The Bourne Identity

Rating:
Summary: Great Spy Novel
Review: Jason Bourne washes, shot and left for dead, is rescued from the sea. He has no memory of who is or how he got there, so he attempts to discover his past. He learns he is a trained killer and killers are now hunting for him. They'd like to see him dead. The plot spins on from there, and the plot is one of Mr. Ludlum's best. There's some romance. There's some danger. There's some action. Filled with detailed and intricate the plot is fast paced and action packed. The only down side to it, is it's near cliff hanger ending that pretty much expects you'll have the next chapter of the trilogy ready to go.
Another great book, but of a different genre is The Price of Immortality by C.M. Whitlock

Rating:
Summary: Bourne Identity
Review: I read the book prior to the movie and decided to read it again after seeing it. I have read this one and the Bourne Ultimatum they are both great. Ludlum does an excellent job of telling you what the character is thinking. Brilliant spy novelist Mr. Ludlum.

For all those looking for another of his great books, The Matarese Circle is my favorite.

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Summary: Diffrent than the movie
Review: just because a book has been brought to the silver screen,it doesn't the contents of the book has to be the contents of the movie.they can sometimes be very contuary to eachother.my uncle is a producer in the film industry,and i know that books are much more deeper. especialy the story background and character development.in movies,people don't care about the story background.all moviegoers want is action,action and more action.and that is THE driving force of the film industry.

i just want to make it clear that[YOU SHOULD READ THE BOOK CEFOUR SEEING THE MOVIE!]

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Summary: The movie isn't even CLOSE!
Review: I recently saw the movie- I liked it a lot so I decided to read the book, and man they're quite different. The movie skipped over many important things and added things that weren't part of the book...Bourn never had a ton of passports in his safety box in Zurich like he did in the movie- he had to steal them in the book...and there are many other differences also...If you enjoyed the movie you should read the book- (it's not like books that were written AFTER the movie was made so it isn't repeating what you saw..) Or if you want a good spy thriller this is the book for you! I'm on my way to reading the Bourne Supremacy!

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Summary: Who Is Jason Bourne?
Review: Robert Ludlum did a fantastic job coming up with a unique story. The book opens with Jason Bourne taking a bullet in the head on a boat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. He is rescued from the stormy waters by a group of fishermen who take him to the local doctor. The doctor repairs our man's wounds and nurses him back to health. When Bourne is finally awakes from his comma, he discovers that he doesn't remember a thing, not even his name. The doctor starts Bourne on his journey with a piece of microfilm with a Swiss bank account number on it, and the realization that Bourne's features have been changed recently by surgery and that he speaks three languages. We also find out that Bourne is deadly in the arts of hand-to-hand combat. If this isn't enough to get you reading, it's time to find a different genre of books to pursue.

Ludlum is a strong writer in the action, deception, and overall plot sense. Unfortunately, he is terrible at character interactions. The female character, Marie St. Jacques, and Bourne feel as if they were forced together by the author because it was the only way the story would work. There is very little tension between the two of them, even when she was with him against her will. She is also entirely too bright, able to guess many of the things from Bourne's past. I think Ludlum was concerned that his audience might lose their way, and Marie was there to give them the inside scoop. My only other complaint about the book is Bourne's ability to attract bullets. He has more holes in him than most cheeses.

The plot is good. There are several areas were it is a little weak, but the momentum of the book carries you through these areas before you realize that there is something wrong with it. This is a very good action thriller that will keep you reading well past your bedtime. Ludlum let's on Bourne's past in such a way that you keep reading to find out more about him. The Bourne character is fairly well developed, with quite a history behind him even though we only see it in brief glimpses. Bourne is a good problem solver and great manipulator. We learn a lot of Bourne's motivation even though we never quite understand what is behind the other characters' actions.

This seems like it might have been originally a complete book, but someone got the idea that this could easily be turned into a series. Therefore, the ending isn't as strong as it could be, leaving obvious gaps to be answered in the subsequent books. This is one of the better books that I've read in a long while. I do recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Glad I saw the movie first
Review: Okay, I admit it, I saw the movie, then decided to read the book. I am a big fan of anything involving spies, yet had not read anything by Robert Ludlam until two weeks ago.

First off, the movie and the book part ways in the scene when Bourne is pulled out of the Mediterranean. From that point on, the main character's motivation is the same, the past history seems the same, but the two stories are completely different. I loved the movie, I thought it was great, and hope they can make a franchise out of it. I am not sure how well it will work, given that a big draw is the man trying to figure out who he is.

