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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An excellent spy mystery
I’ve never read a spy thriller before, so it seemed right to start with one of the most celebrated ones in the genre. It was a gripping read. All in all, this read like a mystery, a thriller, and a crime novel all in one. The sequences were sharp and compelling, even the ones having to do with international finance (quite a feat).
There were bits that didn’t age well. Marie begins as an excellent character, but fades in the second half. The sexual violence she suffers felt gratuitous in the beginning, and the trauma she suffers is never addressed. And the love story rang a little melodramatic, but it wasn’t all bad.
I can’t mention the book without mentioning the movies, which were no less influential on post-9/11 spy thrillers. This one was written in the 1970s, when the political landscape was far different. If you keep that in mind, you won’t be disappointed if the book doesn’t quite resemble the Matt Damon films.
I’ve never read a spy thriller before, so it seemed right to start with one of the most celebrated ones in the genre. It was a gripping read. All in all, this read like a mystery, a thriller, and a crime novel all in one. The sequences were sharp and compelling, even the ones having to do with international finance (quite a feat).
There were bits that didn’t age well. Marie begins as an excellent character, but fades in the second half. The sexual violence she suffers felt gratuitous in the beginning, and the trauma she suffers is never addressed. And the love story rang a little melodramatic, but it wasn’t all bad.
I can’t mention the book without mentioning the movies, which were no less influential on post-9/11 spy thrillers. This one was written in the 1970s, when the political landscape was far different. If you keep that in mind, you won’t be disappointed if the book doesn’t quite resemble the Matt Damon films.
I'm ashamed to admit that I have never seen any of the Bourne movies. Not one. So I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. The Bourne Identity basically reads like Ian Fleming on steroids. Intricate plots, double crosses, misinformation, kick ass fighting moves, and espionage. It was pretty awesome, especially since it was written four decades ago! This story still holds up and doesn't seem all that dated. Granted they use telephone booths and don't have easy access to Google, but there was still a level of high class sleuthing and killing. I honestly can't wait to see the movie and I look forward to reading more in this series.
although not miserable, I kept hoping it would improve. Regretted investing my time into this book-- enough that I gave it away along with it's 2 sequels (without reading the sequels).
My problem with The Bourne Identity was not in the book, it's in the movie.
Because I liked the movie (and its sequels) so much it clouded everything regarding the book for me.
That's why I won't even bother with the book sequels.
Because I liked the movie (and its sequels) so much it clouded everything regarding the book for me.
That's why I won't even bother with the book sequels.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took ages to get invested, but the second half of the book went by in a flash!
If you've only seen the movies and not read the book, you're missing out. The movies were fun. Thankfully I hadn't read The Bourne Identity before seeing the movie or I might have hated the film version.
The book is great. I debated between a 4 and 5 stars, wished there was a 4.5 option. If you like thrillers and haven't read the book because you've seen the movie, the book is substantially different from the film: it's more complex and the plot is vastly different. It feels like a different story. Well, it is a different story.
First, the characters: I really enjoyed the characters. Jason goes through some heavy duty personal growth and deep questioning. He makes a lot of mistakes because he can't remember his past and stumbles into situations that he should have know better than to do. Marie is also a mature, stabilizing influence in the story. The book gives a much better reason for her trusting and sticking with Bourne than the film. Once she trusts him, she helps anchor Jason to reality. Which was one of the things that made this a standout thriller. I love character driven novels.
The plot was complex and more believable than the film. There were times I kept reading way into the night because I couldn't put the book down, I had to find out what was going to happen. The book is over 500 pages, which is probably why the movie is so different. They couldn't deal with the plot in a two hour slot. I'll definitely read the other books in the series.
The book is great. I debated between a 4 and 5 stars, wished there was a 4.5 option. If you like thrillers and haven't read the book because you've seen the movie, the book is substantially different from the film: it's more complex and the plot is vastly different. It feels like a different story. Well, it is a different story.
First, the characters: I really enjoyed the characters. Jason goes through some heavy duty personal growth and deep questioning. He makes a lot of mistakes because he can't remember his past and stumbles into situations that he should have know better than to do. Marie is also a mature, stabilizing influence in the story. The book gives a much better reason for her trusting and sticking with Bourne than the film. Once she trusts him, she helps anchor Jason to reality. Which was one of the things that made this a standout thriller. I love character driven novels.
The plot was complex and more believable than the film. There were times I kept reading way into the night because I couldn't put the book down, I had to find out what was going to happen. The book is over 500 pages, which is probably why the movie is so different. They couldn't deal with the plot in a two hour slot. I'll definitely read the other books in the series.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was not a fan of the romantic part of the plot. Kind of an eye roll. The same thing could have been accomplished with out the sappy love story.
I was amazed to see the difference between the book and the movie. I loved the movie so much and I had to wait to begin to like the book. I was a classic thriller/suspense and Ludlum always did great. Also, I was surprised by the publish date, since the movie came so much later. West Germany!