RIP Tom Clancy

[Small Town Guy]

On Twitter, his publisher says he died in a Baltimore hospital last evening.

Liked some of his books but as a twist, I usually liked the movies better. The books, for me, were almost too detailed.

Weird moment in his life was when he tried buying the Vikings.

 

[Armchair_QB]

God damn, that's two of my favorite authors gone in five months.

 

[Tarheel316]

So sorry to hear that. My favorite author. Red Storm Rising is a classic. So is Clear and Present Danger.

RIP.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Weird moment in his life was when he tried buying the Vikings.

He was actually part-owner of the Orioles as well.

 

[Moderator1]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-tom-clancy-20131002,0,2435189.story

Never got into his stuff but lots of people I know swear by his books

 

[joe]

I tried to read one of his books 20 years ago or so, and I couldn't get past page 50. Just a horrible, horrible writer, in my opinion. Unreadable.

I do like most of the movie adaptations, however.

 

[finishthehat]

First books are tight and enjoyable, IHMO, but somewhere he got too big, seemingly refused to be edited and ruined his books by stopping them completely to throw in pages of right wing diatribes.

(It would have been no better if they were left wing screeds, fwiw.)

Kenneth Branagh is directing the Jack Ryan reboot, btw.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I tried to read one of his books 20 years ago or so, and I couldn't get past page 50. Just a horrible, horrible writer, in my opinion. Unreadable.

I do like most of the movie adaptations, however.

First books are tight and enjoyable, IHMO, but somewhere he got too big, seemingly refused to be edited

Guys, we're mourning Tom Clancy, not John Grisham.

 

[joe]

I've never read any John Grisham, but my sister used to work for a guy who knows Grisham very well. That's alls I gots.

 

[hondo]

I tried to read one of his books 20 years ago or so, and I couldn't get past page 50. Just a horrible, horrible writer, in my opinion. Unreadable.

I do like most of the movie adaptations, however.

You didn't try hard enough. He's not Steinback or Hemingway but entertaining in his own right.

 

[finishthehat]

I tried to read one of his books 20 years ago or so, and I couldn't get past page 50. Just a horrible, horrible writer, in my opinion. Unreadable.

I do like most of the movie adaptations, however.

First books are tight and enjoyable, IHMO, but somewhere he got too big, seemingly refused to be edited

Guys, we're mourning Tom Clancy, not John Grisham.

I've never read Grisham, so I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[Alma]

After Rainbow Six, the whole writing thing just kind of gave way to Tom Clancy Inc. The books were nothing short of awful. I read 2 1/2 of them and gave up. Prior to Rainbow Six, yes, an engaging, enjoyable storyteller.

 

[Boom_70]

I've pretty much read all the Clancy books. Some dragged, some were pretty good. The last two he did were co written with Mark Greany. The first -- "Locked On" was choppy and hard to read. The most recent one "Threat Vector" was riveting and closer to some of Clancy's early novels.

Someone's reading because the guy has sold a lot of books and made two pretty good movies in Hunt For Red October and Patriot Games. His Non fiction book on Special Forces was also a good informative read.

RIP

 

[Armchair_QB]

I've never read any John Grisham, but my sister used to work for a guy who knows Grisham very well. That's alls I gots.

Cool story, bro.

 

[HejiraHenry]

I'd had the impression for some time, several years, that he was in poor heath.

Not a great writer in the English-class sense, but he could tell a hell of a story.

 

[JR]

I tried to read one of his books 20 years ago or so, and I couldn't get past page 50. Just a horrible, horrible writer, in my opinion. Unreadable.

I do like most of the movie adaptations, however.

Never want to bash on an RIP thread but I agree. His writing was barely coherent and I couldn't get past the first few chapters

And yes, the movies were better.

RIP to a guy who was only two years older than me.

 

[Boom_70]

So Hemingway and Clancy have something in common. Not everyone gets them.

 

[JR]

So Hemingway and Clancy have something in common. Not everyone gets them.

Please explain

 

[Double J]

I tried to read one of his books 20 years ago or so, and I couldn't get past page 50. Just a horrible, horrible writer, in my opinion. Unreadable.

I do like most of the movie adaptations, however.

Never want to bash on an RIP thread but I agree. His writing was barely coherent and I couldn't get past the first few chapters

And yes, the movies were better.

RIP to a guy who was only two years older than me.

Clancy was 114? Damn.

 

[Versatile]

I wish people who can write beautiful sentences and people who can come up with wonderful stories would work together and play to their strengths.