This of course is the novel that First Blood, the movie starring Sylvester Stallone, was based on. The book was published in 1972, at the height of the Vietnam War. It tells the story of a Vietnam vet named Rambo who had served as a Green Beret and was hitchhiking through Kentucky. His hair is long, he has a long beard, and is unkempt and unwashed. As he arrives in Madison, Kentucky, the local sheriff, Teasle, sees him and promptly gives him a ride to the other side of town and tells him to keep moving. Rambo doesn't appreciate being told what to do so he returns to town and is again escorted back to the town line. He returns again and Teasle arrests him for vagrancy and resisting arrest. He is strip searched, showered, and Teasle wants his hair and beard cut. But as the deputies try to shave him, Rambo rebels and escapes naked into the streets, steals a motorcycle and heads into the surrounding mountains. Thus starts the conflict between Teasle and Rambo which doesn't bode well for either of them.
After reading this, I decided to rewatch the movie version which I hadn't seen since it came out in the 1980s.
Although I had always considered it a really good action yarn, the book was much better in my opinion. There were quite a few differences between the two. First the movie takes place in Washington State rather than Kentucky. I felt that although Rambo was violent in the movie, in the book he was a much deadlier person who killed with little compunction. The book also gave a much better insight into the minds of both Rambo and Teasle alternating chapters describing their thought processes. Neither was very likable but overall the book was a really terrific thriller. And the ending to the story was different from the movie. I have read several other Morrell novels and I'm glad I finally got around to this one which has been on my shelves for several years.
After reading this, I decided to rewatch the movie version which I hadn't seen since it came out in the 1980s.
Although I had always considered it a really good action yarn, the book was much better in my opinion. There were quite a few differences between the two. First the movie takes place in Washington State rather than Kentucky. I felt that although Rambo was violent in the movie, in the book he was a much deadlier person who killed with little compunction. The book also gave a much better insight into the minds of both Rambo and Teasle alternating chapters describing their thought processes. Neither was very likable but overall the book was a really terrific thriller. And the ending to the story was different from the movie. I have read several other Morrell novels and I'm glad I finally got around to this one which has been on my shelves for several years.
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