The Bourne Identity: Jason Bourne Series, Book 1 cover art

The Bourne Identity: Jason Bourne Series, Book 1

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The Bourne Identity: Jason Bourne Series, Book 1

By: Robert Ludlum
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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About this listen

Now a classic film, The Bourne Identity is Robert Ludlum's first exploration into the bewildering and chilling world of Jason Bourne. Exciting, fast-paced and powerfully written, you won't escape unchanged.

He was dragged from the sea, his body riddled with bullets. There are a few clues: a frame of microfilm surgically implanted beneath the skin of his hip; evidence that plastic surgery has altered his face; strange things he says in his delirium, which could be code words. And a number on the film negative that leads to a bank account in Zurich, four million dollars, and a name for the amnesiac: Jason Bourne. Now he is running for his life.

A man with an unknown past and an uncertain future, the target of assassins and at the heart of a deadly puzzle. He's fighting for survival and no one can help him - except the one woman who once wanted to escape him....

©1980 Robert Ludlum (P)2008 Random House Audio Espionage Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction

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All stars
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Robert Ludlum and Scott Brick held me in thrall from beginning to end. I had seen the film before listening to this and was not sure. But, I'm glad I did. Scott Brick's narration was excellent and gave life to all the characters. I loved it and will be listening to it again.

Five star story

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Very good book that is performed well. It’s gripping at times but does get a bit slow. Would still highly recommend and will be listening to the next book in the series

Gripping at times

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This audio version disappoints, I'm afraid. Opinions seem bifurcated over the reader, but mine is that the book is worth a better reader than the one it got. There were various interludes where action was slowed down that it was all too easy to nod off, the reader's lifeless delivery letting attention wander.
This is partly due to Ludlum's heavy handed overwritten style, partly to the reading. Can't do anything about the text but certainly a decent selection of reader can overcome a book's shortfalls to some extent by injecting extra life where needed.
The Damon movie almost certainly drew many readers to check the book, and I've sure many found themselves listening to an entirely "rewritten" tale. Only thing is - it was the film that was rejigged. Inevitably, comparisons are drawn. Usually in terms of which one was "best" - disregarding how many different bookish aspects might be considered. If the book and the film had had different titles, then each might have been accepted as a different entity and considered on its own merits.
Bu that's not the world we live in.
The film was faulty in continuity, laughably so in places such as the snow scraped back then reappearing on the embassy fire escape immediately before he shins down the building's rear face and meets Marie, under completely different and far simpler circumstances from the novel. The book's too complex to be made into a watchable flick. And the book's curlicues of scaring the Carlos entourage by multiple injections of rabid nonsense... that was overcooked to the point of being risible.
The book is faulty.
The film is faulty, differently so. And works on a Carlos-free plot that needs few complications.
Re-edit the book, get a decent reader, this would be a far better listen than it is.
If I'd to have only one at the exclusion of the other, I'd choose the film. Because it's livelier.
But also because they wisely got rid of the overwritten overdone romantic stuff, plus that awful recanted phrase Cane is for.. etc. That "got old real fast" for me, every time it resurfaced I felt like tossing the book away. Only there was no book to throw. Frustrating.

Several readings over many years.

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a true action pack story that never slow down. ,the real Jason bourne that the film never showed.

excellent

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This is a great work of fiction, but it can feel a little long-winded in places. Despite this it is a brilliant tale, which bears only a passing resemblance to the movie of the same name.

Exciting if a little drawn out

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Hard to put down. If you don't have it yet get it you will not regret it.

GREAT

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Great story, some dodgy accents and sadly one of them was a main character. but over all good.

Great story, some dodgy accents but overall good.

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A newbie to audible, this was my first audio book for those long jams on the M25. I read this as a teenager and returning to it many years later after watching the films was fun. The writing itself may be a bit dated but the reading of it by Scott Brick was superb. He has just the right amount of accents for dialogue and intonation to identify the characters and keep you interested, without being too over the top.
Thoroughly recommend this. At 20-odd hours, plenty to get your teeth (or ears) into and exciting enough to keep you coming back on your next journey. Will be searching out more by this narrator.

Great Narration

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It took me a little while to get used to the narrator. He was a good choice actor but didn't initially seem like a good fit for me. I really loved this. Extremely different from the film, which I have always enjoyed. The biggest change seems to be the character of Marie. She is not a damsel in distress or someone who spends much of her time in a state of bewilderment. She is autonomous, strong, very intelligent and often drives the plot forward.

Good overall

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The first thing you need to do when you listen to this book is forget the films! Then this book is a true masterpiece.
Unfortunately and unusually for the narrator Scott Brick, it is his performance which makes the book difficult to follow at times, there is not enough differentiation of voice between the characters to make it clear who is involved or when it is the flashback rather than the present which is being performed (which resulted in having to rewind several times to be clear on what’s happening).
Will I continue with the series - Yes
Would I welcome a change of narrator - Yes, which is a shame as he does a good job with the Tom Clancy novels, however this story is more intricate and is more suited to the skills of Titus Wellever or RC Bray to make this an absolute classic.

Difficult but worth it

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