Novel That Inspired 'Die Hard' Returns to Print After 20 YearsRoderick Thorp's "Nothing Lasts Forever" was adapted into the iconic franchise's first film. Die Hard has returned, and not just to movie theaters. The book that inspired the original film is back in print after 20 years.Late author Roderick Thorp's Nothing Lasts Forever is being released in trade paperback and ebook by Graymalkin Media to mark the 25th anniversary of its original publication.The book was adapted into 1988's Die Hard. But before Bruce Willis brought New York cop John McClane to life, he was an idea scrawled in Thorp's notebook. (The cop is named Joe Leland in the novel.)The ebook includes copies of Thorp's notes, the first time they have been published. He wrote them while living in Laurel Canyon, his house overlooking a high-rise building on the Wilshire Corridor. (That building became the inspiration for the one taken over by terrorists in the book.)"Just as there are no flashbacks, there are no shifts in point of view. Everything is told -- discovered -- from Leland's interior," Thorp wrote in his treatment for the novel.Before Willis ultimately took the role, a number of other stars turned it down. The first to pass was Frank Sinatra, who played Joe Leland in The Detective (1968), based on Thorp's novel of the same name. Other stars who declined to play the now iconic role included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Richard Gere, Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson."Die Hard very closely follows the book, so reading Nothing Lasts Forever gives fans the chance to enjoy the thrill of the Die Hard story in more detail, experience the scenes that didn't make it into the film, and discover the novel's shocking ending," said Graymalkin Media Owner and CEO David Zindel.The Hollywood Reporter, 2/23/2013 by Aaron Couch --This text refers to the paperback edition. Book Description High atop a Los Angeles skyscraper, an office Christmas party turns into a deadly cage-match between a lone New York City cop and a gang of international terrorists. Every action fan knows it could only be the explosive big-screen blockbuster Die Hard. But before Bruce Willis blew away audiences as unstoppable hero John McClane, author Roderick Thorp knocked out thriller readers with the bestseller that started it all. A dozen heavily armed terrorists have taken hostages, issued demands, and promised bloodshed all according to plan. But they haven't counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily. As hot-headed cops swarm outside, and cold-blooded killers wield machine guns and rocket launchers inside, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between anti-hero and uber-villains. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight to the death. Ho ho ho! --This text refers to the paperback edition. Roderick Thorp is the bestselling author of The Detective, which was made into a film starring Frank Sinatra. Mr. Thorp worked as a private detective for nine years and did extensive crime reporting including a twenty-one-part series on cocaine traffic in southern California, which was published in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. His other titles include Rainbow Drive and Devlin. --This text refers to the paperback edition. Read more
Features & Highlights
High atop a Los Angeles skyscraper, an office Christmas party turns into a deadly cage-match between a lone New York City cop and a gang of international terrorists. Every action fan knows it could only be the explosive big-screen blockbuster Die Hard. But before Bruce Willis blew away audiences as unstoppable hero John McClane, author Roderick Thorp knocked out thriller readers with the bestseller that started it all.A dozen heavily armed terrorists have taken hostages, issued demands, and promised bloodshed all according to plan. But they haven't counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily. As hot-headed cops swarm outside, and cold-blooded killers wield machine guns and rocket launchers inside, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between anti-hero and uber-villains. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight to the death. Ho ho ho!
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
3.0
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One of those rarer examples of the movie greatly exceeding the book
If you’re looking at this old book it’s probably because you’re like me and wanted to read the source material for the fabulous 1988 action movie, “Die Hard”, starring Bruce Willis. It’s one of my favorites. I’ve seen it at least a couple dozen times. I finally got the itch to read the book upon which it’s based and while it was enjoyable and as action-packed and fast-paced as the film, it was also inferior in nearly every way.
The book follows the basic outline of the film: Out of town law enforcement officer visiting estranged family member becomes trapped in a skyscraper during a terrorist siege and must use his wits to survive and save the day. But there are several significant differences. The hero (Leland) isn’t a cop, he’s a counter-terrorism expert. He’s also much older than John McLean was in the film. The family member isn’t a wife, it’s a daughter. The villains are not thieves masquerading as terrorists, they are actual terrorists. And the targeted company isn’t an innocent organization, it’s engaged in some seriously shady third-world corruption which has drawn terrorist ire. The flow is very similar to the film otherwise. In fact, every action scene in the film comes right from the book.
It was here that the screenwriters improved the source material. An estranged wife is more humorous and provides romantic friction that goes down like sugar for movie audiences. And making the company an innocent victim and reducing the terrorists to evil thugs out to murder and steal provides a black and white contrast not possible with the somewhat sympathetic villains of the book. Whereas the film was Cowboys and Indians with enjoyable characters, the book is too busy with subtext and its characters struggle to rise above cardboard cutouts.
