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Search - The Bourne Identity
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The Bourne Identity Author: |
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Book Information
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Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Cassette (Abridged), Audio Cassette
Book Description:
Jason Bourne.
He has no past. And he may have no future. His memory is blank. He only knows that he was flushed out of the Mediterranean Sea, his body riddled with bullets.
There are a few clues. A frame of microfilm surgically implanted beneath the flesh of his hip. Evidence that plastic surgery has altered his face. Strange things that he says in his delirium -- maybe code words. Initial: "J.B." And a number on the film negative that leads to a Swiss bank account, a fortune of four million dollars, and, at last, a name: Jason Bourne.
But now he is marked for death, caught in a maddening puzzle, racing for survival through the deep layers of his buried past into a bizarre world of murderous conspirators -- led by Carlos, the world's most dangerous assassin. And no one can help Jason Bourne but the woman who once wanted to escape him.
"Mr. Ludlum stuffs more surprises into his novels than any other six-pack of thriller writers combines." -- The New York Times
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Top Member Book Reviews
Janis K. (
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read "The Bourne Identity" after seeing the film and I enjoyed both though the book was better. In modernizing the time of the story for the film, new technologies come into play making Bourne's flight through Europe almost impossible because he could be tracked via cell phone signals, satellite imagery, email and the Internet. In the book there are none of these modern devices, allowing Bourne and his female companion more time to plan and act. I also prefer Maria in the book because she actually has useful skills. In the film she is just there as a convenient ride away from the initial confrontation and later hangs onto Bourne out of Stockholm syndrome. It was refreshing to see her have useful skills and a more robust personality than she does in the film.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Unlike the movie, Ludlum engages Robert Bourne in an unbelievable series of events that draw him all across Europe. It's one of those reads that until you finish the novel you don't realize just how bizarre the trip is because you are so caught up in the events. This is one book you won't put down once you start reading it.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Robert Ludlum's best book ever, IMHO!!
Much better than the movie(a pale imitation).
Katie H. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Dare I say it? This is one of the very cases in which I preferred the movie to the book. I picked up the novel after having seen the film starring Matt Damon, thinking to find a similar plot (though, of course, we all know movie plots always are changed). However, the book is extremely different. Honestly, I found Jason Bourne to be more of a "thinker" than a "doer" in the novel. Which, therefore, made it a far more boring read for me. Again, this is simply my opinion. It was still a decent book and I don't necessarily discourage one from reading it - just a warning that it is quite, quite different from the movie and I found it difficult to be fully absorbed by the novel.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the rare cases where I'd have to say that I like the movie better! All of the layers of psychological delving started to get old.
Ed P. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Most excellent...the Movie was wonderful, but this book adds several details and nuances that the movie lacked
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The first of Ludlum's three Bourne books. Tremendous...just the best.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
His memory is a blank. His bullet-ridden body was fished from the Mediterranean Sea. His face has been altered by plastic surgery. A frame of microflilm has been surgically implanted in his hip. Even his name is a mystery. Marked for death, he is racing for survival.
Please Rate these Book Reviews
A fast paced thriller - much better than the movie (and very different from the movie). I recommend it.
Great book. I love all of the Bourne books, but especially the first three by Ludlum.
Great beginning but the rest of the plot never seemd to match it. Hate to say it but I enjoyed the film more.
Meagan M. (I read this book when the movie first came out. It is a little confusing but once you get into it, it's just as amazing as the movie.
Shaun (Lots of good fast-paced action, exactly what you’d expect of Ludlum. He doesn’t vary much from his typical formula, and this reads like most of his other books. But, that’s a *good* thing if you like his writing.
For those of you who have seen the movie and now want to read the book, let me forewarn you: the movie is vastly different from the book. I personally thought the movie was a much better story –- don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, but it is best to consider the book and the movie as two completely different stories. Attempting to compare the two as if they were the same story is an exercise in frustration. Perhaps the thing to keep in mind is the original time-frame the book was written (mid 1960s).
I love this series, and am glad it was continued. This was a pretty good book, and followed along the lines of the original author well.
Brittany S. (
Charlene P. (Warning to Movie Watchers: Do not expect it to be the same as the movie although of the three in the series I think this one the movie followed the closest. It was a good book as a stand alone and sets the book series up well.
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