“Woop Woop! Sound the alarm! We have a movie that’s better than the book!
The primary reason to read this sucker is because it’s the basis for the movie Die Hard, a Christmas Classic (don’t fight me on this, just accept).
This is one case where the movie WAY outshines the book.
John McClane is charming. He’s an underdog. He’s like Howard the Duck: Trapped in a world he never made.
Joe Leland is a dud. Also, he claims responsibility for encouraging stores to put high-theft items like pens on cardboard backing to discourage shoplifting. Seriously? In the middle of a firefight, that’s what you’re thinking about?
Can you imagine John McClane taking credit for that? Hell, no. If he did something that resulted in that, he’d regret it for the rest of his life, and he’d probably go on a minor bender every time he had to buy a pen at Walgreen’s.
There are a lot of the specific little things from Die Hard in the book. Some of the key moments play out nearly the same. But take my word for it, this book is so skippable. The folks who tell you how faithful the adaptation is are folks who skimmed the book, saw the beats, and ignored that the tone and character are so different, and holy shit is it slower.
I’d sooner watch Die Hard’s 4-6 (is that how many we have now?) than read this book again. Easy. No contest. Is John McClane crashing a truck into a jet absolutely insane? Yes. Does it really violate the appeal of the first, second, and third movie to make John McClane a superhero? Sure. But fuck it. At least it’s entertaining as hell. “