But what really limits the book is the numbingly amateurish writing. One thing that drove me crazy was Thorp’s irritating habit of describing the action by saying “Leland” did this and “Leland” did that. “Leland” thought this and “Leland” knew better and “Leland was about to do this when “Leland” encountered that. There are large swaths of the book where the word “Leland” feels like it's in every other sentence. I began to consciously edit it out and rephrase sentences as I read them just to maintain my sanity. But it’s not like that everywhere. You’ll get 40 pages of it, then 20 without, then more of it. You can imagine Thorp writing sections at different sittings and using one style on one day and another on the next. It’s really hard to believe a professional writer produced this or any editor ever massaged it. Seriously, it reads like Thorp went to the cabin for a week and cranked this out as a first draft and it just got published sight unseen. I’ve read far, far better writing from self-published authors on Amazon.
...but it's still a rip roaring adventure that doesn't let up.
If you really love “Die Hard” it’s worth your time to read where it came from. Otherwise, just move along.
50 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Fun read for fans of the movie, and of adaptation
The creative choices made when adapting this book created a timeless film. The choices made in what was changed are fascinating, and I am kind of into this whole other conception of the main character of McClane as two different people who end up doing essentially the same things. There’s a comp lit/structuralism thing to it as well that is more than worthy of exploration.
If action/thriller is your deal, this book is a fun quick read and worth your time. Great literature it is not, but it’s a worthy companion to any detailed discussion of the greatest movie ever that is “Die Hard.”
10 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Geezer Power!
There are a lot of differences between movie and book--because they're different media--but the most important is the age difference between movie "John McClane" and novel "Joseph Leland." "Nothing Lasts Forever" was published in 1979 and there were enough references to set the novel in the mid-1970's; Joseph Leland had been a Depression Era New York rookie police officer before becoming a fighter pilot with more than twenty Nazi airplanes to his credit. I served with World War Two vets during the late 1970's and that would make Joe Leland at least age 55--reasonable, but hardly a youngster. And he could have been 60+. Plus only a handful of Army Air Force fighter pilots shot down just ONE enemy aircraft--a score of 20+ would have been notable. Still is notable. In the movie (1988) John McClane is apparently in his early 30's and strictly a New York detective. Joe Leland would have been a celebrity in the real world, at least among the gangs I associated with--but is believable as a character. John McClane is believable (and more likable) for the 1990's.
The heroes' guns vary--because of their time period. John McClane is armed with the Beretta 92-series 9mm pistol, then the new military pistol that was making its way into police service. At the time (1988) New York City cops still were armed with .38 revolvers--going 9mm in 1994 (with perhaps exceptions--but plain clothed police officers risked getting shot as a 'bad guy' for carrying non-issue guns). Joe Leland's Browning 9mm High Power (Model 1935) was THE 9mm pistol of the 1970's in gun savvy circles, and it is reasonable for a counter-terrorist consultant--[[ASIN:0873641981 Living in Troubled Lands: Beating the Terrorist Threat Overseas]] was published in 1981 and the author of that real-world antiterrorist manual recommended a 9mm pistol on page 108 for those "who will face a serious threat." In the mid-1970's that professional's 9mm pistol was the Browning High Power.
I've listed two differences--heroes' background and heroes' gun. There are more. I enjoy reading the 'novel that inspired the movie' and noting the differences. I purchased the Kindle edition because the paperback books are getting rare--and expensive. Kindle is useful because the print is more widely available and more convenient to read. Plus, the Kindle edition is delivered within seconds--the book takes at least a day or two. Roderick Thorp's novel inspired 'Die Hard.'
Next on my reading list: [[ASIN:B00596SL3S 58 Minutes]], the novel that inspired "Die Harder."
Don't forget to get the movies, too!
[[ASIN:B000W4HIY0 Die Hard Collection (Die Hard / Die Hard 2: Die Harder / Die Hard with a Vengeance / Live Free or Die Hard) [Blu-ray]]]
7 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Loved the movie Die Hard, but the book it was "loosely" based on was just kind of meh...
Die Hard is one of my all time favorite action movies (maybe my #1 favorite action movie), and so for a long time I had intended to read the book the movie is based on, and I finally did. Although I finished the book, I did so more because I wanted to continue to see the differences between it and the movie that is, very loosely, based on it. I have never read a book by Thorp, but I just wasn't keen on his style in this book. I am sure there are many big fans of his, but I am unlikely to ever read another of his books. I didn't find that I really cared about the main character, and I didn't have any empathy with the bad guys either--I just didn't feel any of the characters were very fleshed out. The main character has a very brief meeting with a flight attendant on his flight to LA, and this one quick meeting is apparently enough for him to think first about her when he is in the life or death situations in the book--just one example of how unbelievable the character development is in this book. Who knows, you might love it or you may have loved reading it, if you already did so, but it just wasn't my thing I guess, and I really wanted to like this book.
