The Day of the Jackal

Finally! One of the books I hoped to see on Audible has appeared at last.

Frederick Forsyth writes tightly plotted thrillers based on real world events and people - some are better than others. This one is one of his earlier efforts and remains his best to date. What might be a formulaic sniper story is fleshed out with a history of modern France and her forays into North Africa, a cast of superb supporting characters and at the middle of it all the mysterious Jackal. In some hands the background might slow the book down but Forsyth is a master of the page-turner and through all of it the plot continues to move forwards.

This is helped by a superb narrator. His basic narration is carefully intoned, expressive but restrained, matching the tone of the novel impeccably. He handles the various characters well, without difficulty or caricature. I never had any trouble discerning who was talking, neither was I distracted by silly overblown accents that some narrators resort to when faced with a large cast. What really sets him apart from me is that although his voice is slightly posh English, he handles the French pronunciation and accents flawlessly, important in a book almost entirely set in France and populated with mainly French characters.

If you listen to one Frederick Forsyth book, make it this one

Listening to this book took me back about 30 years to when I read the book.this is an excellent performance and the narrative moves at a good pace - I stayed up till three in the morning to listen to the end.



If you like a good story, The Day of the Jackal will not disappoint.

read the book 25 years ago. saw the film with Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale at least that many times over the years, which makes me a veteran consumer of the plot. listening to the audio version - the narration is commendable - along with some fine wine, during two consecutive summer afternoons, left me in the state of blissful contentment. on the other hand, it's an intoxicating story of a "lone hunter" who almost made it. now that is good entertainment!

This book may be old but it a great read and the adventure does not stop until the end.