The Day of the Jackal (written in 1971) is a very remarkable
and exceptionally stunning political thriller novel by English writer
Frederick Forsyth about a professional assassin nicknamed as 'The Jackal'.
The job of this hitman is to assassinate Charles de
Gaulle-President of France and he has been contracted by a group opposed to
president's policies on Algeria.
Not only does the reasonably well-informed reader know that,
historically, Charles de Gaulle was not assassinated, but Forsyth
actually makes a point of telling us this early in the book. So, in a most
important sense, we know from the outset how the book ends. And yet, it is one
of the best examples I've read of page-turning, heart-stopping, breath-holding
suspense writing.
With a meticulous personality and obsession with planning to
the last-minute detail, 'The Jackal' is one of the most intriguing and
enigmatic characters ever created in the thriller genre.
His precision, work ethic, fastidious planning—it almost
forces you into admiration and at some level you may even want him to succeed
even though he is a cold-blooded killer who eliminates anyone hindering his
progress without hesitation or remorse.
The other lead character is - ofcourse a police detective -
Claude Lebel. Its extremely thrilling to read Lebel narrow-in on Jackal through
tireless and methodical police work.
If you’re looking for a thriller that keeps you riveted from
start to finish, The Day of the Jackal is the book for you.
A TV adaptation was released in 2024, in which 'Eddie Redmayne' plays the role
of the Jackal. The director has taken some cinematic liberties to alter the
plot a bit, but it still stays quite close to the original plot of the book.
