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Jason Bourne #3
The Bourne Ultimatum
The world's two deadliest spies in the ultimate showdown.
At a small-town carnival two men, each mysteriously summoned by telegram, witness a bizarre killing. The telegrams are signed Jason Bourne. Only they know Bourne's true identity and understand the telegram is really a message from Bourne's mortal enemy, Carlos, known also as the Jackal, the world's deadliest and most elusive terrorist. And furthermore, they know that the Jackal wants: a final confrontation with Bourne.
Now David Webb, professor of Oriental studies, husband, and father, must do what he hoped he would never have to do again: assume the terrible identity of Jason Bourne. His plan is simple: to infiltrate the politically and economically Medusan group and use himself as bait to lure the cunning Jackal into a deadly trap, a trap from which only one of them will escape.
At a small-town carnival two men, each mysteriously summoned by telegram, witness a bizarre killing. The telegrams are signed Jason Bourne. Only they know Bourne's true identity and understand the telegram is really a message from Bourne's mortal enemy, Carlos, known also as the Jackal, the world's deadliest and most elusive terrorist. And furthermore, they know that the Jackal wants: a final confrontation with Bourne.
Now David Webb, professor of Oriental studies, husband, and father, must do what he hoped he would never have to do again: assume the terrible identity of Jason Bourne. His plan is simple: to infiltrate the politically and economically Medusan group and use himself as bait to lure the cunning Jackal into a deadly trap, a trap from which only one of them will escape.
725 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 25, 1990
About the author
Robert Ludlum
516 books4,925 followersRobert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,060 reviews
April 4, 2008
After three grueling months I finally finished reading this book. You may ask yourself: "If it was so grueling, why did he finish it at all?" Good question! After reading the first two books in the Bourne trilogy, I felt compelled to finally see the final confrontation between Jason Bourne and Carlos the Jackal. Now I will admit that The Bourne Ultimatum was not nearly as boring and convoluted as its predecessor, The Bourne Supremacy. However, I'm fairly certain that Robert Ludlum took a class on writing ridiculously bad exposition dialogue before completing the series. The characters never say anything the least bit natural or believable in the entire book, and every conversation seems to include one character saying to another, "I'm not following you", after which the speaker tediously explains their prior explanation about unexplained government conspiracies in an inexplicable fashion. Hey Robert--if your characters need the dialogue re-explained so that your reader will have the slightest clue what the hell's going on...maybe it's time to write better! Of course, Ludlum's dead, so we know he can't read this. Just like I could barely read his book. If the book had been about 400 pages shorter, it would have at least been fast-paced and fun, but at over 660 pages, it was incredibly overblown and repetitive. It's a real shame, because I loved The Bourne Identity. Without the mystery of who Jason Bourne is and why he knows how to be such an amazing super-spy, there's nothing to draw you into the story. Stay away unless you are a hard-core Ludlum or spy-thriller fan.
June 3, 2018
The first few Bourne books were page turning, barn burners. This is probably the last one I read as I was getting Bourne burnout, but it was still a great read.
February 18, 2010
The third (and last by Ludlum) entry in the story of "Jason Bourne". If your only exposure to Bourne are the Matt Damon movies, then you don't really have an idea of the story. This (as these cases usually do) ruined any enjoyment of the movie for me. I always wonder why bother to "buy" an authors title and then write a screen play that doesn't even resemble the novel?
Oh well, nothing I can do.
My suggestion? Get the first book and read all three. They may not be the best Ludlum ever wrote, but they are outstanding novels, and in my opinion far better then the recent movies.
Oh well, nothing I can do.
My suggestion? Get the first book and read all three. They may not be the best Ludlum ever wrote, but they are outstanding novels, and in my opinion far better then the recent movies.
January 14, 2013
As the Ludlum portion of the Bourne series comes to an end with this book, I must say that this is surely a very thick (in all its senses) book, filled with great nuances. Completing the original trilogy at a time when spy games were all about actual deception and sleight of hand (rather than technology and the information highway) makes these books stand out for me. That said, Ludlum is, as he is accused of being, overly verbose in some areas and really could have watered down the description and yet still come out with a great book. While Bourne comes up against his greatest nemesis yet (the famed Carlos the Jackal), the book has the reader traipsing all over the place to ensure the Bourne family is safe and then hunting the Jackal until he can be found. The excitement near the end made up for sections of very slow reading and kept me from putting it down. While I admire Ludlum for his creativity, it was, at times, a little too much.
