Sign in with Facebook
Mike (the Paladin)'s Reviews > The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1)
by
by
First of all let me say...the recent movie with Matt Damon, I hated it. They butchered the story. I understand shortening for time (as in The Lord of the Rings) I understand combining characters...but why take a book's title then completely rewrite the story?
I like this book and its sequels. I hate the movie and its sequels.
Please try reading the books and finding out what the plot actually is. The book is well plotted, thought out, with complex characters. I believe you'll like it.
A man wakes up with amnesia...not a unique plot even then...and has to put together who he is and what's going on from few clues. This can be difficult in the best of times. If people are trying to kill you that can sometimes add to the...stress.
Microfilm, competing assassins, double and triple identities and of course a love story. As noted, this is a great read and it's much better than the movie by the same name in my opinion. (Although back in 1988 there was a miniseries staring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith that stayed very close to the book. The special effects are dated and so on, but it's better story-wise if you care to look it up.)
If all you know about the The Bourne Identity is the Matt Damon movie you don't know the story. Really, do yourself a favor and read the novel.
I like this book and its sequels. I hate the movie and its sequels.
Please try reading the books and finding out what the plot actually is. The book is well plotted, thought out, with complex characters. I believe you'll like it.
A man wakes up with amnesia...not a unique plot even then...and has to put together who he is and what's going on from few clues. This can be difficult in the best of times. If people are trying to kill you that can sometimes add to the...stress.
Microfilm, competing assassins, double and triple identities and of course a love story. As noted, this is a great read and it's much better than the movie by the same name in my opinion. (Although back in 1988 there was a miniseries staring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith that stayed very close to the book. The special effects are dated and so on, but it's better story-wise if you care to look it up.)
If all you know about the The Bourne Identity is the Matt Damon movie you don't know the story. Really, do yourself a favor and read the novel.
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
The Bourne Identity.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
September 27, 2009
– Shelved
Comments Showing 1-50 of 75 (75 new)
I'm happy you like the movie. But it's a logical fallacy to assume that because you like it you wouldn't like something someone else prefers. It's like assuming that because you like apple pie you wouldn't like cherry cobbler.
ah but what if I was in france and I ate a 'pomme' and thought it was lovely, and you might assume I like 'pomme de terre' because they're named almost the same, but then I hear that really they're not much alike.. so theres no reason to assume that I would like one, from liking the other. Thats what I mean :)
I have yet to read the book myself, Sath, but my husband has loved the books and the movie, he just liked them in completely different ways. Same with the Legends of the Seeker show vs. book. He enjoys a good action movie, but he enjoyed the complexity of the book as well.
Thanks Becky.. maybe I would do okay with it :)
....I was saying there was no basis to think one thing or the other. You know, just because you like the movie it tells you nothing about the book. Could go either way...it doesn't really give you any indication one way or the other.
Oh well, what can I say...sigh.
:)
wow Mike, you've given it the illusive 5 stars! I will definitely have to read this one
I read it when I was on a Robert Ludlum kick some years ago and really like this one. I even liked the sequels, though they did get weaker as they went on, LOL.
I remember it following the novel much closer than the newer film. Glad you enjoyed it.
Would a 13-year-old like it...
Probably. It would probably depend on the individual. It's multilayered but if you're well read it probably won't be a problem. It's violent and as I recall some R rated stuff. Might check with your parents.
Well I like both but I must admit that the book has much more depth to it.
Got it yesterday! Already done!! Must get next one!!
Also remember they have to make the story more recent to grasp non-series-reading viewers... perhaps that's why they needed to rewrite the story...
Well if you read the book you'll see that they didn't update it some much as switch the entire point of Bourne's mission and who did what. They took a book with a fairly original plot and put it into a plot template that's been done a hundred or more times.
