roe_bookworm's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ (but on the 3 side, if it does make sense)
I... read it. That’s a point. If I didn’t liked it enough, I would have probably stopped before (way before) the end, but here I am, I’ve read it all.
I guess that I liked it, then.
Somehow, somewhere, maybe...
Jokes apart, I’ve seen the movies with Matt Damon when I was like... ten? Maybe it wasn’t the right age, I get it, but I still really like the whole Bourne series, so I decided to give a chance to the books too, and I’m happy I did, because although I would never understood how different they are.
Let me say one last thing: I like both the movies and the books, in their own way, and since the plot of the book was so tangled and complicated, I honestly understand why the movies were so different from the novels.
I... read it. That’s a point. If I didn’t liked it enough, I would have probably stopped before (way before) the end, but here I am, I’ve read it all.
I guess that I liked it, then.
Somehow, somewhere, maybe...
Jokes apart, I’ve seen the movies with Matt Damon when I was like... ten? Maybe it wasn’t the right age, I get it, but I still really like the whole Bourne series, so I decided to give a chance to the books too, and I’m happy I did, because although I would never understood how different they are.
Let me say one last thing: I like both the movies and the books, in their own way, and since the plot of the book was so tangled and complicated, I honestly understand why the movies were so different from the novels.
sleeveless_heart's review against another edition
3.0
This book is like a sandwich. The beginning intrigues you, the middle bores you to death, while the ending leaves you wanting more. Oh well, at least I finished it.
bogdanbalostin's review against another edition
3.0
Fast-paced and a page-turner, this is one of those books that benefit from being read at the time of publishing. It gets quickly outdated (and especially the female characters are badly written), but the fact that nowadays there are still books in circulation is a testament to the unique and intricate plot and a prose that flows considerably well, considering the predisposition for passive voice.
randomprogrammer's review against another edition
3.0
Holy info-dump batman! The thinly disguised info-dumps are painful, the instantaneous lovey-dovey relationship stretches belief, and certain details really bothered me. Especially during the beginning, I found myself wishing I'd just watched the movie 3 times instead of reading this book.. It did get more engaging near the end, but I don't think it made the slog worth it.
Ludlum over-explains everything. Every super-mega-cool-WOW spy detail needs it's initial Ph.D. dissertation when first introduced, and then at every subsequent occurrence needs a little ELI5 just in case the reader forget how it works during the intervening 20 pages. Yes, I understand that the neato spy details are part of what makes it a fun spy novel, but at some point the author needs to give the reader's intelligence some credit.
And the downfall of the fashion shop was just plain silly. What a lame climax. Carlos and the fashion lady both know that Bourne has compromised the shop, and it didn't scare them a bit. And then he terrifies the organization by....by making the shop seem compromised? What the hell is this plot point??
And not just that, but Carlos is built up as having this far reaching organization of disconnected tendrils, and then I'm suddenly supposed to believe that there's some kind of need for the fashion shop to be a base of operations which is even possible to compromise? Yeah, tldr, I could have done without this plot point.
Bourne's and his lady's emotional interactions were also pretty weird. He was always flying off the handle, she was always perfectly loving and composed. Even setting aside the datedness of the relationship, it's just not good character writing.
Ludlum over-explains everything. Every super-mega-cool-WOW spy detail needs it's initial Ph.D. dissertation when first introduced, and then at every subsequent occurrence needs a little ELI5 just in case the reader forget how it works during the intervening 20 pages. Yes, I understand that the neato spy details are part of what makes it a fun spy novel, but at some point the author needs to give the reader's intelligence some credit.
And the downfall of the fashion shop was just plain silly. What a lame climax. Carlos and the fashion lady both know that Bourne has compromised the shop, and it didn't scare them a bit. And then he terrifies the organization by....by making the shop seem compromised? What the hell is this plot point??
And not just that, but Carlos is built up as having this far reaching organization of disconnected tendrils, and then I'm suddenly supposed to believe that there's some kind of need for the fashion shop to be a base of operations which is even possible to compromise? Yeah, tldr, I could have done without this plot point.
Bourne's and his lady's emotional interactions were also pretty weird. He was always flying off the handle, she was always perfectly loving and composed. Even setting aside the datedness of the relationship, it's just not good character writing.
phunter22's review against another edition
3.0
This book really surprised me. I had no idea it was written and set in 1980. And because of that, the Jason Bourne of the book is a completely different character than that of the movies. If there's any advice I'd give someone reading this book, it'd be to basically forget the movie Bourne. This is a character with the same name, the same basic story of amnesia, and the same badass-ery, but a totally different back story and different methods of finding out who he is. A really fun read for mystery and suspense lovers. A side note: you might want to brush up on your French. There were some sections where I had absolutely no idea what was being said.
haligon_ian's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mountain_adventures's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
When you read this book, you need to keep in mind the time period that it was written to go along with the story line. This is a fun adventurous read. Some plot devices were a little convenient to keep the story moving.