This is "just an airport novel" only in the sense that Die Hard (the first one) was "just another action movie." In other words, you have here a familiar genre and set-up (here, the "countdown to Armageddon") being taken to a peak level by expert craftsmanship.A large part of the book's success is that it's a fascinating, deeply-researched book that refuses to settle on just technical jargon... or even get by on its tightly-woven, brilliant plotting or technicolor-vivid prose. Instead, Hunter constantly takes the time to pull the reader into the heads of his characters, so that even the most seemingly stock characters take on a life of their own. With one exception (the unfortunately profane use of "Jesus" by every individual, it seemed) each character has his or her own unique, individual voice and patterns of thought. And none of them are perfect, not even the greatest hero in the batch. This alone puts Hunter's work on a whole other plane above, say, Tom Clancy, whose characters have essentially the voice of that self-impressed author but with different names.I was also struck by Hunter's very thoughtful use of violence; one the one hand, it's a very violent book... but on the other, there's a very authentic sense of loss, of the gruesomeness and after-effects of murder and the absurd glories and horrors of combat. In other words, Hunter comes off as having a true human heart beating underneath the kevlar vest. One death in particular, in a suburban house (readers of the novel will know what I'm speaking of), left me stunned and created a real sense of danger -- a sense that anybody could die in this story -- that is rare amidst the TV-movie predictability of so many suspense stories.If you have any taste at all for suspense and action with a tough-as-nails edge to it, this is a must-read. So I give this excellent thriller 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).
This is an old school Stephen Hunter thriller that grabs you from the opening pages and takes you on a frenetic race that never lets up until it reaches a tense, dramatic conclusion.A family is taken hostage and the father – a welder – is coerced into doing a treacherous job; a professor stumbles through a lecture as he tries to find some semblance of order in his life after a messy break-up with his wife; a Vietnam veteran is now imprisoned in solitary confinement; and a bungling Soviet spy who loves living in America barely survives an attempt on his life. These and other “ordinary” people are pitted against a diabolical plan to launch the world into nuclear war – and with the clock counting down to midnight they are almost out of time.Hunter is a brilliant writer and THE DAY BEFORE MIDNIGHT is a “doomsday” thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages. Originally published more than 25 years ago, my only complaint is with the publishing company itself and not the quality of the writing or storytelling. I read the Kindle edition, and as is the case with many older books that were recently formatted for distribution on Kindle, it’s as if they did a quick and shoddy job. Many sections run together and are missing the “break” that would separate them on the printed page. It made some parts confusing – additionally, there were some screwy characters due to the conversion process that someone should really have caught and edited before its release. But again, none of that has anything to do with the quality of the story – it’s a terrific thriller and I highly recommend it: 5/5 stars.
What do You think about The Day Before Midnight (1989)?
For several years leading up to The Day Before Midnight Stephen Hunter had written some fair, but not outstanding novels. The one constant throughout the early novels was an attention to detail when it came to firearms. However to me the earlier novels felt like Hunter was trying too hard. That he wanted to be "literary" instead of just a novelist of entertaining thrillers. The Day Before Midnight changed all that. I read it when it was released as a paperback in the late eighties and it blew me a way. For not only was I reading a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat, but many of the primary characters were not muscular, athletic James Bond types. They were average people who survived on their wits, luck and a will to survive. I liked that. In this story there was room for the little people. They were integral parts of the story instead of just extras in the background.This novel moves. There are very few slow points. In many ways it plays out like a big budget popcorn movie. Only without some of the more ludicrous elements that one finds in movies. This should not come as a surprise considering Mr. Hunter is a professional movie critic. It's a good thriller. I consider it to be one of Hunter's best books. It's the book where Mr. Hunter hit his stride.
—Checkman
I couldn't stop reading this book. My experience with Stephen Hunter before this was limited to his Bob Lee Swagger series, so I wasn't sure what to expect from a book without good ole' Gunny. But whatever expectations I had, Hunter blew them away. The story was masterfully woven together from the different characters' points of view, and all of those stories contributed perfectly to the whole. The characters were likable, the pace was good... I just can't say enough good things about this book. Maybe I liked it so much because it had hints of Clancy: an epic plot, espionage, Soviets, military battles... Clancy has long been one of my very favorite authors, but I gotta say, Stephen Hunter is joining him at the top of that list.
—Scott
I've read a number of Mr. Hunter's books and enjoyed them all. He's developed a great character in Bob Lee Swagger and has several very entertaining books about sniper warfare. I'm also convinced he's solved the JFK assassination in his novel, The Third Bullet. This book starts a little slow (for the first 20 pages) and then takes off like a rocket, a nuclear rocket, for the next 380. The book is divided into hourly chapters, like the 24 TV show. Each chapter is packed with action, suspense and all the stuff that really makes a first rate thriller. Mr. Hunter has a immense knowledge of arms and armament, which adds to the realism of the story.A twist at the ending as it involves two minor characters thrust into a starring role. To say more about the story is to give too much away. A warning: there is non PC language. This book was written in 1989, before self censorship of such language became mandatory from publishers. But anybody who has read any of Mr. Hunter's other books isn't too worried about being politically correct. Enjoy this one!
—Bob Ryan
