The Bourne Identity: The first Jason Bourne thriller

Great story that I have read multiple times and watched the 'adaptation' on TV. Due to my work journey I needed to have a story as an audiobook, my car doesn't have a cd player so I decided to buy the audiobook on CD, rip it to my computer, and put the file onto a stick that my car will accept. Unfortunately, the rip will not sit on the stick in chapter order so if I listen from chapter 1 that's fine until it finishes and then the next chapter is number 5!! I have tried rearranging the files but they won't stay in order. Nothing wrong with the story, maybe it's me, maybe it's my computer...all I know is I can't listen to the audiobook in the car which is what I bought it for...incidentally this is the only audiobook i have bought that wont play in order

The Bourne Identity is a classic thriller first published in 1980, although made more famous by the film series starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, as everybody is no doubt aware.It is worth reading because of its classic status, but it is always difficult comparing book and film, particularly when the film is well known and successful, and the book in comparison is slightly dated. Thios shouldn't detract from enjoyment of the book and its status as a classic of its genre. Some have commented that the film and book are very different, but in contrast the main themes and plot are really quite similar. The book focuses on Bourne's adversary as Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, the real life Carlos the Jackal, which of course dates the book as he now resides in a French prison. This gives the book an extra layer of complexity not present in the film. However the romance with Marie St. Jacques and some of the plotting and action seems very clunky in comparison to the film.Read it and enjoy it for what it is; a classic thriller which spawned a series of novels made more famous by the film trilogy.

I could never quite get fully immersed in The Bourne Identity, I appreciated its depth and what it was trying to do. However I found it so needlessly complex at times. Part of this also may be the fact it was written for a 1980's audience and now reading it in 2012 some of the methods used by characters in the book are no longer relevant, or are just plain outdated.I made the wrong assumption (like many before me I'm sure) that the film was based on the book, starting in similar fashion it isn't too long before the film goes off in a different direction. Comparing the two I can see they share strands of the same DNA but not as much as I thought they would have. Whilst this threw me off at first it does allow you to get a totally different perspective of the character and what Ludlum was trying to achieve.However saying all that I definitely enjoyed it and it is very much worth reading by anyone and I look forward to starting the sequel.

I first saw the 2002 theatrical version of the Bourne Identity a year after it was released, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It moved at a relentless pace and introduced a new kind of hero to the general movie-going public--one who got the job done with grit and sweat, rather than cool weapons and gadgets. The plot seemed current and relevant to our times--I believe it actually still does today--which was a very good thing.Up until a few months ago, I never considered reading the book. I assumed it would be just like the movie, but then I read the synopsis. I immediately got intrigued and ordered it that same evening. After I finished the book, I kicked myself for not reading it sooner, for I might as well have been witnessing a completely different story.The plot from the get-go centres on a man called Jason Bourne. We learn quite early on that he's an amnesic, who doesn't quite know who he is, following his shooting in Marseille, France. What is apparent, however, is that he has a number of unexplained skills, like being able to completely dismantle a gun in no time at all.As the story moves on, he slowly pieces bits of his life together with help from unlikely sources. At the same time, he is pursued by a number of people who seem intent on seeing him dead at all costs. He ends up running for his life across Europe, while trying to gather clues as to who he actually is.As with the film, the story moves at breakneck speed, but includes more intricate schemes and plots. This novel is very much in the same mould of John le Carré's spy thrillers, with huge emphasis on the KGB/CIA spy activities during the 70s and 80s. The movie, however, modified it to suit the times, which helps to explain the vast differences.The antagonists seem to come from everywhere, but the beauty of this novel is that Jason genuinely doesn't know who they are, or why they're hell bent on killing him. This also leaves us--the readers--in a state of confusion, adding to the mystery. The author, Robert Ludlum, keeps things from us for much of the novel, relying instead on a slow revealing process.The story does start to drag around the middle, and the entire concept is quite implausible at times. Also, as we witness Jason recollecting fragments of his life at random moments, Deus ex Machina sometimes springs to mind in a few of these scenes. But all in all, it's a thoroughly engaging read, especially if you're willing to suspend your disbelief from time to time. Four out of five stars.

This is a worthy basis of all the Bourne industry. In some ways it is a pity that it is so much better than the subsequent films and books, but that may not be a surprise. The character of Bourne is so much more compelling than the martial arts machine depicted in the films and the female lead is an entirely worthy character in her own right rather than merely a bit of dressing for Bourne. Very justified as a read, quite separate and in addition to the film.