The book is very good. The story is clever, the characters are very well developed. It is a page turner, which means you might be going to sleep late if you start reading it.

I finished the book last night, and will probably pick up the next one on the way home from work today.

Rating:
Summary: Much better than the movie
Review: First, let me say right off that if you've seen the movie, you do NOT know the plot of "The Bourne Identity". The only two things that were taken from Ludlum's book were that the protagonist is an amnesiac who apparently is a living lethal weapon, with all sorts of people trying to kill him; and that the name of the woman he kidnaps and who eventually falls in love with him is named Marie.

Beyond that, the plot of the movie is nothing like the plot of the book.

I had gotten bored with Ludlum over the last few years, because most of his stories followed the same basic formula - innocent foil uncovers global conspiracy, which then sets out to silence him. Along the way, he picks up an incredibly gorgeous woman; they fall in love and reveal the conspiracy to an astonished world, which rewards him with the life he's always wanted. The guy is always incredibly good-looking, and the woman could pass for Pamela Anderson Lee's twin sister. And both happen to have the exact skills and knowledge required to foil the conspiracy.

Maybe the reason I liked "The Bourne Identity" so much is because I hadn't read any of Ludlum's books in several years, and I'd forgotten how he writes his stories. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that I did like it. Despite the formulaic writing, the story's sequencing is seamless - you don't turn a page and suddenly come on a plot twist straight out of left field. Ludlum also doesn't bother with the hokey secret agent mumbo-jumbo you see in some other spy/action novels.

But he doesn't do a good job at all of getting his main characters to talk about their feelings for each other. When it comes to love talk, Ludlum's writing isn't any better than what you'll find in your average Harlequin romance.

With all that, though, I'm glad I picked up this book. I even went out and bought the next book in the "Bourne" sequence - but I think I'll wait a few years to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Bourne to be bad
Review: After seeing the movie (pointless, by-the-numbers, unsurprising snoozer) I figured the book couldn't be any worse. Boy, was I wrong.

Besides being perhaps twice as long as it needs to be, the book is incredibly juvenile and inconsistent. First of all, you have the problem of the love interest. Who wants to read a spy story where every other page the spy is calling someone "my darling"? Or endless sequences where the spy with no memory and his lover hold hands and talk about how important they are to each other?

And how many times can Bourne be shot before he dies? In the first third of the book he is shot like six times - in the head, in the chest, in the stomach, the shoulder, the leg, and on and on - all to heal, all leaving him perfectly mobile.

Then there are the inconsistencies. Bourne meets Bergeron, speaks to him in person, and doesn't think he's Carlos ... then later DOES think he might be Carlos. But in a different scene he sees Carlos, in disguise, and just the color of Carlos' skin triggers a flashback. Hello? Wouldn't seeing the guy in person and having a discussion with him trigger something then?

Not to mention the ridiculousness of the whole Treadstone idea. If our top-secret organizations are so easily found and neutralized, we're screwed as a country. And what gullible, idiotic government figure would believe an agent would disappear for six months, have consistent reports of sightings and contacts in Paris and Switzerland, then suddenly appear in America and kill a bunch of people (all without ever being seen to leave Europe), then RETURN TO EUROPE to be spotted? Why would the government not send agents to attempt to rendezvous with the missing asset?

It's just a bad book. But I will say it reads fast, making for a good summertime distraction - and when it's anywhere near its mark, it's pretty enjoyable (the spy stuff is, as always, interesting). It's just the rest of the book that blows.

Rating:
Summary: Great book. Ludlum at his best!
Review: This book had my attention from beginning to end. There was a man found in the sea, almost dead, and without a memory. He tries all he can to find out who he is, fending off assassins everywhere he goes. That is all I can say, scared of giving the whole book away. I loved the book and I finished it withing a matter of days. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Heck of a thrill ride!
Review: I had never before read any Ludlum, did not think I would like it, as I am not typically some one who likes to read spy stories, but this story hooked me from the start and did not let go! Reminded me of another thriller I just read, A TOURIST IN THE YUCATAN. It is really more of a Mystery than a spy story, as the main character has no idea who he is and must try and discover who he is, but slowly starts realize he some kind of secrete agent. at the sametime the bad guys and his own govenment are trying to kill him. I am know interested in reading more Ludlum and I am also curious as to how the movie will portray the book. I don't see Benn Afleck as David Webb, but we'll see.