The Bourne Identity: A Novel (Jason Bourne)

This is my very first time reading the book. Like many people, my reference in the world of Jason Bourne was the movies. However, the book is much more well-rounded and consistent, with a very intriguing and compelling story. Well done! For those reading this review, you will not regret reading this book.

I absolutely love watching the movies with my dad, so it was definitely time to read this. While my image of the characters are a bit warped, and I was a bit confused about who was who from time to time (y'know, because I'm trying to picture them from the movies), this was a great read! I think any action/thriller/espionage reader would enjoy this book for its fast-paced narrative, intricate but well-balanced plot, and exhilarating twists and turns! The sequence of events is beautifully constructed, every character mentioned throughout integral to piecing together the mystery, every detail touched upon an exciting puzzle piece slotted into place - the story made sense and was just the right level of convoluted, but I really felt like I was Bourne; trying to piece together his life and his identity, while being astonishingly well-versed in the art of espionage, knowing and doing things no ordinary person would know or be able to do. The only thing I can really fault this on is the romance aspect - I don't feel like it was needed and the rate at which the relationship developed felt forced and unrealistic. Anyway, I'm here for the worldwide escape room vibes!

Robert Ludlum really knows how to spin a tale. I've read other Jason Bourne books, but this is the one I hadn't read and it explains a lot not everything but a lot. Well written and edited. Character development spot on and the main protagonist and his trials and tribulations are entertaining and informative. Thankfully all the testosterone is countered by the introduction of a strong smart woman. Very definitely worth the time to read and enjoy.

Spoilers if you haven't seen the movie. For those of you thinking I've seen the movie. Why bother with the book? Well, the book and the movie do not really look alike. There are aspects that are the same. Bourne has amnesia. He meets a girl. He is on the run. The US govt is involved. He is a BA. That's pretty much the only similarities though. The entire plot differs. The villains differ. The girl differs. Probably 85-90% of the book is different. So why bother? Because this is the real story and it's far more complex than a 1.5 hour movie can give you. The writing is very well done. The research put into this book must have been a long process. Be it research just for this book or an accumulation of life experience, it spans continents and multiple languages. There's the banking system and the slick ways Bourne survives. Perhaps it isnt exactly how things were done, but it could be. Its realistic regardless of whether it is real or not. The book spans over 7 months of Bourne's new life. It takes him from being like a newborn babe to being a grown man able to destroy the world. Marie is also far more complex in this book. Far smarter and more ingratiated into the plot than the movie allows. Bourne himself is far more complicated in this book. You hear his thoughts. You learn who he is at the core. You feel his confusion and fear. You learn who he is as he does. You begin to wonder how well you would cope waking up without knowing yourself. What would you do if you were wiped from existence, even as your shell was still here? As he gathers pieces of his previous self, he doesn't like what he hears. Still he tries to be noble even as he learns of his nefarious past. Perhaps even without the memories that shape us, our core self remains. Perhaps it is something we are born with. The action is fairly fast paced throughout. There are some lulls that are filled with plotting and revelations. The action soon picks up again and we are back to the controlled chaos that is his reality. This is a very well done series that I would recommend to anyone able to comprehend the subject.

TL;DR - If the option is available to you, borrow it from the library. If you're a fan of the movie series, keep in mind the movie is more of a "based on the novel" type movie, compared to a movie adaptation of the novel. I've been a big fan of the Bourne movie series (yes, even the Bourne Legacy), but I always wondered if the books would offer a richer/more detailed world that movie adaptations often cut for time. The book started off similar, but slightly different compared to the movie...and it never quite converged with the storyline of the movie from there. The big themes and some of the names are all there (names like: Jason Bourne, Treadstone, Conklin, Abbott, Marie, etc, and the main plot of a man suffering from amnesia trying to figure out who he is). The rest of the story (and really everything else) is different. It's not an issue of being disappointed that the movie differs from the book (despite having the same title). I can deal with that if the story is good. However, the Jason Bourne of the movies seems like a different character from the Jason Bourne of the book. Additionally, there is a love story intermingled in here (which I felt is unnecessary, and not at all believable/reasonable). I don't have anything against love stories, but it seems wholly out of place here, and in fact had me heaving a confused, "wtf??" out loud when it first introduced itself. There's also some random french/german in the book, which can be a little annoying if you don't have the ability to translate like you do with a Kindle. After reading the book, I do wish I had read some reviews prior to purchasing. For the $8 I spent on the kindle edition, I consider it a lesson learned to do so going forward. For those that were wiser than me, and have read this review, I recommend just borrowing from the library if you really want to read it. It's fine as a mindless summer read, but just make sure to manage your expectations.

Si vous avez aime les films, vous adorerez ce livre! Les aventures de Jason Bourne y sont haletantes, et on a du mal a reposer le livre.

The book is very fun to read and it has good quality but I think it maybe a little complicated for people under 12 years.

Abbiamo visto e rivisto tutti i film della serie e....ci mancava il libro in inglese.

Easy reading, with plenty of detail in the plot and hooks for next book in series. Second time round with the Bourne series. Still great

Just ok