Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Objective

You know what you're getting when you get into a Robert Ludlum book.

Fast paced, exciting action, taking place in exotic, globe-trotting locations - a real page-turner, as long as you don't think too much about the intricacies of the plot. And probably a couple of sleepless nights as you read "ok, just one more chapter then..."

You know what you're getting, you know what you're getting into and you know it's going to deliver.

If that's not for you, don't start one. Don't start one looking for deep meaning, and then pretend to be disappointed. Don't pretend you were expecting high prose and then feign disappointment when you don't find it. Robert Ludlum books don't have pretention; the readers sometimes do. Don't criticise, just accept them show more as what they are, or accept that they're maybe not for you.

With an Eric von Lustbader 'Robert Ludlum' book, it's perhaps a little less certain. He writes in the style of Robert Ludlum, but 'it's not quite there', as my old boss used to say.

Most people will have come to the Jason Bourne books after the success of the three films. I did. Though I had previously read several of the non-Bourne Ludlum books. And thoroughly enjoyed them. This one, seems to be No.8 in the Bourne series, so as I haven't read 6 or 7, I maybe shouldn't have got to this one just yet. Though I figured they would probably be pretty much stand-alone, with the links being the US Intelligence services, Treadstone, and Bourne's memory loss. That's correct here. Bourne starts in Bali, I think, then has to travel here and there unravelling this and that, all the while dodging bullets and in the process, gradually finding more clues to his own, forgotten, past.

More, you don't need to know. There are twists and turns, double-crossing (possibly triple-crossing) and general, to quote my old Grandma; "dirty-dickery" at every page turn.

The main thing that grated with me here, was a very little thing. He often, mid in the hectic action of a fight or shoot-out, mentions the type of gun being used. The villain doesn't just grab a gun and shoot at Bourne, he grabs (for instance) a Walther PK67 (I've made that up) and fires. As if that is supposed to impress me and tell me soooo much about the villains dastardly character. He is a discerning villain who only uses the very highest quality of gun, by a manufacturer we've never heard of, so must presume that it signifies an intelligence a couple of notches above our own. But because we've never heard of the gun make, it is meaningless. Just a word, a sound in our heads. He may as well have written 'Sowlsmexvofmdl'. To his credit, he doesn't do like others i could mention, and use the characters' choice of shirt-, sock-, cigar-, or fountain pen-manufacturer, to 'reveal' the dastardly villains character. As if paying over the odds for something we plebs thing nothing of picking up for a couple of coins in the local supermarket, indictes a level of sophistication that a villain absolutely shouldn't have. When James Bond asks for a Martini to be shaken, not stirred, he is admirable in his level of taste. When a Russian mobster insists on the same (and that the bartender be flown in from an exclusive Paris hotel to do it), it is supposed to indicate that he (or she, I guess), is even more ruthless and heartlessly despicable than was previously indicated by their wiping out of an innocent victim's whole family.

Oh, and; where does Bourne keep his money? It's not like he can nip to the local bank, yet he's never short, no matter what country he's in, or how much he needs. Can't figure that one out.

That'll do.

Good, but not great. A Lustbender, not a Ludlum. But I'll still read the others. show less

This was a good read. An exciting book in which a lot of old characters turned up again in one form or another.
I think this one was better that (some of the) previous Bourne novels Van Lustbader wrote.
It will be interesting to learn how the story continues after the end of this book.

I was very excited to listen to this audiobook read by Scott Sowers since I have seen the Bourne movies and enjoyed all of them. I usually enjoy action-packed audiobooks but I must admit that this is one that I didn't enjoy at all. Maybe it is actually because all of the excitement going on in my life right now, but I just found that I could not focus on the story at all.

So you all know that Jason Bourne is a secret agent, for what agency I don't know. But it does seem that someone is always chasing him and trying to kill him. This story is not any different in that aspect. I really do not even know what Bourne was trying to accomplish in this novel, except for trying to locate a laptop that obviously had some very important information show more on it. Besides the quest for the laptop, there is also some lesbian activity and even a shark attack at some point, but who was attacked I can't recall.

The one part of the story line that I was able to follow had to do with Bourne reflecting on a past romantic relationship with a gal named Tracy, who happened to die in his arms. Bourne recalls his relationship when he is introduced to Tracy's sister and her little girl. Since Bourne has made contact with this mother/daughter duo, their lives are also now in danger.

I actually did listen to the whole audiobook thinking that I would enjoy it as time went on, but it didn't happen for me. The story did not grab me at any point and I still don't really know what Bourne was trying to accomplish, except for what the summary indicates above. I'm not really sure who would like this one as an audiobook, but I can assure you that it wasn't for me. show less

Unnecessarily convoluted
Maybe better to listen to than read.

Keeps the action up and the reader wanting more. On to Dominion!!!

Keeps the action up and the reader wanting more. On to Dominion!!!

### Product Description

This is a brand new Jason Bourne novel - latest in the bestselling series. Readers were first introduced to Jason Bourne's nemesis Leonid Arkadin, a brilliant Russian assassin and fearless international mercenary, in "The Bourne Sanction". His girlfriend was killed during a fight for which an enraged Arkadin blames Bourne. In "The Bourne Deception", Arkadin hunted Bourne to take revenge and kill him. Bourne, in a fight for his life, learned that Arkadin's skills mirror Jason's because he received the same original CIA Treadstone training. Now, in "The Bourne Objective", Jason will turn the tables and target Arkadin. Hunter will become hunted. But revenge can cause great psychological devastation. Has this become show more too personal for Bourne? Will this hunt be Bourne's downfall?

### About the Author

Eric Van Lustbader is the author of numerous novels in a variety of styles, but is most widely known as the author of twenty international bestselling thrillers including THE NINJA and BLACK HEART. Born in New York City, he currently lives in New York State. show less