5 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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you can have fun. There's no fun
I actually prefer this book over the movie, somewhat. It takes it's ''Terrorists hijack building on Christmas Eve'' scenario much more seriously than the film does. For one thing, the terrorists in the book, are straight up ''terrorists''. It's not a robbery disguised as a terrorist act. The films director, John McTiernan, said that ''I made the suggestion to change it to a robbery, because, you can have fun. There's no fun, in terrorism.'' To that, I say. ''Well, no, its not supposed to be fun, that's why they call it terrorism'' and an act of terrorism on Christmas eve is just about one of the scariest thoughts one could think of, especially today. I liked its bleaker tone. I really liked former Detective Joe Leland, the fact that he's an older man adds an extra level of vulnerability, sympathy and experience. Unfortunately, he's not quite as witty as John McClane. Leland is more Clint Eastwood than Bruce Willis in this regard. I love Eastwood so for me that's a plus. One major difference that I liked was the fact that the story (despite being written from the Third Person) is told entirely from Leland's point of view. Adding a level of tension, unpredictability and isolation. You, like Joe, are trapped in the building with no way out. Unfortunately this does come with a downside. Since you only see what Joe sees, you don't get to know much about the other characters. Not much development on the villains, Leland's daughter, Stephanie, or his grandchildren. If you do pick this up, the ending will shock you. Only warning I'll give is that the book isn't afraid to be morally ambiguous.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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I preferred the movie.
There are many online summaries comparing the book to the film, so I won't rehash that. I will say, however, I can appreciate the inspiration but enjoyed the movie much better. I had a difficult time separating the film from book, but that's likely a personal challenge. At times, the writing felt disjointed during the action scenes as trying to follow how the character was going from place to place was tough. I also felt the dialogue between characters quite unnatural. I don't know, maybe the author thought that was how cops spoke or maybe his consult wasn't very good. The majority of the story is spent setting up the main character Joe Leland (aka John McClane) working his way through Tony Gruber's (aka Hans Gruber) henchmen. Then, in the final pages, the characters make a few declarations and then it just sorta ends. I'll admit there was one part I didn't see coming, but everything else was either predictable or unresolved in a logical manner, considering how much exposition was written. The kindle version also has some typos but nothing that you can't decipher.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
1.0
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DO NOT READ
Don’t read this book for any reason. This book loosely inspired Die Hard. There are similarities in plot and character, but the book is just very poorly written. It has awkward dialogue, nonsensical sentences, and a kind of misplaced narcissistic overtone as if the author thinks the book is a masterpiece and wants to impress people. I had to read this for a class that examines adaptations, and the entire class (professor included) agreed that this book is trash. I almost wish I’d bought a physical copy just so I could burn it. I will never read this again. It’s not even worth a hate-read because it’s not even the entertaining kind of trash. It’s just bad.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Now I have the book....ho ho ho!
‘Tis the season to watch DIE HARD, but did you know that before it was a mega-hit movie, it was a book? Oh yes, dear reader, it was. Best of all, it puts to rest, once and for all, if DIE HARD is a Christmas story or not.
Joe Leland is an NYC cop who goes out to LA to visit his daughter. He goes to the Christmas party the company she works for is throwing high atop the Streets of Los Angeles, and it is a double celebration because her team locked in a very lucrative deal. Joe goes to wash up after his flight, takes off his shoes to wash his feet because years ago a businessman told him it was the best way to wake yourself up after a long flight. Gunfire erupts and if you have seen the movie you know the rest of the story. If you haven’t, well the best way to sum it up is the ultimate game of cat and mouse in a locked setting.
It is easy to see how this book was the basis for the hit movie. Liberties were taken with the movie, and it is easy to see what changes were made between the two. The writing in this book is tight, and as the action ramps up, the pages turn even faster. As good as this book was, in this ultra-rare occasion, I have to say that the movie was better.
As to settling the Christmas story debate, the first words you read as the book starts are December 24…. Case closed!
All in all I give this book 4 bookmarks out of 5.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
2.0
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Meh- not worth the time
Figured this would be a good light read while killing time in an airport. From the beginning it was a little cheesy. When I got to the part where the author was describing the main character's gun, something to the effect of "17 rounds in the magazine and one more in the clip if you need it", I tuned out. You shouldn't write a crime thriller if you don't know anything about guns. Just ruined it for me.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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The novel holds up
Set in an earlier time than the film it inspired, the novel holds it own as a classic. It was fast paced, a fast read and has become a fast favorite.
