The Jack Reacher crime thriller series has attracted many fervent fans, from presidents to prisoners, young teens to pensioners. Their enthusiastic letters speak from the heart. They paint for us a picture of popular American and British readership of the thriller form. We learn of the fan’s reactions to Reacher’s character, development and performance; and we are introduced to a genuinely caring author.
Brought together, the mail fills 6 boxes (from around 650 individual correspondents) and includes a wonderful array of handwriting, personalised stationery, drawings, photos and typed letters. The mail mainly comes from the US and UK and spans 1996-2018.
The arrangement now settled on is A-Z by correspondent. This imposes a manageable order, facilitating retrieval. It means that all 100 letters from Jack Hutcheson are brought together in one box - a fan who became a firm friend.
Separated off are the many letters requesting autographed copies of books, photographs and gifts. Fans routinely send copies of their books to LC for signing. They also ask him to insert personal messages for their friends and loved ones. There is plenty of evidence, in their many thank you letters, that LC wrote back. Readers are often thrilled with his response: Paula thanks LC for signing a book for a hospital’s charity auction; he compassionately sends a signed book as well as words of encouragement to Diana’s husband who has cancer; and he tells Franklin ‘I will write faster.’
It quickly becomes apparent that there’s a common beef amongst the fans - the unsuitability of Tom Cruise to play Jack Reacher. With so many letters on the same theme, they warranted their own sub-folder. Some readers are so upset that they vow not to watch the film, or worse, never to read another Reacher book.
Roma asks if LC has lost his mind as Reacher’s stature is no more than a hobbit’s. Some fans, like Ruth feel sold out and ask for compensation: ‘what belligerent truckers or inebriated soldiers are going to be stared down and cowed by Tom Cruise?’
Plenty of suggestions were made of who might more suitably be cast: John Cena, Nathan Fillion, David Morse, Liam Neeson, Matthew McConaughey, ‘The Rock’ (Dwayne Johnson), Ray Stevenson, etc.
It was not possible to individually describe every correspondent’s letter/s, instead we chose to describe those which are most representative, or which were saying something unique. This amounted to around 300 correspondents. The rest are filed together under ‘secondary’ correspondence.
LC’s books are enjoyed by readers of all ages: Edward (10) sends a Reacher poster he designed on a computer; another Edward is too old to read the hardbacks because his wrists tire easily.
Although Killing Floor was only published in 1997, there were some early reactions to the proof copy the year before. Andi, a bookseller in Illinois, was one of those who’d read the advance copy - and then found it hard to contain her enthusiasm from her customers until the actual book came out.
Early readers of Killing Floor can be congratulated for recognising a winner in this debut novel. Their uninfluenced critiques point to a measure of savviness: Barry is convinced that it would make a terrific film; Billie thinks the book was brilliant and is fascinated how Reacher never steps out of character; Gary writes: ‘What a great read Killing Floor was. It left Grisham for dead. Let’s hope we see more novels from Lee.’
Jack Hutcheson, LC’s most longstanding fan, writes in his first letter to LC: ‘Frankly you have the opposition in a cocked hat. Reacher of course is ace, larger than life, resourceful, confident, a little distant, yet human... I pray you never run dry.’
There are those who are in love with Reacher, or with LC or both: Genista (a published author) rather likes the thought of LC taking her book to bed; Christine writes ‘I really am in love with my slow cooker and Jack Reacher.’
Mostly they love his sense of freedom and unencumbered lifestyle and are intrigued as to how LC developed Reacher’s character.
Tom describes Reacher as an ‘elemental force’ who works best when opposed by nature - he is referring to Reacher being in extremely cold weather in South Dakota in 61 Hours.
Joanne is a little amused ‘I always smile because he’s so implausible – but you make him so believable. Every man wishes he were Reacher, and every woman wishes she’d meet one.’
Temp would like to meet LC and share his ideas on converting Reacher from ‘a natural to a spiritual man’.
Reluctant readers are so grateful they’ve discovered LC’s books. They’ve been gripped from page one and have gone on to develop their reading and even venture into other genres. This is particularly true for school children: Noah, a 7th grader, went from not liking reading to becoming a reading addict ‘My advice to you is to keep on writing these Reacher novels.’ LC went on to write for another eight years.
Some fans offer small suggestions, or elaborate and intricate plots of their own, giving LC licence to use them if he wishes.
The physicality and survival skills of Reacher have particular appeal for those who have fallen foul of the law. Angie writes from inside a Virginia prison - LC’s books had got her through hard times. On the other side of the world, ‘G’ writes from within a New Zealand prison.
Veterans and those with military backgrounds easily identify with Reacher’s escapades. Michael is a military policeman who spent his tour in Qui Nhon, Vietnam. He’s pleased LC chose to write about an Army veteran and not a Marine: ‘Marines get way too much coverage (deservedly).’
Mostly, fans are curious as to how LC seems to know so much about the military.