Ludlum’s classics do portray Jason Bourne/David Webb in a certain way that will surely be hard to replicate in an era when technology is the key to the game. Eric Lustbader, the author who has taken over the series, will surely be placed in some large shoes and it is now up to the reader to determine how well they are filled. That said, if we are to be realistic here, Bourne was around 50 years old when this book took place (set in 1990), so he is surely aging over that time. I suppose we shall see if the reader must suspend reality and allow Bourne not to age over the 14 year hiatus, or whether Lustbader will pick up in the early 1990s, surely harder to do, with technology being what it is in the espionage game these days.
One small thing I must mention in this book, being a proud Canadian. I picked up on Ludlum’s continual use of Mrs. Webb (Marie) in all three books as being part of the Canadian Government. She is, in Book 1, from Ontario and lived on a farm. In Book 2, she magically was growing up in the farming communities of Saskatchewan, yet was still a Francophone. (Those who know their Canadian, even Prairies geography, will see the issue). Then, in this book, we are back to tossing hay in Ontario. Keep those things clear, as there is surely a group of us who can tell and do pay attention.
I must admit the use of numerous languages does bring the book alive. The French is accurate and I can only assume that the German and Russian is also up to par. Makes the reader feel as though we are actually IN these places that are being discussed. There, my asides are complete.
Kudos Mr. Ludlum and thank you for setting the foundation for a great series. I do wonder if Lustbader will Hollywood-ise your work from now on. That said, I am eager to dive in to see how the post-Ludlum Bourne/Webb holds up!
Ludlum’s classics do portray Jason Bourne/David Webb in a certain way that will surely be hard to replicate in an era when technology is the key to the game. Eric Lustbader, the author who has taken over the series, will surely be placed in some large shoes and it is now up to the reader to determine how well they are filled. That said, if we are to be realistic here, Bourne was around 50 years old when this book took place (set in 1990), so he is surely aging over that time. I suppose we shall see if the reader must suspend reality and allow Bourne not to age over the 14 year hiatus, or whether Lustbader will pick up in the early 1990s, surely harder to do, with technology being what it is in the espionage game these days.
One small thing I must mention in this book, being a proud Canadian. I picked up on Ludlum’s continual use of Mrs. Webb (Marie) in all three books as being part of the Canadian Government. She is, in Book 1, from Ontario and lived on a farm. In Book 2, she magically was growing up in the farming communities of Saskatchewan, yet was still a Francophone. (Those who know their Canadian, even Prairies geography, will see the issue). Then, in this book, we are back to tossing hay in Ontario. Keep those things clear, as there is surely a group of us who can tell and do pay attention.
I must admit the use of numerous languages does bring the book alive. The French is accurate and I can only assume that the German and Russian is also up to par. Makes the reader feel as though we are actually IN these places that are being discussed. There, my asides are complete.
Kudos Mr. Ludlum and thank you for setting the foundation for a great series. I do wonder if Lustbader will Hollywood-ise your work from now on. That said, I am eager to dive in to see how the post-Ludlum Bourne/Webb holds up!
August 31, 2007
What can I say? It was intense - a little too intense for me. By about the middle of the book, I wanted to shoot Carlos myself just so that the insanity would end. The plot in this book seems even more complex than in the other two and is impossible to comprehend. Nevertheless, I cared about Jason Bourne enough as a character to stick out the whole grueling story with him, but I felt almost as beat up and emotionally raw as he did by the time it was over. Overall, not a pleasant reading experience, but if you're a die-hard Bourne fan, you can't really pass this one up.
March 31, 2022
I am quite the fan of the Bourne film series. Matt Damon's incredible performance as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne really refined the vulnerable yet brutal everyman action hero that many action films have tried (and failed *cough* Quantum of Solace) to emulate since his debut. Both Damon and his directors understood what made the character of Bourne great. He is a sympathetic man that will turn into a monster during dangerous circumstances but always fight for the good cause, and in this book Ludlum really nails Bourne's imner conflict.
