When it hit the theaters in 1988, the movie Die Hard was an instant success. But just in case you’re one of the few people left on Earth who still hasn’t seen this film, you should know that it’s the story of John McClane, a New York City police detective played by Bruce Willis. McClane is travelling to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, where he hopes to reconcile with his estranged wife Holly by attending her company’s office party. At the height of the evening, however, the massive Nakatomi Tower is invaded by a group of elite German terrorists set on raiding the corporation’s secure vault! As you can imagine, the movie devolves into a thrilling parade of gunfire and explosions.
But even while being recognized as a modern classic, this unique movie has sparked another interesting debate, which even today remains unresolved: is Die Hard best categorized as an action movie, or as a Christmas story?
Well, if you chose either of those answers above, I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong, because that was a trick question. Believe it or not, before Die Hard was even greenlit for production, it was a book! That’s right–in 1979, author Roderick Thorp wrote “Nothing Lasts Forever,” a follow-up to his 1966 novel “The Detective.” In this action-packed sequel, we see retired detective Joe Leland flying across the country to visit his daughter’s office Christmas party in Los Angeles… but from there, the rest of the story is basically the same. The German terrorists have nearly identical names to those in the novel, and all of the explosions go off on cue. Reading this book was almost like skimming through the movie script.
I normally try not to see a movie adaptation before reading the book, but in this case, I have an excuse since I hadn’t even realized one existed. I quickly corrected my oversight with a used copy of “Nothing Last Forever” from Amazon, although it was fun to imagine how some 1970s readers might have encountered Thorp’s writing through a dime-store paperback. I found Detective Joe Leland to be a tough character, hard-boiled to the core, so much so that it was actually hard to relate to the guy. How in the world did one lone cop manage to become such an expert in firearms, explosives, and fringe terrorist groups? And what are the odds that this same individual might find himself caught in an unfolding attack, one where he’s able to recognize several of the terrorists on sight? The plot is a stretch, for sure, but let’s face it. If you’re reading this book at all, then you’re probably more than willing to overlook a few unrealistic plot points.
Overall, I found “Nothing Lasts Forever” a little too over-the-top for my tastes, but I can see how the most devoted readers of noir detective fiction would cherish it. In my personal opinion, at least, the most remarkable thing about this book is its continued obscurity, despite the fame of its movie adaptation.
But don’t take my word for it… pick up a copy and judge for yourself.
Yippee ki-yay!