A desperate group of men want to eliminate one of the most influential leaders of the world. An elusive killer waits for one last big hit before retiring from his dark calling. When their paths cross disaster is undoubtedly around the corner.
Published in 1971, The Day of the Jackal’s heady mix of fact and fiction makes it a pioneer of the thriller genre.
It took me quite a while to get into the story. Some parts of the book are really boring which is not a good sign for a thriller. In addition, the book at times feels kind of dated. This feeling comes not so much from the story (which is innovative for its time) but rather from the way Forsyth ‘tells’ it.
The most interesting parts of the book were those focusing on the inexorable Jackal’s swift movements through France.
Deputy Commissioner Claude Lebel’s patient, unexciting routine investigation provides a good balance against the equally patient but cold-blooded preparations of Jackal.
I liked how the changes in the Jackal’s appearances are detailed. It was like I was watching it all unfold right in front of me. Forsyth focuses quite a bit of attention on how the colour of the Jackal’s eyes change with changes in his moods. It is kind of the only ‘sign of life’ his character ever shows. I found that to be rather intriguing.
In my mind there weren’t much difference between the good and the bad in The Day of the Jackal. The good guys are almost as ruthless as the bad guys. They kidnap, torture and murder without batting an eyelid. A torture scene in the first part, Anatomy of a Plot, I found to be particularly nauseating!
The twist at the end is in keeping with the mood of the rest of the story. I liked it. I guess the twist is nothing novel nowadays but it must have been so when the book was originally published.
Overall, The Day of the Jackal is a good thriller. Recommended as a classic of the thriller genre.
A Paperback Life 
I really liked the adaptation (with Richard Gere) so I was surprised with the differences and then of course, Wikipedia explained that it was ‘loosely based’ on 😦 Nonetheless, the book is still very good though not what I expected.
Yeah I wouldn’t call The Jackal an adaptation of The Day of the Jackal. Both are very different. In fact the author Frederick Forsyth wasn’t too happy with any of this and asked for his name to be removed from the credits of the movie.