The Bourne Series

I just read the first two books in the past couple of days and I was really surprised how different they are than the movies. Totally different storylines. But I liked the Bourne Identity better than Supremacy. Supremacy seemed not as shocking and didn't have as many twists and turns.

The only thing that annoys me about Ludlum's writing is that he always puts things in italics when people are talking. If used sparingly, this is a great device, but he uses it in just about every conversation and it gets old.

Are you going to read The Bourne Ultimatum?

I had no fecking idea that The Bourne Identity was a book - I was even more shocked to learn there were three of them.

I'm gonna check them out. I love the movies, so realistic, with minimal special effects (thank God).

don't be too surprised if the book is way different than the movies...

Been awhile since I've read these, but if I recall correctly (and after seeing Supremacy a couple weeks ago), I found a couple major changes from the book as opposed to what they put on screen (which partially annoyed me):

Spoiler:
1. Marie isn't killed off in the book like she is in the movie, if I remember correctly.

2. The whole bit with Jason's rival (Carlos, I believe) will be interesting in terms of how it is handled if they do a movie sequel... he's a vital portion of the next chapter of the series). They guy was on the verge of death in the freeway tunnel.

Spoiler:
so that guy was supposed to be Carlos? and yes, Marie didn't die in the book, she was kidnapped. Also, the whole plot is different in the book than the movie

That's the way I understood it to play out. And given the way he looked in the film,

Spoiler:
I don't see how Carlos could survive that car accident to be in the sequel. He looked pretty messed up there at the end.

GAWD! You guys are making me green with envy! I've been looking forever for these books! (See, I got this thing about ordering online....🙂 )...Man! I hafta get ahold of these three!!!!

As for films being diff from the books, i think it is unavoidable, mainly for cinematic purposes...

hey, Primitive Screwhead...kudos on your avatar and sig! I love HERO! I love Tony Leung Chiu-Wai! and Maggie Cheung is one heck of an actress!

...but from what i read in the supremacy

Spoiler:
carlos was never in the this one but in the third installment...Borne: Ultimatum. In Supremacy, wasn't it someone else impersonating Jason Bourne?

Originally posted by jeffer_wrote
GAWD! You guys are making me green with envy! I've been looking forever for these books! (See, I got this thing about ordering online....🙂 )...Man! I hafta get ahold of these three!!!!

As for films being diff from the books, i think it is unavoidable, mainly for cinematic purposes...

hey, [b]Primitive Screwhead...kudos on your avatar and sig! I love HERO! I love Tony Leung Chiu-Wai! and Maggie Cheung is one heck of an actress! [/B]

Thanks, but I gotta give credit where credit is due... I gave a couple of images and a general request of what I wanted done to Cinemaddiction (he's done a couple for me now... usually, when a sig is a little too hard for me to handle via Paintbrush and all), and he ran with it. But I will take credit on the avatar... that one's all mine!

Carlos was in the first one in the book, not in the second book and WAS in the third one. so we'll see how this plays out.

That was not supposed to be carlos. The only things held true to the books is that a) Bourne loses his memory, and b) he meets Marie. There are a few characters that were given the same names but have nothing else in common. For example, in the movies David Abbot (the Monk) was a fool and a traitor and played on into the second installment, where in the books he was a mastermind and constantly loyal but fell to Carlos' gunmen in the first book. Carlos and Bourne's imposter have also been completely removed in the movies.

This isnt such a bad thing; there is too much in each book to accurately portray in the films. I think Ludlum knew this. It is nice to see they took the basic concept and instead of murdering the story they revamped it for the big screen.

Even if you read nothing but the book's back cover's description a simple comparison would have revealed these things.

So are the books worth reading?
I have thought of reading them as I liked the first movie, but then I saw the second movie which was a bit too boring for me. So I have never gotten around to read them. Should I?

yes you should

I have just finished the first two, and am just waiting for my copy of Bourne Ultimatum to arrive at my doorstep...

While the movies were good and thrilling by themselves, the books also have their own strengths. I mean, Robert Ludlum was the person who conjured the character of Jason Bourne so it is an interesting thing to get to know him through the eyes of its original creator. Books are NOT like the films, only the major character....

Anyone here read The Bourne Legacy? the one writted by Eric Lustbader ...whaddya guys thought of it?

I was kinda a bad boy... I read the legacy then ultimatum...

I liked them both.. Legacy is the easier read and doesn't concentraite on bournes condition as much as the others... I didn't like them always worring about bournes mental health in the books.....

I read the books ages before the new Bourne Identity was filmed, and I thought Matt Damon was WAY too young for the role. Sorry, he just couldn't pull it off, for me, as a character who's been to hell and back. Too young, and too inexperienced. Unconvincing, in fact.

The original Bourne Identity was filmed with Richard Chamberlain, and while he is not the slick action star that Damon is, he was more convincing, for me, as Ludlum's character.

I enjoyed the second book more, as far as I can remember, because Bourne lost it for a bit there. I haven't read the books in ages (I got bored with Ludlum,s style, he just carries ON and ON and ON) but if I remember correctly, Bourne went into a house and just basically cleaned it out. I like it when he is a bit mean.

"with Ludlum's style, he just carries ON and ON and ON"

Yer, i felt like that when reading it.. I still haven't finished ultima