My Rating: 2.4/5

This could have been better. I am huge fan of the Bourne movies but this one is not what I expected!
There are chapters that are fantastic but overall the novel is dull. The author spends two much time in explaining Bourne's thought process that you just want to scream. The characters are also not that interesting. I expected more but....
I don't really recommend this one. Thank you for reading the review!

P.S: I couldn't even finish the whole book. I read like half of it.

A marvelous book.

A winner!

Bourne Identity delivers a gritty and action-packed narrative of a violent assassin whose memory is lost during a perilous mission. Even as an outdated thriller, it does not lose its charm of establishing a strong foundation for Jason Bourne, an enigma for the most of the book whose memory and characteristics are exposed to the readers throughout the events of the book, showcasing the evolution of a confused and dazed amnesiac into a top-notch assassin as he recalls his violent skills and instincts honed with years and years of training and operating in high stress situations.

From the get-go, Robert Ludlum creates a grounded version of the world of espionage, where nothing is what it seems. The revelations about Jason Bourne and his true mission come in bits and pieces, allowing readers to understand Bourne’s frustrations, as well as appreciate the gravity of twists and turns that surface with each chapter, coming as unpredictable surprises. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, I was proven spectacularly wrong in the best of ways. Jason Bourne, also known as Cain, is pitted against Carlos, a dangerous and resourceful assassin. Each assassin tries to outsmart one another, making for a highly satisfying showdown between Bourne and Carlos, that is as gritty and brutal as they come. I was initially worried about being let down after such a powerful build up of rivalry, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well Mr. Ludlum handled the face off.

The action sequences are close and dirty, with Bourne employing skillful and unforgiving measures to take out his opponents. The hand to hand fight sequences highlight Bourne’s close quarter combat skills. The gun fights and shootouts are in no short supply, with firearms being an extension of Bourne rather than separate mechanisms. While the shootouts were quick and realistic, I felt the narrative could have done better with some added nomenclature of the firearms Bourne handles to further add to the grounded espionage vibe of the fantastic action thriller.

Jason Bourne unexpectedly pairs up with a Canadian economist, Marie, in his fight to regain his sanity and memory. Marie plays a vital role in keeping Bourne’s soul intact as he learns horrifying truths about himself as well as in helping Bourne navigate through the financial aspects of his tricks and trade against his adversaries. I enjoyed their dynamic and found their relationship to be an essential part of the story, driving the narrative forward rather than simply a existing as a filler.

I found many reviews to state the book was boring and lengthy. While the story was indeed lengthy, I could not disagree more with the ‘boring’ part. Bourne Identity persists as a top-notch action thriller even in today. I found the book to engage and attract me more than the movie, and I loved the movie. I would definitely recommend this action thriller to fans of the genre, especially those who wish to experience the root of contemporary action thrillers.

When this book came out in 1980, this is what one respected book review journal had to say: “Another dizzily preposterous Ludlum comic-strip full of hyperventilating characters, pell-mell intrigue, and barbarous prose;” unkind, but accurate. I didn't care. I don’t really expect high art from espionage best sellers and I enjoy them. I picked up The Bourne Identity because I wanted to flesh out the details that the movie left behind, but I wound up being more confused than enlightened. At first it was entertaining. The action sequences were thrilling and I went along with the confusion as though I was Bourne, a man with no memory trying to find answers. After 300 pages though, when I, just like Bourne, still did not have the answers, it began to be tedious. I also got tired of the silly dialogue. Here’s an example: Bourne tells himself to “stop it!” over and over when he’s obsessing about possibly being an assassin. Then Marie, his love interest also tells him to “stop it.” I wanted to shout, “Stop it!” myself at this point. Things just got worse. When Bourne realizes that his mysterious past includes another alias, “Cain,” an international assassin, he keeps repeating this in internal dialogue: “I am Cain. I am death.”

Then there’s his love interest, Marie Saint-Jacques. Marie is supposed to be an intelligent woman. She is a high ranking French-Canadian financial officer. She does explain a few things about how banking works to Bourne, but after that she’s done being intelligent and reverts to the classic hysterical woman who cannot exist without her man. At one point, Bourne convinces himself that the best thing for Marie is to leave her. He writes a note for her to find later, but she discovers it early. This is her reaction: “Her single scream was a searing, terrible cry of pain. ‘Jasonnn! …’” It’s even worse when they do get back together and make love. “They raced toward it feverishly, furiously, and then they burst through and found it.” Ugh!

