Robert Ludlum (1927–2001)

Some spy novels get better and more relevant with age, and Robert Ludlum's fabulous The Matarese Circle falls into that category. What it lacks in literary aspirations it more than makes up for in sheer excitement and fun.

Written decades ago, the story-line of Matarese Circle seems almost prophetic despite it being dated, the world finally catching up to the plot. A spy thriller this wildly entertaining isn't supposed to give you such pause afterward, as you look around the globe, yet it show more does. Riveting is a word too often used by publishers attempting to hype their book and generate sales. It is the perfect word to describe the narrative between the covers of this terrific thriller.

Two high level executions are mere tests of controlled reactions by a group whose name is not even whispered within the hallowed corridors of power in Washington or Russia. It began in the hills of Corsica decades before, and now moves covertly in the shadows. Two men on opposite sides, both the best in their field, are on the receiving end of one order: unsalvageable. Brandon Scofield and Vasili Taleniekov have been on a collision course for decades, but now the Russian will secretly reach out to his deadliest enemy in order to prevent the Matarese from controlling the world.

This is a lightning-paced spy thriller with more globe-trotting action than any ten others in the genre combined, yet on some level, it comes off as eerily plausible. The Matarese foster chaos in governments through financial control and political upheaval, like a puppeteer. Violent groups remain unaware, however, that they are mere pawns of the Matarese. Unless Scofield and Taleniekov can stop them, the Matarese will soon, through assassination and through democratic election, control the superpowers completely. What began in those Corsican hills, will finally span the globe.

A young woman from Corsica will give Brandon Scofield new life, but perhaps too late, as he may have to sacrifice it to save his country. And Taleniekov will discover just how far the fever has spread when he contacts old friends. Only Beowolf and the Serpent can track down the heirs and heiresses to a group so deadly and insidious a simple whisper means death. For the reader, it is a spellbinding ride that keeps pages turning late into morning. A book so exciting, written over thirty years ago, in the midst of a cold war which supposedly no longer exists, isn't suppose to be this much fun. Nor should it be so eerily disturbing.

Ludlum later revealed to readers he patterned the Shepherd Boy after Spanish financier Juan March Ordinas, and the Matarese idea sprung from rumors that the Trilateral Commission was attempting to create one world government. He embellished on this premise and created one of the most action-filled spy novels ever written. A wild ride that is both gripping and tremendously enjoyable. If you read for entertainment purposes, you can't go wrong with this one! show less

Robert Ludlum weet opnieuw te verrassen met zijn thriller Trevayne. Dit boek is een pageturner van de bovenste plank. Het verhaal volgt de succesvolle industrieel Andrew Trevayne, die door de Amerikaanse regering wordt gevraagd een rapport op te stellen over bedrijven die contracten hebben met het ministerie van Defensie.
Wat begint als een routineklus, ontaardt al snel in een levensgevaarlijke missie. Trevayne wordt meegezogen in een web van intriges, corruptie en moordcomplotten. Hij komt show more erachter dat er binnen de hoogste kringen van de regering en het bedrijfsleven duistere krachten aan het werk zijn.
Ludlum is een meester in het opbouwen van spanning. Hij introduceert een reeks intrigerende personages, van meedogenloze tegenstanders tot onvoorspelbare bondgenoten. De plot is complex en vol onverwachte wendingen, waardoor je als lezer constant op het puntje van je stoel zit.
Wat Trevayne zo bijzonder maakt, is de combinatie van een spannende thriller met een kritische blik op de macht van grote bedrijven en de politiek. Ludlum weet op een meesterlijke manier de lezer te laten nadenken over de gevolgen van hebzucht en corruptie. show less

I loved this movie as a teenager. On watching it now, 40 years later, I realize I was dragging too much information into it from the book. Without the book to fill in the blanks (since it''s been too long since I read it), the movie has vast plot holes. Acting and cinematography are good or great, but the lack of sense in the storyline makes this silly and unenjoyable.

I am a stubborn, anal-retentive completionist when it comes to books. If I start it, I finish it. That being said - this is the first novel I have ever started & then given-up on. It really is that bad. I read [b:The Bourne Identity|7812194|The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1)|Robert Ludlum|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267668677s/7812194.jpg|859111] & its sequel, [b:The Bourne Supremacy|763597|The Bourne Supremacy (Jason Bourne, #2)|Robert show more Ludlum|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281832085s/763597.jpg|2508588] & while neither was spectacular, I still enjoyed them. I figured I'd finish the trilogy with Ultimatum. I had noticed the abysmal reviews on Amazon.com, but decided I had to see for myself. I just couldn't bring myself to not read the final volume of [a:Robert Ludlum|5293|Robert Ludlum|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1208465267p2/5293.jpg]'s Bourne trilogy.

Stubbornly, I slogged my way through one-third of the paperback, while also reading [a:Vince Flynn|14989|Vince Flynn|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1237150817p2/14989.jpg]'s [b:Extreme Measures|3313418|Extreme Measures (Mitch Rapp, #9)|Vince Flynn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1299166292s/3313418.jpg|3351033] on my Nook. That's what finally did it for me. I absolutely love reading anything Flynn writes. The man really knows how to write a page-turner of a thriller. While being so absorbed in one of his novels, I couldn't bear the thought of picking up where I left off in The Bourne Ultimatum. I became painfully aware of the lack of fun in reading it.

Many of the common criticisms of this novel I found to be true. I'm normally not one to be critical, but the dialogue is at times atrocious. I understand that when reading a work of fiction it is sometimes necessary to employ a suspension of disbelief, but considering how Ludlum seeks to write fairly realistic fiction, he failed miserably with Ultimatum. Carlos seemed a fairly believable opponent in Identity, however, I felt that in Ultimatum he was a caricature. Ludlum seems to be incapable of referring to Carlos without the word "Jackal" being in the same paragraph. Funny, I hardly recall the moniker of "The Jackal" being used in Identity. Also, how many times must the reader be reminded that David Webb, aka Jason Bourne, aka "Delta" is over-the-hill in this book. Only 5 years have passed since the events of Supremacy, yet the reader is led to believe that the protagonist who was on top of his game as a 45 year old in Hong Kong & China during the events of the preceding novel is now almost lacking in competence at 50. Identity introduced the concept of Carlos utilizing old men on the streets of Paris as his eyes and ears (in a very believable fashion), yet now 13 years later he seemingly has an endless supply of old men who have nothing better to do with their miserable lives than to throw them away by pursuing Bourne around the world (beyond ridiculous). If Bourne is so inept & Carlos is still "the man" then why does Carlos need so many helpers in his quest to assassinate Bourne? I could go on with a laundry list of complaints, but I really don't feel like spending any more of my time even thinking about this rag.

Bottom line - this book should never have been written. Just read The Bourne Identity, and then The Bourne Supremacy, and assume that David & Marie lived happily ever after following the events of Supremacy. show less