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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This book does not age well. Had a graphic rape scene, and casual use of racist slurs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia
Ah, the age-old question: which is better? The novel or the film version of a story? In the case of the Bourne Identity, I'm going to say that they are equally good but are two separate stories. While Hollywood loves to take liberties with novels, the film version of Bourne Identity takes necessary liberties. Given that the novel was published in 1980, some updating of the story was required, such as:
1. Technology: the film makes great use of technology to tell a better story, technology that simply did not exist when Ludlum wrote his novel.
2. The enemy: the U.S. government is Jason Bourne's primary enemy in the film, but the novel holds two opposing enemies for him (more on that in a minute). Plus, the Cold War of 1980 offers an additional backdrop that simply does not exist today.
3. JB's backstory: given the shift in timeframe, Bourne's backstory in the film was updated to include more modern conflicts. In the novel, a key component of Bourne's history was the Vietnam War, which still played prominent role in the reader's memory.
Let's go back to point #2 above, the enemy. One of the reasons the novel is so compelling is that Bourne is trying to recover his identity while being hunted by two opposing enemies out to destroy him, the U.S. government for which he worked and a terrorist named Carlos. Carlos is completely eliminated from the film probably because of the level of complexity his presence brings to the story. That's a shame because the presence of a second, deadly enemy heightens the tension of the "hunt" for Bourne.
The token-female-love interest in both the film and the novel is Marie. In the novel, however, she is a Canadian government economist, rather than a German bystander, as in the film. Marie plays a bit more active role in the novel in helping Bourne understand and deal with his situation. Interestingly, I found the "love" story b/w them less believable in the novel, however; this may be due to her calling Bourne "my darling" a lot.
Finally, I felt that Bourne's psychological turmoil and inner conflict more compelling in the novel. He really struggles with the realization that he's probably not a nice guy, but someone who hurts and kills people. While Matt Damon is nice to look at for a couple of hours on screen, he doesn't deliver the same level of angst that the character in novel experiences.
1. Technology: the film makes great use of technology to tell a better story, technology that simply did not exist when Ludlum wrote his novel.
2. The enemy: the U.S. government is Jason Bourne's primary enemy in the film, but the novel holds two opposing enemies for him (more on that in a minute). Plus, the Cold War of 1980 offers an additional backdrop that simply does not exist today.
3. JB's backstory: given the shift in timeframe, Bourne's backstory in the film was updated to include more modern conflicts. In the novel, a key component of Bourne's history was the Vietnam War, which still played prominent role in the reader's memory.
Let's go back to point #2 above, the enemy. One of the reasons the novel is so compelling is that Bourne is trying to recover his identity while being hunted by two opposing enemies out to destroy him, the U.S. government for which he worked and a terrorist named Carlos. Carlos is completely eliminated from the film probably because of the level of complexity his presence brings to the story. That's a shame because the presence of a second, deadly enemy heightens the tension of the "hunt" for Bourne.
The token-female-love interest in both the film and the novel is Marie. In the novel, however, she is a Canadian government economist, rather than a German bystander, as in the film. Marie plays a bit more active role in the novel in helping Bourne understand and deal with his situation. Interestingly, I found the "love" story b/w them less believable in the novel, however; this may be due to her calling Bourne "my darling" a lot.
Finally, I felt that Bourne's psychological turmoil and inner conflict more compelling in the novel. He really struggles with the realization that he's probably not a nice guy, but someone who hurts and kills people. While Matt Damon is nice to look at for a couple of hours on screen, he doesn't deliver the same level of angst that the character in novel experiences.
adventurous
medium-paced
Thriller/spy story. This book book felt strangely old-fashioned. Not sure why, maybe because of the plot, or the languange, or the characters.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Enjoyed the unique bent on the political thriller which turned it into a semi-psychological thriller asking the question, what if someone with a secret identity got amnesia? As Bourne wrestles with his mind and tries to figure out if he's a hero or a villain, he finds himself tangled deeper and deeper in a web that many of his old allies begin to believe he wove himself. Didn't enjoy the romance, which was just Stockholm Syndrome, or the two-dimensional and stereotypical female characters.
One of the best books that has gripped me to the end. In the shelf along with I am Pilgrim, Digital Fortress, the Lost Symbol and now this....
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was written in 1980 and it shows.
Who knew that taxi drivers were so essential to international espionage?