Im a big fan of this book and like the films only for Matt Damon, the action. The story is nothing compared the book. The books are more spy thrilers,more story
I did like the movies but could always tell something was missing. I am reading the book now and loving it. A major missing component besides what Mike said about plot is the characters. Even Bourne came across as very cardboard in film. It was like all they cared about was the action. The book has insanely awesome and well written action sequences along with plot that is explained better, has logical progression, and makes sense. Then I also get to know Jason, what he is thinking, how he feels! Awesome.
I just got the '88 TV movie (had to track down a used DVD).
The first couple of sequels are also like that. I haven't read the Lustbrader ones.
The 1988 ABC-TV miniseries adaptation (starring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith) was much more faithful to the novel than the Matt Damon movie, though even the miniseries took some departures from the book.
They all do if for nothing more than time. I bought the older mini-series on DVD after I wrote this review, LOL.
I just re-watched the mini-series on YouTube; first time I'd seen it since it originally aired.
Hey Mike, really thanx for the advice. I never knew that Matt Damon movie was not faithful to the novels. I will surely give it a try!
Yeah, they took the character and the opening scenes and sort of re-wrote the entire story. They sort of flipped it completely on it's head, LOL.I never get that when movie writers take a book's title and then completely destroy the book's story....
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Yeah, they took the character and the opening scenes and sort of re-wrote the entire story. They sort of flipped it completely on it's head, LOL.I never get that when movie writers take a book's ..."
Ditto for a lot of Tom Clancy's novels, ESPECIALLY "The Sum of All Fears" with Matt Damon's ol' bosom buddy Ben Affleck.
LOL. Yeah they seem to be attempting to begin a franchise where they can start Jack over. Why they didn't just follow the story line and pick up Jack Jr. is another mysterious choice of the Hollywood elite.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "LOL. Yeah they seem to be attempting to begin a franchise where they can start Jack over. Why they didn't just follow the story line and pick up Jack Jr. is another mysterious choice of the Holly..."
Amen!
At least the first movie was similar to the book, which I think was mostly because Ludlum was still alive when the movie was in production.
Kevin wrote: "At least the first movie was similar to the book, which I think was mostly because Ludlum was still alive when the movie was in production."Tom Clancy (RIP) was still alive for the filmic adaptations of his films, ditto for Clive Cussler (who thankfully is still alive as I write thus), but that didn't stop the filmmakers from buggering up either author's original storylines.
The first movie wasn't really that similar. They flipped the plot on it's head in most ways.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "The first movie wasn't really that similar. They flipped the plot on it's head in most ways."Good point. The 1988 made-for-ABC-TV movie adaptation of "The Bourne Identity" (starring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith) was much more faithful to the novel.
Thanks, yeah I mentioned that earlier in the discussion. I have the DVDs.
Movies ALWAYS butcher the book. I've never seen a movie that lived up to the book. I never read a book by Ludlum that I didn't like! Read ALL THREE of the set years AGO! Bourne Identity Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. Super Excellent
The privilege of the SCREENWRITER is to change whatever they like. Thats why they all sag BASED ON the book. They have DRAMATIC LICENSE
Yes...but as a reviewer I get to yell about it!:)
But your yelling is sort of unwarranted. It's not like Hollywood is deceiving you--you knew the story could be changed; you had the option to not watch it :)
This is a review...I'm giving my opinion. You have the option to disagree with it.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "This is a review...I'm giving my opinion. You have the option to disagree with it." Good. Then what was the point of your reply?
I assume ths same as your original comment. This is a review of a book that is older and the title is probably more familiar to some as the title of a movie than the actual novel...and the movie really doesn't resemble the book beyond the protagonist's name. That said my review says please try the actual novel and don't assume that the movie and book are the same.So again...your original comment was I assume your way of saying you like the movie.
Oh and I didn't yell...yelling is like when you use all caps.
So enjoy the movie if you like, to each their own.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I assume ths same as your original comment. This is a review of a book that is older and the title is probably more familiar to some as the title of a movie than the actual novel...and the movie re..."
