Rating: 
Summary: The Bournr Identity
Review: Critical Review: The Bourne Identity
In my opinion, after reading this book, I feel that Robert Ludlum is the proverbial father of suspense, holding his own with such writers as Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King. The book, the first of a trilogy is written magnificently leaving endless opportunities to expand on future sequels. Ludlum has an uncanny way of grabbing the reader's attention and keeping him eager to continue. The plot thickens early, wasting no time to express deep thought. The author leaves much to decipher, not spoon-feeding information; done commonly in less quality works of literature, boring the reader to exhaustion.
Jason Bourne the protagonist has a very disguised role in the novel. Although struck with amnesia, Bourne has a very smooth and calm way of executing his actions. Bourne's ability to stay mild mannered is a perfect counter balance to all the far-fetched and extravagant plots that arise throughout the course of the novel.
Throughout the novel uncertainty keeps the reader intrigued. Bourne is constantly fighting a battle; not always physically with other characters, rather mentally against himself. The never-ending dilemma between good and evil is a major factor in this book. Slowly learning more about his past, Bourne is realizing the life he led is not the one he wants to lead. From this point on in the book, Bourne is fighting to get out of the line of work that made him into what he is. "Jason Bourne had been paid to kill, and the police in several countries had sent funds through Interpol to convert reluctant informers, to broaden the base of his capture (Ludlum, 94)." With the help of Marie St. Jacques Bourne starts his transformation. In reality, The Bourne Identity is an incredible suspense thriller, but if you take a closer look, its really just your basic stereotypical love story with many obstacles and twists, boy meets a girl, boy has four million dollars, boy asks girl to drive him to Paris, and they fall in love.
Bourne, right off the bat, is portrayed as a superhero, almost immortal, having the ability to endure the icy wrath of the ocean and the lead that is temporarily residing in his head. "The boat rolled violently leeward and the and the man whose skull was ripped open plugged over the over the side into the madness of the darkness below (Ludlum, 1)." Bourne's flawless execution is a little overdone at times and casts a shadow of artificiality on the storyline. The novel is quite unrealistic at times though, for example, Bourne's amnesia was in a sense limited, his name, age, identity were all lost in his accident, but his ability to combat was in tact as well as his illusive clever nature. "Jason dropped to a crouch, spun to his left and lunged out of the aisle between two adjacent cars, breaking his fall with the palms of his hands, the maneuver made in silence (Ludlum, 426)."
To conclude, The Bourne Identity is a literary masterpiece, setting a mold for all future suspense thrillers to come. The book is directed towards more of an intellectual audience, with gaps in the story that only your imagination can fill. Each person will take his or her own individual thoughts and opinions from this book. I stand strong behind this book, and would recommend it to all readers with interest in deep thought and suspense.
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Summary: Bourne to Run
Review: I have not read many of the late Robert Ludlum's novels, but this was a good place to start and I plan to read some more. Terrific action and characters; my only complaint would be that the book is actually overly complex and un-neccesarily so. The movie producers tried to remedy that by removing most of the best characters, such as the doctor in France and the retired general and his traitorous wife. They even took out Carlos and his henchmen and the Treadstone team. The left-over characters would be sufficient for a half dozen sequels and a weekly TV show!Some would question whether one man could be shot this many times and continue operations but I dont like to worry about anatomical details. Ludlum is clearly a master of this genre, superheroes fighting many shadowy enemies in non-stop action, supported by one-dimensional female love interests, apparently based on 1940's movie stars. Dont look for any political intrigue or thrilling technical information. Ludlum tries to conjure up some international political and financial storylines and then seems to lose interest in them without completion. Ludlum's true genius shows in the way he reveals the story to us. Bourne has lost most of his memory in one of the many times that he is shot. The reader also steps into the story cold and learns page by page, who is Bourne and how did he get here. The movie does not handle this well, as it is too quick to get to the love interest and the battle with Bourne's former managers.
Rating: 
Summary: A disgusting excuse for literature
Review: My brother recommended this book to me, and, showing a surprising amount of emotion over reason, gave it a go. Robert Ludlum reminds me heavily of Clive Cussler, an author who I used to read before I knew what a good book was. This stuff is drivel. Ludlum's penchant for titling books with obscure, mock-intellectual word pairings that seldom come off as vaguely more than non-sequitors should serve as good warning to any learned reader. Don't think that my love for "good literature" means that I can't appreciate entertainment or "thrillers". The genre of a book should not excuse a book for being mediocre tripe. And that's all this is. Emmalgumating such glaring cliches as secret government agencies and amnesia does not make for anything original in unto itself. This book could have dealt well and subtly with realtively unexplored or underexplored issues in a dramatic and entertaining fashion. For instance, left without memories, only violent abilities, what questions of the morality of self would be brought up? That would be fascinating. If I lost my memory and quickly found I had an extreme proficiency for killing people, I would be very worried about who I was. No big deal for Ludlum though. Look, people, if you want a good, thrilling, entertaining book, please go out and buy something by Graham Greene. Skip Ludlum, Cussler, Grisham, Koontz, Clancy and King. There is a whole world of great literature right around the corner on this very website! Use it.
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Summary: Great book -- Couldn't put it down...
Review: This was my first Ludlum book -- and I was very impressed. For this genre, it is rare that you find yourself thinking about the details of the plot between the times you are able to read. I really enjoyed how the author slowly revealed the main character to the audience. My only complaint is that the other characters seemed to be a little shallow (minus a star for this...) The story is that a man is brought to a doctor with horrible injuries and no memory of who he is or was. The doctor only shows him a piece of microfilm surgically implanted into his body with the name "Jason Bourne" and a number of a bank account. This man must figure out who he is while he is being chased by the police and other assassins (who know him, but he doesn't know them...) Great story -- You will probably figure out the ending towards the end of the book, but you won't be able to put it down regardless.
