Tough and Tender: The Carnivorous Appeal of Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" series

Masculine Dominance at It's Greasy, Salty Best

An unlikely cultural dominance has been achieved by the “Jack Reacher” novels—those monolithic beefy, gristly slabs of prose that Lee Child crafts.

The ‘Reacher Appeal’ is a curious blend of the mundane and the extravagant, a seemingly down-to-earth but really quite high-octane kind of literary fast food: irresistibly tasty, fatty of no lasting nutritional value whatsoever, and strangely addictive.

Click here to listen to “Jack Reacher” audiobooks for free with a 30-day trial.

Not surprisingly, the Reacher novels have become a phenomenon in the audiobook format, where the voices of Dick Hill and Jonathan McClain have become as synonymous with Reacher as are the character’s trademark big coats.

Let’s take a look at the demographic, shall we?

As, eh, expected, most of the listeners and readers are male. They're of a certain age.

And decidedly not underemployed.

Gimme Beef Jerky, Beer and Chips – Pronto!

In essence, the ‘Reacher Man’ is someone who has moved from the subtlety of the modern world into an uncomplicated masculine fantasy.

This is the audience Child writes for, and in writing for them, he gives us stories that are utterly undemanding on the level of intellect, mindlessly shoveling all that chewy, fatty, salty prose into their brains. But look, the prose is serviceable, even somewhat efficient in the way it accesses the plot points that need to be accessed in order to get from the beginning to the end.

Beefy and Effective Narration: Dick Hill & Jonathan McClain

The narrators also kick ‘Reacher butt’ (sorry).

Dick Hill, with his grave and gravely voice, is a perfect fit for the character of Jack Reacher. Hill makes Reacher’s world a place that’s always one step away from danger without ever being a place where you feel frightened.

On the other hand, Jonathan McClain gives a portrayal of Reacher that is younger and more energetic. His voice is less weathered and more athletic, and he delivers with a certain breathless intensity that appeals to the demographic of listeners who prefer an adrenaline-fueled narrative. McClain might even be said to offer a performance of more superficial excellence than his predecessor, since he does a good job of making the character of Jack Reacher sound powerful and fearsome.

Click here to listen to “Jack Reacher” audiobooks for free with a 30-day trial

But—here's the crux—neither narrator makes a meal out of any description of food in the story, which seems to amount to a missed opportunity in the sound design department. And think about it: you have two performances at your disposal that have the ability to make one scene sound extraordinary compared to the other.

A 'Man-Cave' Stocked with Tasty, Empty Calories - and Beer

Ultimately, the appeal of the Jack Reacher audiobooks lies in their ability to provide a listener with a means of escape.

They are the auditory equivalent of a mindless action film, giving one a short break from the increasingly complicated world of modernity.

Of course, I am not saying this is detrimental; sometimes, one needs a mindless escape.

The Jack Reacher audiobooks fulfill this need pretty well, and while many might argue that this is a bad thing because they lack literary merit, I would counter that they are bad in a good way. "Bad" inasmuch as they give one the wrong impression that audiobooks can serve the same high-level purpose as novels.