Book Review: The Bourne Identity

For a long time, I have been wanting to write a book review. And as it always happens, I always have this urge to write about a Ludlum book. Simply because of the details he puts into the book, the way he builds up his characters and the immaculate way of delivering the climax: all the while ensuring that the reader is on the edge of her/his seat. The last time around, I believe have written a book review of The Bancroft Strategy. You can access that here: [The Bancroft Strategy]

Details of the book:
Title: The Bourne Identity
Author: Robert Ludlum

ISBN 5557076387 Review: There have been many books till date which start with an amnesiac trying to remember who he/she is and where the heck has he/she come from. Some famous examples being Code to Zero [Ken Follett] and more recently, The Ambler Warning [Robert Ludlum]. However, I believe that none is as thrilling and intriguing as the Identity. It starts at a slow pace, with the subject coming to his senses in some remote place after he has been shot and left for the dead in the Mediterranean sea. From here, he begins his journey towards his identity, a journey that is going to be fraught with disasters and deathly escapades throughout the way. Jason realizes that he has a knack for handling weapons. He knows some form of self defense, although he does not recognize the cries associated with his bodily movements. He escapes the Mediterranean "prison" with the help of a drunk doctor. His first journey takes him to Marseilles, where he learns about his other capabilities: ability to break open doors, his acting prowess [he is a roscian and can fit into varied roles easily] and his ability to speak to people without revealing too much information. Little does he realize that these very qualities are to stand him in good stead in his further journeys. From Marseilles to Zurich and then onwards to Paris, the travel log of Monsieur Bourne is quite hectic. And there are frequent clashes with authority and all sorts of people who want to kill him. And always, there is the omnipresent threat from some person known only as Carlos to Bourne. Robert Ludlum has a penchant for coming up with incredible plots and his USP is that he manages to maintain the grip of the plot to the very end. There have been many authors who have started out with a good story but have petered out in the end. For eg., David Baldacci in The Simple Truth or William Diehl in The Hunt. Not so with Mr. Ludlum. He has a proclivity towards tense situations and face-offs; and an incredible, if somewhat macabre style of writing about killings and the methods used to accomplish them. There is not much gore [a la Andy McNab], not too much sex [a la Harold Robbins] or overwhelming details [a la Seymour]. There is just the right amount of conspiracy, the perfect quantity of the basic human requirement [not food, of course! :)] and most importantly, lots and lots of action and suspense. Few authors come to mind when I think of novels in this genre, with the most obvious one being Frederick Forsyth and to some extent Michael Crichton. This book is highly recommended for reading. Not for the weak hearted though. In case you need to spend a couple of sleepless nights, I suggest you read this book. At 535 pages [paperback edition] its not too huge, and the pace is damning! 4 and a half stars out of 5!

/Radgovin