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Summary: Ludlum's best - the genre's best.
Review: This is the book that proves that Robert Ludlum is the master of the spy genre. Always interested in plot lines that throw unsuspecting characters into the path of intrigue & danger, Ludlum takes the concept to new heights in this novel. Not only does the character not know what is going on, he doesn't even know who he is! What he does know is that he's a dead man if he doesn't figure it all out pretty soon. The first paragraph of this novel may be the most exciting opening lines of any story ever written, and Ludlum's pacing and style were never better. I often get bored with spy novels (LeCarre wears me out) because the characters are slow and stupid. Ludlum's protagonist (Jason Bourne) is tough, smart, and clever, but very realistic. He does not make stupid mistakes (as any believable spy would not), but when hit or shot, he suffers as much as any of us would. If you fancy yourself a lover of spy mysteries, you must read this book! It is the only such book I have ever truly found to be a "page-turner". (The first time I read it, I couldn't put it down until 4AM)
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Summary: Bourne is a man on the run, but who is he running from?
Review: Jason Bourne is a man with extraordinary skills. He has an altered appearance, access to millions of dollars and can get more using his many talents. The problem is that he does not know who he is, how or why he has acquired his skills and where he comes from. He is a man with no memory.
Stranded in Southern France and nurtured back to health by a drunkard doctor, Bourne is desperate to regain his past, future and identity. How can he do it though if he does not know where to start and what to look for? Moreover, there are individuals out there gunning for his life. A Canadian woman is helping, but will that be enough to remain alive when international assassin Carlos will do anything to end his life? The thriller moves fast and weaves into and out of different cities and personalities. Twists abound and Bourne has to move fast or risk staring into the eys of death. The book is an action-packed and fast-paced tale of espionage and international deception, with many incredible and often far-fetched coincidences and breaks, but for sheer heart-pumping action The Bourne Identity moves as fast as a bullet to the heart.
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Summary: Novel Writing At It's Best!!!
Review: Robert Ludlun takes you from all of France to Switzerland to the USA in this vivid, imaginative novel. Filled with endless action, suspense and in the core of it all a character that is truly human. Jason Bourne awakes with no memory and the story takes you thru his pain, anguish and his deep love. The author explores makes you feel the characters pain, shows the sights he see yet keeps you wondering and wanting to know more about the character, all at the same time! I can describe this book with one word.... UN-PUT-DOWNABLE!!!!!!
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Summary: The Bourne Identity review
Review: What if someone suddenly woke up, was fully grown and developed, was ravaged by bullet wounds, and had no memory of the past. Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum experiences this. In his world he is born an adult and discovers quickly that he has very disturbing talents such as brutal self-defense skills, harsh interrogative capabilities, and an extensive knowledge of weaponry. This book offers a very intriguing and fruitful plot. I enjoyed reading The Bourne Identity because Robert Ludlum goes into depth about the modus operandi of all of the antagonists, protagonists, and governmental intelligence agencies. In this book Robert Ludlum has a tendency to elaborate too much about situations at times. Sometimes this would cause me to lose interest and focus. Other than that I felt that The Bourne Identity was very enjoyable to read.
In The Bourne Identity the suspense never ceases to exist. The main characters are always running, scheming, or fighting for their lives. Someone seeking to read an action packed, adventure novel will most likely enjoy this book. Also, someone who enjoys learning about psychology and how the brain works will enjoy this book very much. In this book, one will understand how someone could react in certain situations after having experienced extreme amnesia. Throughout this book Jason Bourne hears certain things or sees certain things that for some reason make him see horrific images. A psychiatrist or psychology teacher would most definitely love this book. Someone wanting a more mellow or laid back book would not enjoy this book because every moment is intense, gripping, and at any given instant something crazy can spontaneously occur. Again, I would recommend The Bourne Identity to anyone seeking an intense adventure.
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Summary: A good read for nonreaders!
Review: I read the book by Robert Ludlum. It is about a guy who is lost and gets found in the Mediterranean Sea. He had been shot six times in the back. When he wakes up he does not remember anything, not where he lives, not even where he lives. But one that he does remember is how to read, write, and he knew everything that he got taught in school. Well when he gets back to shore he goes to the bank, because he remembered his bank account number. When he got everything out of the account it was all in a small brief case, there was a gun with 8 million dollars in cash, along with a passport that said his name, which was Jason Bourne. Later he leans that he was part of the CIA best man. The reason that I liked this book is because it was very mysterious. For example, He was in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and he didn't know he how he got there and who he was, such as his birthday, or even his name. Another thing is that he didn't know his name but he knew how to read, write, and do all the stuff people learn in school. The second reason why I like this book is because it is very funny. For example, while all of this stuff is happening to him he is still having fun and cracking jokes. Like when he just got done killing a man he saw some gum and a candy bar and he said, "This is my favorite stuff!" and then he ate it.
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Summary: Ludlum was a master.
Review: So many of the 'spy thrillers' of recent day seem recycled (for lack of a better word). Ludlum did a fantastic job of not only creating a unique storyline, but a unique lead character in 'Jason Bourne'. In the opening stages of the book, not only is Bourne a mystery to the reader, he is a mystery to himself. It's as if you are learning about Bourne as he does (as an amnesiac). The plot has central ties in Paris, but the characters make appearances around the world. By the end of the book, it seems as if the protagonist is completely riddled with bullet holes but still manages to come out alive. This is the first (of 3) in the Bourne series. If you've seen the movie (which was very good), make sure you still read the book. The book is even better...which is usually the case.
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