I think there's a misunderstanding. My original comment was a reply to your latest comment on this thread in which you said "as a reviewer I get to yell about it!" I enjoyed the movie and i'm currently starting the book; as such, there's nothing really I could disagree with you about since I haven't read the book yet. Hopefully I'll like the Bourne book series although I've heard of less than worthy comments about the latter series from his ghostwriter.
Peace.
I think there's a misunderstanding. My original comment was a reply to your latest comment on this thread in which you said "as a reviewer I get to yell about it!" I enjoyed the movie and i'm currently starting the book; as such, there's nothing really I could disagree with you about since I haven't read the book yet. Hopefully I'll like the Bourne book series although I've heard of less than worthy comments about the latter series from his ghostwriter.
Peace.
I didn't care for Lustbader as much, a completely different feel. The last comment was back in June so I'd forgotten it. As noted, to each. You might try to find the old mini-series if you're interested. It stayed closer to the book.
The Lustbader books turn him more into a pulp action type figure. That's okay for what it is, I just never got into them. I've tried a few books by Lustbader and they always strike me as "okay". I've just never gotten really involved in one. I do like the story arc in the Ludlum books.
I loved this book as a kid. One of my favorite ones - still need to write a proper review. And the two-part movie with Richard Chamberlain from the 80s was truer to the book, too.Igor
I finally ran that down on disc.
I loved both of the original trilogies (book and films). I despised the later books though. I can't remember so obvious an example of cynically milking a series for cash.And yeah I guess they could have made the films and entirely separate entity from the books given they shared so little. There were things I enjoyed in both though: The books had great secondary characters, well developed tactical situations that showed Bourne's intelligence and planning and cool settings (especially China in book 2). The films had a really good performance from Matt Damon, some of the most realistic and well done fight choreography I can remember and did a great job of conveying the sense of adrenaline fueled, break-neck urgency as Bourne had to plan, make decisions and act in the heat of battle.
Movie makers tend to do this often. They take a (good) book and use the title to make a movie (good or bad) that has little or nothing to do with the book. (Ever see "Starship Troopers"?)
Neither seen nor read Starship troopers. Heard good things about the book though.I do have sympathy for TV shows/films trying to adapt books. TV and even more so movies are a very different medium and are comparatively limited in their ability to tell a story (no internal monologues, far less time) but they do have advantages over books to balance that out (actors performances can be a double-edged sword but a great performance(s) can elevate a story massively e.g. the Godfather, music, live-action, cinematography etc.) but it's frustrating when a TV show/film doesn't seem to pay any respect to the source material and just wants to cash in on the name.
Yeah, but Godfather didn't attempt to turn the family into FBI informants or something. The (new) Bourne (movies) sort of flips the story of the book on it's head (the recent movies).I said above I get that things have to be done for time, even characters sometimes have to be combined and so on. I like the Lord of the Rings movies though they had to leave out huge portions of the book. With the Bourne Identity (and other movies) the actual story line has little or nothing to do with the story/plot of the book.
In the newer Bourne Identity movies basically the name and the amnesia are all you have in common...well, okay the CIA is involved but not the way you see it in the movie.
I am half way through TBI, and it is nothing but a sleeper. Ludlum is not a great writer, he has a great idea, but he is a bore with his words. I actually forget that Bourne is a trained assassin, very little action. I liked the movies. It gave me enough background information to sit through them. I was hoping for much more from this book, I am not sure I will even finish this one.
It is a shame, I was so looking forward to reading this book.
To each their own as they say. I like the book greatly and the sequels Ludlum wrote I also like...and I'm pretty much a Ludlum fan. People's tastes can't all be the same. I've read this book multiple times and as I said, like it.
I'm usually a big supporter of the originals of things. It's always fascinating to see where things evolved from. But my logic tells me that if I liked the movie, and the book is nothing like the movie.. then I might not like the book..? :(