It has been 13 years since Jason Bourne woke up with memory-loss on a beach in France and discovered his true identity as David Webb, an undercover CIA operative in pursuit of the dangerous terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Since then he has lived a happy life with his wife and kids as a professor of Asian languages in Maine, but when Carlos the Jackal makes an attempt to kill David's friends Alex Conklin and Dr. Panov he must once again become Jason Bourne and continue the hunt in order to protect his kids. While setting up a trap for Carlos, the three friends end up stumbling on a conspiracy that has members in the highest levels of the American and Soviet governments.
My relationship with the Bourne books has always been a bit strained. The first one had an interesting mystery but felt very long and tedious, and the climax was extremely underwhelming. The second book was a lot better; it dealt masterfully with the split personality disorder, showing us a Bourne in his prime as a trained killer, but also some chapters about David's wife that were a chore to read and a quite convoluted plot. This book, however, has it all. A great plot with many twists and turns, a fascinating and ruthless villain, exciting locations, interesting side characters, and an amazing climax at a KGB training facility. All this serves to tell the story of a man on a reluctant quest for peace; a man who must either reconcile two conflicting character traits or plunge into madness.
This is definetely the first Jason Bourne book I really enjoyed and it serves as a great farewell to the story and characters Ludlum introduced in The Bourne Identity. I am excited to see what author Eric van Lustbader will do with the story of Bourne, but I honestly think this book will be hard to top. This is without doubt one of the most positive surprises I have had this year, and I warmly recommend reading this action packed thriller, even if that means dragging yourself through its quite subpar predecessors.
It has been 13 years since Jason Bourne woke up with memory-loss on a beach in France and discovered his true identity as David Webb, an undercover CIA operative in pursuit of the dangerous terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Since then he has lived a happy life with his wife and kids as a professor of Asian languages in Maine, but when Carlos the Jackal makes an attempt to kill David's friends Alex Conklin and Dr. Panov he must once again become Jason Bourne and continue the hunt in order to protect his kids. While setting up a trap for Carlos, the three friends end up stumbling on a conspiracy that has members in the highest levels of the American and Soviet governments.
My relationship with the Bourne books has always been a bit strained. The first one had an interesting mystery but felt very long and tedious, and the climax was extremely underwhelming. The second book was a lot better; it dealt masterfully with the split personality disorder, showing us a Bourne in his prime as a trained killer, but also some chapters about David's wife that were a chore to read and a quite convoluted plot. This book, however, has it all. A great plot with many twists and turns, a fascinating and ruthless villain, exciting locations, interesting side characters, and an amazing climax at a KGB training facility. All this serves to tell the story of a man on a reluctant quest for peace; a man who must either reconcile two conflicting character traits or plunge into madness.
This is definetely the first Jason Bourne book I really enjoyed and it serves as a great farewell to the story and characters Ludlum introduced in The Bourne Identity. I am excited to see what author Eric van Lustbader will do with the story of Bourne, but I honestly think this book will be hard to top. This is without doubt one of the most positive surprises I have had this year, and I warmly recommend reading this action packed thriller, even if that means dragging yourself through its quite subpar predecessors.
August 13, 2016
I love the book more than the movie
October 14, 2013
My rating is perhaps a little unusual for me,as it's not really based on literary merit. Indeed, I found myself, upon this reread, a little shocked at how often Bourne makes mistakes and is mentioned to be getting old. Still, it's one of the first adult novels I really read and got into, and for that, it has a special place in my heart. William Dufris's narration of this work so enthralled me at the time that I played the tapes several times over - no small thing considering they ran for over twenty-five hours, and even reading it myself now, I find I hear his voice and his characters.
I especially liked the way Ultimatum made homage to Identity, the section back in France was very nicely done, if a little rushed. And again, I can only further iterate that the way Bourne's age is brought up time and again makes the subsequent novels even more pointless than many have intimated. The final sentence of the novel ends the trilogy perfectly and, as far as I'm concerned, that's how the series should have remained.
I especially liked the way Ultimatum made homage to Identity, the section back in France was very nicely done, if a little rushed. And again, I can only further iterate that the way Bourne's age is brought up time and again makes the subsequent novels even more pointless than many have intimated. The final sentence of the novel ends the trilogy perfectly and, as far as I'm concerned, that's how the series should have remained.
September 16, 2012
To be honest I was disappointed with this one. I felt like finishing it - and the original trilogy - was an obligation after only a few pages.
