
