The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum:-

1. The Bourne Identity (1980)


2. The Bourne Supremacy (1986)


3. The Bourne Ultimatum (1990)

I read the first novel of the series – The Bourne Identity way back in 2003 or so, and I must say that it deserves to be voted as the second best spy novel of all-time by Publishers Weekly, though I still have to read the winner – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré.

I have not yet come across any other book – fiction, non-fiction where I was hooked right from the first page. After all these years, I still vividly remember sitting down with the book on a lazy summer afternoon, opening the first page and reading the first few paragraphs and man was I buoyed by it. Another book that comes so close in comparison is Area 7 by Matthew Reilly in the intensity of action and thrill.

The book (Bourne Identity) is a fast-paced read with a lot of action and suspense, to which the movie adaptation does no justice, except for making Matt Damon uber-fast in his action sequences, which actually Ludlum has written fantastically in the book and needs vivid imagination and visualization to really appreciate.

A man is picked up by a trawler barely alive in the Mediterranean Sea with several bullet wounds and a head injury causing amnesia. As he recuperates with the help of a doctor, who has taken him in, he comes to know that he is not just like any other ordinary man. He has been put under the scalpel, has a fantastic knowledge of languages, and knows martial arts. The only clue to his identity is a secret account number in a Swiss bank.

Ludlum then takes us on a whirlwind trip all-over Europe with “the man” – let’s just call him Bourne, out-pacing and out-thinking the CIA, Interpol and Carlos, the Jackal (thus called when found with a copy of Frederick Forsyth's novel The Day of the Jackal amongst his belongings). At the end, the true identity of Bourne is finally revealed and along with the exposure of all rogue elements. This reminds me of the trailer I saw of “Wolverine of the X-Men Series” fighting hard to find his identity and history, have to yet see the movie.

The sequel Bourne Supremacy is also as good if not better than the first one. Again for all those who have seen the film, well just forget that you have seen it. It does no justice to the book and is actually very different and contradictory to the plot.

The story continues from where Bourne Identity left off. Bourne now knows his identity, and well has a life and a wife. And all of it goes for a toss, when another Bourne comes into the picture and starts shooting real people in his name. And then to top it off Bourne’s wife, the real Bourne’s wife whom he loves very much gets abducted – well then what’s a man supposed to do now, Bourne again takes up the mantle of being Bourne and goes after the killer.

Again the book is an absolute thriller. Ludlum very successfully fleshes out the character of Bourne even further and brings the various emotions – his anguish, turmoil and anger towards his handlers and his wife’s kidnappers, towards himself and his past out in the fore. This time the story is set in the Asian theatre when the British are supposed to handover Hong Kong to China.

In the final book of the series “Bourne Ultimatum”, before he ripens off of old age Carlos has now decided to kill his old nemesis Bourne. And thus, Bourne is pulled back into the world of violence and deceit when Carlos sets upon him his network of jackals. The plot of the movie is again way different.

All in all, the trilogy is an absolute page-turner. I couldn’t wait for Bourne Supremacy after finishing Identity and then the Ultimatum. Hence, the suggestion, get the next sequel along with the book you are about to begin reading or else well wait out through the agonizing delay!!

Further continued on by Eric Van Lustbader:-

1. The Bourne Legacy (2004)


2. The Bourne Betrayal (2007)


3. The Bourne Sanction (2008)


4. The Bourne Deception (2009)

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