The dialogue is ridiculous - nobody (and while I'm not familiar with American government institutions and their employees I'm pretty sure this covers them too) speaks in such a manner. Every conversation is overly convoluted and then - as if for the sake of an uneducated audience - explained again as part of the same dialogue. Not only that but the way in which the characters speak to eachother with regard to their feelings toward the other.. I used the word 'ridiculous' already but it applies.
The plot isn't too bad. It's actually something that could make a really good novel - revenge mixed in with international conspiracy and psychological trauma was, indeed, the stuff that made the first two novels bloody good reads. However, when you mix in the poor dialogue and easy fixes (seriously, everything that could be a problem from CIA equipment, millions of dollars in funds, incognito international travel, is so easily sorted out and available) it just lacks anything resembling substance.
The Bourne character - really the only reason I stuck with it to see it's original conclusion - has sadly become a poor imitation of itself in this book. Predictable, trite and, frankly, a bit of a let down.
A shame, a real shame.
The dialogue is ridiculous - nobody (and while I'm not familiar with American government institutions and their employees I'm pretty sure this covers them too) speaks in such a manner. Every conversation is overly convoluted and then - as if for the sake of an uneducated audience - explained again as part of the same dialogue. Not only that but the way in which the characters speak to eachother with regard to their feelings toward the other.. I used the word 'ridiculous' already but it applies.
The plot isn't too bad. It's actually something that could make a really good novel - revenge mixed in with international conspiracy and psychological trauma was, indeed, the stuff that made the first two novels bloody good reads. However, when you mix in the poor dialogue and easy fixes (seriously, everything that could be a problem from CIA equipment, millions of dollars in funds, incognito international travel, is so easily sorted out and available) it just lacks anything resembling substance.
The Bourne character - really the only reason I stuck with it to see it's original conclusion - has sadly become a poor imitation of itself in this book. Predictable, trite and, frankly, a bit of a let down.
A shame, a real shame.
February 10, 2017
In this third of the Bourne Trilogy, there is the ultimate showdown between two spies. Both of these spies are given telegrams to go to a carnival in a small town. Each of them witness a terrible murder.
One of the men given a telegram in David Webb, a professor in the northeast USA. He is a husband and a father, and must now do what he wishes he'd never have to do again: become Jason Bourne, a known terrorist and assassin.
The other is Carlos, known as the Jackal, who is an international assassin himself.
To make sure the real baddie is trapped and brought to justice, the real goodie must make himself available to a group called the Medusans.
This book is a great read but i believe the Bourne identity was the best in the trilogy and this is not that great but still worth reading and of course if you started the series you got to read this one. Its mandatory ;)
One of the men given a telegram in David Webb, a professor in the northeast USA. He is a husband and a father, and must now do what he wishes he'd never have to do again: become Jason Bourne, a known terrorist and assassin.
The other is Carlos, known as the Jackal, who is an international assassin himself.
To make sure the real baddie is trapped and brought to justice, the real goodie must make himself available to a group called the Medusans.
This book is a great read but i believe the Bourne identity was the best in the trilogy and this is not that great but still worth reading and of course if you started the series you got to read this one. Its mandatory ;)
May 15, 2016
The gripping finale to the Bourne saga, well the Ludlum originals anyway. Seeing as this book clearly lays out that Bourne is now in his 50s, I really don't see how the Lustbader sequels can continue the story - Bourne out with his zimmer frame?
The Bourne Ultimatium is a good clean up of the Bourne vs. Carlos storyline from the first book. You know they have to meet up, you know they have to fight and you know Bourne has to win. Somehow. I just wish Ludlum could have utilised slightly fewer repetitions of the getting-them-together-then-it's-a-trap-then-Carlos-escapes-again plot device. It was exciting the first couple of times, but it does get tedious once you realise that it's happening again and again...
The Bourne Ultimatium is a good clean up of the Bourne vs. Carlos storyline from the first book. You know they have to meet up, you know they have to fight and you know Bourne has to win. Somehow. I just wish Ludlum could have utilised slightly fewer repetitions of the getting-them-together-then-it's-a-trap-then-Carlos-escapes-again plot device. It was exciting the first couple of times, but it does get tedious once you realise that it's happening again and again...
August 25, 2023
Nice movie and the book is great too! I enjoyed both.
December 6, 2013
Third book in the Jason Bourne trilogy. Elaborate, but well written. As were the other two books. The ultimate cat and mouse game.
