I’ve never read any of Tom Clancy’s books. My step father loved them and since I spent most of my high school years locked in battle with my step father (he: Republican, me: not) I just piled Clancy on top of my hate pile. Clancy died yesterday. I liked this part of his obituary in the Times:
Mr. Clancy said none of his success came easily, and he would remind aspiring writers of that when he spoke to them.
“I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf,” he once said. “You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired — it’s hard work.”
Alex - I think I'm closer to your Dad's age than yours (it's okay, my Dad:Republican, me:not), but it's too bad you haven't tried Clancy. Yeah, there's often too much military/tech stuff in them, but his books (especially the first few) were gripping page-turners. Much f his later stuff, I thought, was makin' a buck, turn it out, and were of lower quality. The movie versions were generaly good, but not as good as the books themselves (although Hunt for Red October was pretty darn terrific).
I love the quote. Writing is blood-letting, no doubt.
He sure died young for this era.
he was what he was as an author, but the first three Jack Ryan movies are a lot of fun.
1) They sound like fun. If only my reading list wasn't already so long. But perhaps one day...Thanks for the recommendation.