The Bourne Identity

By Robert Ludlum.

I've only read one other novel by Ludlum; 'The Road to Gandolfo' and that was a long while ago now. I remember the book as some what old fashioned and quite dull, but readable (compared to some of the other books I've read).

I quite liked the Bourne films, mostly because I like the pace and the music. I'm not too sure about their credibility though so I decided to go back to the original source and read the books. I bought the trilogy and I'm working through them now. Surprisingly, I quite liked the first book. Its very similar in style to the Gandolfo book, but it feels like Ludlum put more effort into this one.

Of course, the story has very little to do with what I saw in the film. The movie makers took only the bare bones and built up their own story around the central concept of a super agent who loses his memory after being shot and dumped in the Mediterranean sea. They also kept a few names and places along the way, Marie, Abbott, Concklin, Europe, but every thing else is different. Marie is not a drop out German, but a Canadian government official. Treadstone is not a CIA operation and Bourne is not a super spy from post Cold War Europe.

What really stands out though is what they cut out. In the books (written just a few years after the Vietnam War) Bourne is an agent trained in Vietnam, out hunting the famous terrorist Carlos 'the Jackal'. I can understand why they cut Carlos out of a contemporary film and I'm grateful because, as I suspected, despite a parallel plot, the book is a very different story from the film. Carlos in particular dates this book. He's one of those weird Cold War characters who just keeps turning up in various books and films like a bad penny. The real Carlos was a left wing terrorist who carried out actions for the PFLP. He got called 'the Jackal' by the media after a copy of Frederick Forsyth's book 'The Day of the Jackal' was found in his possesions. I think I'll read Forsyths book after I finish the Bourne trilogy. I've seen the film (not the awkward remake starring Bruce Willis but the 1973 original starring the Edward Fox) so why not read that book too!?.

Carlos was a genuine example of life imitating art. Ludlum describes him as the ultimate terrorist. Trained by the KGB yet independent. Able to out smart both super powers and commanding vast resources. Operating out of Paris he chases Bourne through out the book whilst out playing Treadstone. Unlike in the film Treadstone takes a very back seat position in this book. Its the biggest change the fim makers made. Instead of high tech US counter intel services chasing a rogue agent, we have the Americans left as by standers whilst Carlos and Bourne play cat and mouse.

Apparently there is another film adaptation of this book starring Richard Chamberlain. I wonder if that film is based closer to the original story?
4/5