Yet still, I read on. It was like watching a train wreck. I was finally rewarded with some clarity at the very end where Bourne’s background was at last revealed. He is in a recovery facility and Marie and Bourne are still together. Marie asks the attending psychiatrist her questions, serving as the reader’s dummy and we finally get some clarity. This only happens in the epilogue. Up to that point, there are only hints which about 25 additional characters who are never really developed allude to. In this case, indulge your taste for spy thrillers with the movie only. Don’t read the book.

Weil ich die Filme so mochte, habe ich mir vorgenommen die Buchreihe zu lesen - grober Fehler und grobe Geldverschwendung. Abgesehen vom Grundkonstrukt hat das ja mal gar nichts miteinander zu tun. Okay, die Bücher sind schon ein paar Tage alt, es herrschte immer noch kalter Krieg und der Vietnamkrieg war auch noch nicht so lange her. Insofern kann ich verschmerzen, dass es nicht aktuell ist. Aber leider kommt Bourne hier eher wie ein billig-Bond-Verschnitt her - und damit verstehe ich auch endlich warum die beiden immer wieder miteinander verglichen werden.
Ein paar Sachen aus dem Film machen jetzt auch mehr Sinn - z.B. als im Film Bourne das Schweizer Bankschächtelchen öffnet, liegen dort ganz oben Kontaktlinsenbehälter drinne. Ich trage Kontaktlinsen deswegen fiel mir das gleich auf. Bourne braucht aber im Film weder ne Brille noch ist sonst irgendwas mit den Augen. Im Roman wird klar, dass Bourne auffällig zwei unterschiedliche Augenfarben hat. Und farbige Linsen benutzt, um seine Identitätmerkmale zu verschleiern. Zumindest habe ich das so in Erinnerung - ist immerhin schon vier Jahre her, dass ich das Buch gelesen habe.
Weiter finde ich die Rolle der Marie im Buch höchst unglaubwürdig und zeugen von der altbackenen Vorstellung von Frauen des Autoren (angesichts des VÖ Datum des Buches wundert das weniger) z.B. nachdem Marie von den Kerlen vergewaltigt wird und sich Bourne dann doch mal entschließt der Frau zu helfen und er dabei angeschossen/verletzt wird, pflegt sie ihn mit Hilfe eines anderen gesund... und hüpft mit ihm ein paar Tage später in die Kiste. Nicht, dass ich das für völlig unmöglich halte, aber doch eher sehr unwahrscheinlich.
Aber man muss erwähnen, während Matt Damon im Film Haare schneiden (muss, kann) ist der Buch-Bourne ein wahrer Make-Up Experte. Respekt! Aber irgendwie gefällt mir der zweifarbenäugige, modebewusste, Frauenkenner-Gigolo-Buch-Bourne gar nicht. Deswegen war nach dem ersten Buch auch das Experiment beendet. Eines der wenigen Beispiele wo der Film tatsächlich besser ist als das Buch. Schade.

really took my time reading this...might raise it to five stars if it sticks with me in a good way. RTC.

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.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum (1980)
Plagued with amnesia, Jason Bourne must uncover his remarkable abilities, and his true identity. All while being chased by an assassin who wants him dead.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019...

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
- Fantastic setup of Bourne losing his memory
- The answer of who Bourne really is is much more complicated and interesting than you might expect; some great plot twists there
- The heroine, Marie, is so competent and awesome. (Bourne is also awesome, but that's secondary.)

WHAT I HATE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
- It's twice as long as it needs to be. Very slow, with not enough happening
- Bourne repeatedly disrespects Marie and disregards her opinions even tho she's always right
- The twists aren't nearly as interesting on a reread

This book was so boring and so convoluted it was a supreme effort to get to the end! It irritated me for the following reasons!:

Although there are characters from all over the world, they all seem to speak the same language: fluent Cliche!!

Bourne's love interest, Marie, is unbelievable and just plain ridiculous; "Oh my Jason, you are who you are now, my love, my darling!" I'm paraphrasing. But please, Marie, shut the fuck up!!

Ludlum's writing is clumsy and repetitive!!!! I wouldn't have had to waste so much of my life reading this if I hadn't had to keep reading the same shit over and over again! "Cain is for Delta...", "Stop Carlos, trap Carlos"!! etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc!!!!!!!

Punctuation is shocking. I hate exclamation marks.

I have a policy where I kinda have to finish a book once I've started. I came closer than ever before to breaking this rule, and having just finished the book, I kinda wish I had.

Love the films though...

Find Carlos. Kill Carlos. Cain is for Charlie and Delta is for Cain.

Okay, it took me a bit, but I really enjoyed this book. The narrator did an excellent job with the different voices and accents in the audiobook I listened to, and I found myself getting attached to the characters. I'll admit, I did have trouble following the plot at points, but I still really had a good time. I'd like to continue the series. 4/5 stars.