The Matarese Circle

Rating:
Summary: Ludlum's best
Review: If you love Ludlum's over-the-top novels (and I do), The Matarese Circle has to be up there with the best. Not all of Ludlum's books are a good match of plot and style -- the repeated "Oh my God!" declamations of one character after another can get silly when the goings-on aren't as riveting as they could be (the two Bourne sequels suffer from this problem, I think.) But Circle delivers on all fronts. Part One is a masterpiece all by itself -- the intricate cat-and-mouse game between Talienkov and Scofield plays out thrillingly. And these are two of Ludlum's most believably drawn characters; we feel empathy for both, and root for them to join forces from the get-go. Antonia Gravet, the inevitable gorgeous heroine/love interest who surfaces in Part Two, brings a well-crafted and believable backstory to the plot. One final bonus: some of Ludlum's zestiest minor characters appear in this book, adding to the fun in nearly every chapter.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing use of figurative images
Review: In The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum, figurative images (literary devices) are used much in conversation between the two rival spies, Brandon Scofield and Dimitri Talaneikov. This language much strengthens the novel. First, it gives the reader a glimpse into the main characters' professions. Second, it shows the reader how both the characters think and how similar their thoughts are. And finally, the reader sees how these two spies can send each other messages according to unique understandings.
The first way figurative images strengthen the novel is that they give the reader a glimpse into the two spies' professions. The reader learns what kind of code spies use in messages; how code words have double meanings just like a figurative image. They ultimately pull the reader in this way rather than leaving him/her confused.
The second way figurative images strengthen the novel is that they show how both of the main characters think and how similar their thoughts are. In the beginning when their meeting place is room 505, both characters are caught up in the idea that they are going to kill each other since they both realize that the number "0" must mean death. This gets the reader more in touch with the two characters, and even though they are enemies, how alarmingly similar they are.
The final way figurative images strengthen the novel is that the main characters are shown to be very alike and aware of each other's thoughts because of their ability to send each other messages based on unique understandings. Numerous times throughout the novel messages are sent to one another using figurative images instead of decipherable writing, and the recipient is able to figure out the message without blinking, because the images are related to past events in their mutual history, not on code regularly used by spies.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Spy Novel--You Can't Put It Down
Review: This is the first book I've ever read by Ludlum, and it was absolutely fantastic. I read the whole thing in two days. You can tell it was written in the early 80's, when the U.S. and Russia were still enemies, and before e-mail existed. But that does not detract from the story. Basically, two top spies, one Russian, and one American--and both mortal enemies, become outlaws from their respective governments. Yet, both end up working together to prevent "The Matarese," who originate in Corsica, from taking over the world. Really, really fantastic.