Cape Fear

This is an old John D. MacDonald book, originally titled THE EXECUTIONERS, upon which the CAPE FEAR movies are based. This is my first book by this author, and I found it entertaining and well-written. The plot is quite different from the plots of the movies, but it does make for a good stand-alone thriller.

I liked everything about this book but for two things. First, I HATE smoking and what it does to it's victims. So every reference to this disgusting habit turned me off. Then the "innocent" reference to throwing the beer can into the water in the last chapter really bothered me. I know these were fictional characters depicting a different era in our society. But it still bothered me!

More than a mystery. Much more than a thriller. Some of both wrapping around fundamental questions of humanity, society, and legal systems. Overall, a very good and rewarding read.

Great read! I have loved the Travis McGee books for decades but have just started reading his other novels. They are excellent!!! So get any book you see written by John D McDonald. I recommend The Girl the Gold Watch and Everything plus all the Travis McGee novels. They have a color in the title........ The Fearful Yellow Eye, for instance.

John D just has a way all his own. His way with words keeps you fully engaged panting for the next surprise. This is one of the best. It’s definitely dated now but in that respect you also gat a bit of a trip down memory lane making for some “oh ya, remember that” moments.

John D MacDonald is a great American author. He has written a lot of very good books and Cape Fear is one of them. It is not scary but it is somewhat gruesome. What I liked best is that has a moral question woven into the story. In its own way it asks "how far would you go to protect your family or loved ones"? I found the book to be interesting and I really liked it. MacDonald is the author of the Travis McGee series which is 21 books - I am working my thru this series and enjoying most of the books - but as to be expected I like some better than others.

The main character is weak and clueless and the ending is rushed.

I had to stop reading this at night before bed. Some very politically incorrect, noticeably dated ways of thinking but a very scary story. Filled with tension and release.

Was a little disappointed there was no Cape Fear river involved, but wasn't the original title. Still very good job by screenwriting on the film.

In a way I find this a poster to the Travis McGee books. A man is faced with a that to his family and the law win do nothing. As the that becomes greater and more real he finally resorts to extra legal means of protection. The motif has a long ways to go before Trav emerges. There is real suspense and the villan is a truly despicable character. He has no redeeming feature. The book was made into a movie. I only remember one scene in the movie: the villan follows the family when they are going into hiding by hanging onto the bottom of the car as they drive to cape fear. That scene isn't in the book. It was an effective way of showing how diabolical he was on screen.. I don't know if MacDonald approved that change our was happy with the result. In general he was unhappy with what Hollywood did to his books.The book allows the reader to watch MacDonald continuing development as an author.

I’m sure many who have watched either the 1962 classic or the remake in 1991 are quite familiar with the plot of Cape Fear. The book’s core premise is basically the same even though are quite a few differences in how it is presented: Max Cady, convicted rapist and sentenced to a term in prison. While in prison, Cady has been planning revenge for the prosecuting lawyer (Sam Bowden). When he is released, he comes back to terrorize the Bowden family.I feel pretty mixed after reading the novel. Truth be told, this was not as compelling as I’d hoped it would be.My two biggest beefs are the dialogue and the ending.I felt like the dialogue was fairly stilted and flat (and dated, but I realize it is a product of its time). Since the book is very dialogue heavy (as opposed to description heavy), I think this really weighed it down a lot and made it less engaging. There are many times we have to wade through corny dialogue between Sam and his wife, Carol, or the one of the Bowden kids and the parents. It really stalls the plot and lessens the dramatic tension of the book at points.Without giving anything away, the ending is sort of a dud, and it kills some very good tension right before that point.Anyhow, what I thought was effective was the psychological mind games created at points as Sam and his family have to deal with Cady. These are uncomfortable and unsettling. It does seem, however, that MacDonald has Cady is "off screen" quite a bit. Still, MacDonald creates in Max Cady quite a disturbing villain and antagonist.In the end, though, I think the 1962 film is superior to the book, as it generates a stronger sense of dread and tension.

I finally got to read this 1957 classic and it definitely still works.While our characters and style are certainly vintage, they're delightfully so and the old-fashioned feel of the novel doesn't impact the suspense at all. The reader is forced to wonder what they would do in such a situation - and I don't think many readers would argue with what our main character decides.It's still an edge-of-your seat read and I'm very happy I read it!

The pacing was good here but clearly an early career book from him, just didn't have that something his other books do. Still, the grandfather of a genre, so to speak. If you like the author you won't be bored by this, but it won't leave you feeling much of anything either.

Knowing the story, the ending was expected, but fortunately the road to that ending had enough twists and turns to keep me coming back.

John D. MacDonald is proof that to sell you need to find the golden medium of stupidity in your generation, and speak in that language. This is true at all times, everywhere. Our own is probably shown by superhero dramas, Lena Dungam, and online “hipster” jive speak. All trash, which is what this book is. Not even a cheeseburger; Lee Childs- who loves MacDonald- writes cheeseburgers. A cheeseburger is bad for you, and you don’t want to reach for them too much, but one every now and then won’t hurt, and might even be good for the soul. Cape Fear is like a cheeseburger you find in a garbage can. The writing is awful, like a cross between 1930s radio drama and 1950s TV dialogue. The fame of this book owes itself to Robert Mitchum, I suppose, and as being an early example of a maniac-villain. But that still doesn’t make it good; see also, The Godfather, Jaws, etc, etc. What is interesting, and why this gets two stars, is the nice taught pacing. This book moves fast. Very fast. For as dumb as the words themselves, when strung together into sentences, are, there is not a single extra one. In this regard, its like a little masterclass on commercial fiction. And for that, and its short length, I recommend it at 2 stars.

An interesting study of what even the most mild-mannered people will do to protect those they love. The circumstances were a bit unbelievable, but the story was good enough to keep me turning pages.

It was completely different from both of themovies that were made from it. I don't want to tell too much about it because it would spoil it for new readers. I enjoyed it and know that others will also.

A little dated. It was written in the 50's and reflects the conventions of the period. That said, good writing is good writing and this is an entertaining and quick read.

I saw the movie a couple of timesWanted to compare the bookSadly the movie was better, but it's stillA 4.

This tidy novel by John D. MacDonald would probably be lost today in the tidal wave of 20th-century thrillers and mysteries, if it weren't for the 1962 movie version with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck (and the 1991 remake by Martin Scorsese, which I have not seen). While the book has a bit less action than the movie, it does develop the characters in much more interesting ways. The Sam of the book, for example, is more human and less steely jawed than Gregory Peck's portrayal, while his wife has more of a take-charge attitude than Polly Bergen displayed. We also learn more about the villain than the 1962 movie revealed.The plot and various details of the setting are quite different from the 1962 movie. The setting is not specific (and has nothing to do with the Cape Fear River). The climax and the events leading up to it are especially unlike the movie (a nice surprise).One other aspect of the book I need to comment on: MacDonald's portrayal of law practice is a little off the mark. First, in a conversation with one of his law partners, Sam is told that he's the token honest man in the firm, that every law firm has one, and that most lawyers are continually bending the rules. In reality, most lawyers are very particular about the rules; the rule-benders and corner-cutters are the minority. Second, at one point Sam calls his partner to "ask" if he can take a week off. Law-firm partners (especially in a small firm like Sam's) are all "bosses"; they don't need to ask each other for permission to take time off. (They may ask another partner if s/he wouldn't mind covering a matter while they're gone, but that's not what Sam was doing.) In any event, those are minor quibbles.