Best 1981 Adventures (10)
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December 10, 2016
One in a series of 10 posts identifying Josh Glenn’s favorite 1981 adventure novels. Happy 35th anniversary!
J-P Manchette‘s crime adventure The Prone Gunman.
Martin Terrier has spent the past ten years seeking his fortune; now, he intends to abandon his profession, return to his native city, and marry his childhood sweetheart. However, because he’s an assassin for hire — the book opens with a brutal double killing — it’s not so easy to quit. The organization for whom he works — whether it’s the KGB, the CIA, an international terrorist group, or the Mafia, we never learn, nor is it clear that Terrier knows — lures him back with a lucrative contract on a high-profile political figure. When he refuses, they brutally force him to comply. Terrier loses everything — the money he’s saved, the woman he loves, even his marksmanship. Whats the purpose of all these killings? How does Terrier feel about his work? We never find out. The graphic violence is presented with a minimum of commentary or explanation; the tone is ironic. In the end, there is no sentimental resolution, no last-minute revelation; no hugging, no learning.
Fun fact: Jacques Tardi’s graphic novel adaptation of The Prone Gunman is great; check out Fantagraphics Books’ 2011 English-language edition. The Gunman, a loose film adaptation of The Prone Gunman, starring Sean Penn, was released in 2015.
Let me know if I’ve missed any 1981 adventures that you particularly admire.