Law enforcers, the police and an FBI Special Agent all write to LC. They offer praise and advice or tell him they have friends in the right places who could help him write about the workings of the police.
Denise works in a Crime Unit for the Metropolitan Police and loves LC’s work ‘… anyone who can make the trajectory of a bullet fascinating has to be admired.’
The letters show that fans are not afraid to point out technical errors or misinformation.
James describes the close-range firing of a Glock – ‘This is an easy proposition to test using a moderately heavy object with a yielding surface. Maybe Tom Cruise would volunteer.’
Then there is the impossible sucking of jet fuel some 200 feet below the surface in 61 Hours; and the manner in which counterfeit dollar bills are printed in Killing Floor.
Steven, a Professor of Electrical Engineering, corrects LC’s interpretation and calculations on kinetic energy and acceleration in Personal.
It seems no detail is left unscrutinised. After reading Make Me, Scott offers to provide fact-checking to LC’s future accounts of railroad services and operations: ‘Oklahoma City has no passenger service to the north (i.e. into wheat growing regions) ... Probably not a place where Mr. Keever could buy newspapers from other cities!’
Mary is a speech pathologist who picks up on Reacher’s broken nose, in A Wanted Man. She describes to LC the differences between being hyponasal, hypernasal and pre-nasal.
Others are more concerned with grammar and style. Robert suggests LC uses too many sentence fragments. ‘Your last book Personal was the most inelegantly done.’
Putting all this fascinating detail aside, Jack Reacher has been a gripping distraction for many. Through illness, loneliness, life changes and bereavement he has been there for his readers.
Cal writes to tell LC how much his writing has impacted his life after losing his sweetheart of 66 years. He is struck by the deep insight in Tripwire where LC writes ‘People live, and then they die, and as long as they do both things properly, there is nothing much to regret.’
James became a Reacher fan following surgery and reading Killing Floor. It took away the aches and pains.
Cora found Reacher a comfort and inspiration as she travelled the world. As she set off her father handed her Die Trying. Through lonely and sometimes scary situations she would ask herself ‘What would Jack Reacher do?’
There’s a sensitive side to Reacher: Andi enjoyed the deep and complicated relationship between Reacher and his brother Joe and she thought it was a perfect touch that LC dedicated Die Trying to his own brothers.
Walter thought The Enemy topped them all: ‘the mix of the hard-boiled Reacher exterior and the warmer, more human person as he deals with Joe and his mother and her eventual death.’
There’s opposition to LC expressing his religious views through Reacher. Eo thought Reacher should not have been so offended as to take another airline, after the one he boarded included scripture cards on the food trays.
James did not like LC using Reacher to espouse his own liberal views and the US’s policies on Iraq, in Nothing to Lose.
Disappointment sets in when things don’t go as expected. The ending of 61 Hours is concerning for many who can’t imagine how Reacher is going to get out alive. Patricia asks LC bluntly why he has killed Reacher. This aside, 61 Hours gains resounding approval. Walter sums it up ‘This novel was just as vibrant and suspenseful as any you have written. Three hundred pages tightening the screws and then all hell breaks loose.’
There are many thank you letters from fans who are just starting out writing their first book, to those who are accomplished authors. LC encourages, mentors, or simply inspires.
There are some familiar names among the correspondents: Bill Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama (the Democrats thank LC for his support), Yoko Ono, Oliver Stone, Donald Sutherland and Rolf Harris.
Interestingly, there’s correspondence from the real Frances Neagley and Terry Villanueva, people who have won charity auctions for a character in the series to bear their name: Frances in Without Fail and Terry in Persuader.
Clear distinctions between fans, friends and colleagues are hard to make. Fans and colleagues become friends. Friends and family can also be fans. How the fan’s letters influenced LC and shaped the Reacher series is a significant topic, not covered here. But it’s clear that they must have had some bearing, and certainly, without the fans and readers there would be much less Reacher.
What is surprising and touching is how deeply personal these fan letters are. Reacher’s escapades and LC’s craft, engages, challenges, inspires, transports and moves them. They eagerly await each new book, then can’t put it down. And finally, when it ends, they need to connect - so they reach out for a pen, or settle down in front of a keyboard, and pour forth.
For catalogue records on this series of Fan Correspondence (LC10), visit the Lee Child Archive at the British Archive for Contemporary Writing.
We really enjoyed the interdisciplinary perspective of the Gender Studies MA students who came in October to examine archive resources and consider the way archives can create, influence and disrupt research narratives. The ideas from the session were exciting and showed how far we have to go in addressing unrepresented stories in the archives. 17 attendees. [See photo].
A new session this semester developed with our Academic Director Jeremy Noel-Todd, Cataloguer Rufus Talks and Lecturer Holly Corfield Carr. Focussing on the newly catalogued material from the Sarah Maguire Archive this exciting session took a forensic dive into the drafting process of Maguire’s poetry and proved hugely rewarding. 18 attendees. [See photo].