A trained assassin is hired by the OAS, a French dissident paramilitary organisation, to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France, in Frederick Forsyth's political thriller The Day of the Jackal (1971).
Introduction
Book name - The Day of the Jackal
Author name - Frederick Forsyth
Language - English
Adaption- The day of the jackal (movie 1973)
Genre - Thriller, Historical fiction, Spy Fiction
Synopsis - Non-Spoiler Alert!
Charles de Gaulle, the president of France, gave Algeria up to Algerian nationalists after years of French combat and fatalities. A terrorist organisation named the OAS was established in France to kill de Gaulle as a result of his despicable choice. The three top OAS officials hired a professional assassin after an attempt on his life in which several OAS members lurked along a street and fired at the President's bulletproof vehicle failed.
The book details his thorough planning for the attempted assassination of de Gaulle, known by the code name "the Jackal" or "chacal" in French. A French detective follows the Jackal from the moment he begins to plan until the actual day of the intended assassination. Every inch of turf that the Jackal covers, the investigator, Claude Lebel, goes over just moments behind.
'The Jackal' is a tall, blond English man with grey eyes that are impenetrable. a murderer at the top of his game. a man that no secret service in the world has ever heard of. an assassin hired to kill the most tightly guarded guy in the world.
One man and his weapon have the power to alter the course of history. There is one man whose identity is so closely guarded by his employers. And as the seconds leading up to the last act of execution, it appears that nothing on earth can stop the Jackal.
About the Authors
Frederick McCarthy Forsyth CBE (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra and The Kill List.
Forsyth's works frequently appear on best-sellers lists and more than a dozen of his titles have been adapted to film. By 2006, he had sold more than 70 million books in more than 30 languages.
Personal Verdict
This book shouldn't succeed. We are all aware that Charles de Gaulle was not killed. How can a thriller be written so that we know the outcome before it even begins? It must not be the Day of the Jackal. However, it doesn't.
Therefore, how does the book succeed? How is there any suspense in it? It's a lengthy book.
The reader follows the Jackal as he, among other things, buys fraudulent identification cards, scopes out a sniper's nest in Paris, and purchases a specially made hunting rifle. As he lures, kills, and tricks his way into France, to Paris, and eventually into a position to kill de Gaulle, we are there with him.
Two issues exist with the Climax
First, the Jackal misses de Gaulle for no apparent reason despite being portrayed as a master marksman, an assassin with ice-cold intent who made an "impossible" shot to kill President Trujillo. This feels like an anticlimax to me. By transitioning to the police running up the stairs and then bringing the two characters together, Forsyth makes an effort to conceal it. It isn't a deus ex machina, but it is a poor denouement because blind luck is the only thing keeping President di Gaulle alive and the Jackal failing.
Second, although the reappearance of Charles Calthrop at the end of the story appears to be an ironic last twist, it actually undermines a lot of the plot. Did the police match Calthrop's passport photo to the ones on the phoney passports after finding his passport, which was their breakthrough in the case? They would have been able to see they weren't the same man if they had.
Quotes
“Moonlight turns even the most civilised man into a primitive.”
“It is cold at six-forty in the morning on a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.”
“El claro de luna convierte al hombre más civilizado en un primitivo”
Bottom Line
Every reader who enjoys thrillers should read The Day of the Jackal since it is a fascinating book. It helps you realise that the story itself matters more than the resolution, which quickly eliminates a lot of authors from your list of favourites!
My ratings for the movie are 5 on 5.
You may buy this book from Amazon, The Day of the Jackal
Written by - Melita Pinto
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