Review: Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter
Review: Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter
I read Point of Impact right after reading Stephen King's Cell. The difference in technical aspects was huge. Reminded me of that part in The Boondock Saints where Paul Smecker (Willem Defoe's character) says "Good shooting, shitty shooting." In Cell, King uses the terms "cop killer bullets" and "fragger" constantly and there are other annoying problems. For example, one of the characters has a neighbor who he describes as being a "gun nut". It is mentioned several times, since the neighbor is a "gun nut", he must have a fully automatic AK-47. Guess what... he does! Yeeeeeech. These books have nothing to do with each other, I just happened to read them around the same time. The point is Stephen Hunter obviously did some research for this book. There are some very minor errors, none of which are that distracting. Point of Impact is just technical enough for shooting enthusiasts and not too much for those who aren't.
The main protagonist is Bob Lee Swagger, A.K.A. Bob the Nailer, a retired U.S.M.C. Gunnery Sergeant. Swagger served as a sniper for 3 tours in Vietnam, achieving 87 confirmed kills, the actual count being much higher.
WARNING SOME SPOILERS
Bob reluctantly comes out of retirement to stop an assassin from killing the President. He knows from the start something isn't quite right, and so will the reader. Bob is a clever, well developed character. The book has plenty of twists and a very satisfying ending. Hunter alludes to something in Point of Impact at least twice that gives the observant reader further background clues. He does this without having to give you the mystery several times, then the dumbed down Hollywood reveal.
The movie Shooter, loosely based on Point of Impact, opens today. We'll probably wait and watch it on Netflix if at all. I don't have a problem with making some changes from the book, updating the firearms somewhat. Changing the time period means changing some better parts of the book that will not be possible with a younger Swagger. The trailer gives away a big spoiler and what looks like a drastically changed ending and terrible casting. Marky Mark as Swagger and Danny Glover as the Schreck character, name changed to Issac Johnson. Hollywood hypocrites don't mind making a buck off toting a gun in the movies while being vehemently against them in real life. Just one of Danny Glover's idiotic spectacles:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/09/citgo-organizes-pro-chavez-rally-in.html
David Codrea of The War on Guns on Wahlberg: http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/03/pokey-poke-does-front-sight.html . I'm very curious myself how he would have passed a background check for training AND why a convicted felon is carrying a firearm around. Also read: http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2006/12/batfu-gives-pokey-poke-passy-pass.html
Loudernhel's Review of the movie Shooter:
http://loudernhel.blogspot.com/2007/03/greeks-and-snipers.html
I read Point of Impact right after reading Stephen King's Cell. The difference in technical aspects was huge. Reminded me of that part in The Boondock Saints where Paul Smecker (Willem Defoe's character) says "Good shooting, shitty shooting." In Cell, King uses the terms "cop killer bullets" and "fragger" constantly and there are other annoying problems. For example, one of the characters has a neighbor who he describes as being a "gun nut". It is mentioned several times, since the neighbor is a "gun nut", he must have a fully automatic AK-47. Guess what... he does! Yeeeeeech. These books have nothing to do with each other, I just happened to read them around the same time. The point is Stephen Hunter obviously did some research for this book. There are some very minor errors, none of which are that distracting. Point of Impact is just technical enough for shooting enthusiasts and not too much for those who aren't.
The main protagonist is Bob Lee Swagger, A.K.A. Bob the Nailer, a retired U.S.M.C. Gunnery Sergeant. Swagger served as a sniper for 3 tours in Vietnam, achieving 87 confirmed kills, the actual count being much higher.
WARNING SOME SPOILERS
Bob reluctantly comes out of retirement to stop an assassin from killing the President. He knows from the start something isn't quite right, and so will the reader. Bob is a clever, well developed character. The book has plenty of twists and a very satisfying ending. Hunter alludes to something in Point of Impact at least twice that gives the observant reader further background clues. He does this without having to give you the mystery several times, then the dumbed down Hollywood reveal.
The movie Shooter, loosely based on Point of Impact, opens today. We'll probably wait and watch it on Netflix if at all. I don't have a problem with making some changes from the book, updating the firearms somewhat. Changing the time period means changing some better parts of the book that will not be possible with a younger Swagger. The trailer gives away a big spoiler and what looks like a drastically changed ending and terrible casting. Marky Mark as Swagger and Danny Glover as the Schreck character, name changed to Issac Johnson. Hollywood hypocrites don't mind making a buck off toting a gun in the movies while being vehemently against them in real life. Just one of Danny Glover's idiotic spectacles:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/09/citgo-organizes-pro-chavez-rally-in.html
David Codrea of The War on Guns on Wahlberg: http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2007/03/pokey-poke-does-front-sight.html . I'm very curious myself how he would have passed a background check for training AND why a convicted felon is carrying a firearm around. Also read: http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2006/12/batfu-gives-pokey-poke-passy-pass.html
Loudernhel's Review of the movie Shooter:
http://loudernhel.blogspot.com/2007/03/greeks-and-snipers.html
Labels: book review, books, chavez, gun, stephen hunter, stephen king danny glover
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