I've got just over 150000 points till Gold, that still seems a hell of a long way to go lol
I've got just over 150000 points till Gold, that still seems a hell of a long way to go lol
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After finishing The Bourne Supremacy last week I decided that it was probably best to go back and start at the beginning of the series. So I bought myself a copy of The Bourne Identity and sat down on Tuesday night and started reading. Almost a week later and I’ve just out the book onto my shelf having finished it. I’m a big fan of the films and that in part was the reason I was drawn to the books. I noticed during Supremacy that the story of the books to the films was quite different and Identity is similar to the film, but still massively different.
When a fishing trawler pull a man from the Mediterranean sea to find it riddled with bullets the crew need to drop him off to a doctor ASAP. He spent six months living on the Ile de Port Noir after Dr Washburn had saved his life and together they try to solve his amnesia. The only clue to his identity however is found on a small role of film surgically implanted above his hip. The film had only a couple of items noted on it, an account number and the name of a bank in Zurich. It was clear where he had to go.
Once in Zurich we discover his name is Jason
Bourne through someone remembering him and the details of the account. Having visited the bank and discovered he has 4 million dollars in an account in his name he gets a nasty shock as he leaves. For some reason he picks up on two men acting suspiciously and using skills he didn’t realise he possessed manage to escape. These skills were again called upon back at his hotel as he kidnapped a Canadian economist to help him escape these men but who were they? And who was he?
As events start to unfold Bourne starts to remember certain details about the past and more importantly about the present where numerous people are trying to kill him. His less than willing travel companion Marie St Jacques is won over when Bourne safes her from a rapist and now she wants to help him. He only has a few details however a man named Carlos and he knows the answer is in Paris.
After reading the Bourne Supremacy first I thought it was a superb book and was probably Ludlum’s best work. Since then I have found that The Bourne Identity is an even better book than the second. It is a much better idea to read the books in order as the story is quite compelling. I found it impossible to put Identity down and found that if I had a spare 5 minutes, I’d end up picking up the book. I think this is where Ludlum’s talent lies. He seems to be able to capture your imagination and really draw you into the story.
He seems to describe locations in such away that you can actually imagine yourself stood there in places you’ve never been before. I noticed it in his second book as well as this that his descriptions are quite powerful and draw a nice sense of realism to the story. There were odd occasions where this seemed to be overkill at the time but when he used the location to it’s full potential you realised just why he described it so well. Throughout the book I found that he gave a good mental image and like a movie events were played out in your head.
I found that the character development was his real talent however. As the main character has lost his memory Ludlum writes the book in a very clever way. As Bourne learns small snippets of information along the way so do we the reader. It helps to really develop his character rather than give you everything all at once in the beginning. This makes you feel for him as you read the book and I also felt it really drew me further into the story.
The remaining characters in the story all play there part, although we learn small snippets about Marie St Jacques as the book carries on. She is quite important to the story and really seems to keep Bourne on the straight and narrow just as you think he’s going to lose it. This is Ludlum’s talent and the reason why I think these books have received the attention they have although the plot is massively different to the films. The relationship with the film seems to vary massively in places. It keeps in line with the start of the film and although it sticks to the principles of the story the two plots veer off in different directions.
The introduction to series is certainly the better book of the two I have read with Ultimatum next on my list to read. The book is just under 570 pages and although not quite as long as the two follow ups it seems to have a lot more detail condensed into it. You can pick it up for £5.59 from amazon.co.uk. If you enjoyed the film or love spy/crime/thriller’s then this is a book I would certainly recommend. The plots are similar between the books and the films but reading this wouldn’t ruin your enjoyment of the film and vice versa. A superb introduction to a great series of books.
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Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
I saw the film recently and found it really intriguing, so thought I'd read some Ciao reviews on the books. I think I shall definitely be picking this up, your review makes it sound as though I should enjoy it and the fact that the film is so different means that I won't get deja vu when I read it! Thanks. David
solamarie 24.10.2004 16:12
Good review on what sounds like a really good set of books, I will look in the library for these, sounds like something I would enjoy. Sue
mrsxopher 23.10.2004 23:55
I loved this trilogy! I cant say I cared at all for the movies. I would probably like the movies better if they had no relation to the books. But because they present themselves as being movies based on the books, I really have come to dislike the movies. They just dont do the books any justice. In order to get it right, the entire series would have to have been made into a 6 part movie (minimum), then the movies could have been BRILLIANT! But, leave it to Hollywood to totally destroy a wonderful peice of work such as this trilogy. You did a lovely review here! This book deserves a really good review. I hear the fourth is a total let down though...heard that on a few review sites, INCLUDING the amazon site itself...probably wont bother with that one! :- ) TA
Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller,The Bourne Identitystarts fast and ... more
never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
He was the perfect weapon until he became the target.Explosive action thriller starring ... more
Matt Damon (Ocean's Eleven) and Franka Potente (Run Lola, Run) and based on the International bestseller by Robert Ludlum.Rescued with two bullets in his back, Jaso...
Advantages: Franka Potente and the scenes without Matt Damon. Disadvantages: I bet Matt Damon wishes he really did have amnesia, then he could forget about Good Will Hunting.
Advantages: Interesting story line, superb acting, good stunts and car chases Disadvantages: Nothing springs to mind except avid fans of the books may not like the film
![The Bourne Identity [DVD] [2002]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78538864.jpg "The Bourne Identity [DVD] [2002]")
Sep 20th, 2004
(Oct 23rd, 2004)
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