October 20, 2020
Best of the trilogy.
December 23, 2020
Bourne Ultimatum was a bittersweet goodbye to Robert Ludlum’s exquisite world of espionage and stellar storytelling about one of my favorite assassins in the genre.
The Bourne series by Robert Ludlum is a treasure cove of world-building with details and highly expressive conversations that direct the flow of events rather than simply stating the events. It’s a lost art of writing, as the genre now adopts a more streamlined and faster pace. It’s a long book, but it’s well deserving since the book is the resolution of Bourne going up against his most dangerous adversary, Carlos The Jackal. It’s one of the best and the most exciting showdowns you will ever read. Not just because the showdown took 3 books to culminate, but also because the conflict is so vengeful and so blood-fueled between the two lethal assassins that you will feel your adrenaline spike up as you read the predators outsmart and outgun each other. If that wasn’t enough of a pickle for Jason Bourne, his family, Alex Conklin, and Mo Panov ( the closest things to family Bourne has other than his wife and kids ), Bourne and Conklin uncover there is a reincarnation of Medusa from the past books. A shadowy organization with members in the highest levels of government in all the major nations, putting a monopoly on business trades and gains while remaining in the shadows. With Jason Bourne’s antics pressuring Medusa to take violent measures, It’s Jason Bourne against both Carlos the Jackal and The Medusa. Will Bourne prevail, or will his healing mind shatter under the immense pressure?
The character of Jason Bourne is highly intriguing. I’d describe him as the Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the action thriller genre. David Webb is a man of academics, a scholar , who wishes to live a life of peace and harmony with his wife, Marie, and their children. That peace is threatened when Carlos gets back on Webb’s trail and promises to seek vengeful and brutal retribution for Webb’s tenure as Jason Bourne when he took Carlos’s kills and reputation as his own to get a shot at taking Carlos out. With no regard for Webb losing his memory of those events, Carlos comes back to haunt Webb and Webb can only do one thing to save his family and put an end to Carlos once and for all; he has to tap back into the darkness, the home of Jason Bourne, Webb’s violent nature. Jason Bourne is the Mr. Hyde to Webb’s Dr Jekyll. You see this imagery repeatedly when Bourne takes over and buries Webb deep inside layers of trauma, for only Bourne can do what needs to be done. This emotionally complex character is mapped out and described beautifully by Robert Ludlum.
The action is ramped up even more in this final book in the trilogy. Bourne is unhinged and takes no chances at letting Carlos slip away, unleashing his feral side with his .45 automatic and AK-47s in exciting and wonderfully executed combat shootouts. Even though some of the weaponry in this book is fictional, a well known characteristic of Ludlum’s books, it doesn’t hurt the fantastic and adrenaline pumping action sequences. The throwdowns between Bourne and Carlos are particularly my favorite action sequences. You can actually feel the bloodlust in the two characters as they try to shoot, stab, and blow each other up in cinematic fashion.
Bourne Ultimatum is a book that is every bit as smart as it is action packed. Jason Bourne is no ordinary spy. His shrewd and precise nature, stemming from intensive training, is displayed in full force in the events of the book as he tries to outsmart his adversaries in strategy and execution. There is no clear cut path for Bourne to take to get to Carlos. The plot is an intricate puzzle of brainstorming ideas and layered strategies that make brilliant sense once the proper amount of thought process has incurred. The events are mapped out as dominoes, each action having a ripple effect, giving us the next clue of the bigger picture and so forth. To get to Carlos, Jason Bourne has to uncover a whole hidden network of Carlos’s minions and other unsavory characters who feel larger than life and are so much fun to read and picture. Bourne’s analytical and espionage oriented mind comes into play in the form of some witty encounters that a character not as smart as Bourne wouldn’t handle really well.
Bourne Ultimatum is a must-read work of literature that is highly expressive in its content with details, interesting characters and dialogues, intricate plotting, and emotional distress of a good man falling back into violent habits to save his family. The action is super fantastic, the characters are super intriguing, the narrative is top-notch, and I found it to be even better than I had imagined. It’s packed with twists and turns that will leave you gasping for air in pure utter shock. A bittersweet goodbye for Jason Bourne, who won’t be the same without Robert Ludlum, but will always retain a special place in literature as one of the best and most complex protagonists. It’s a wonderful payoff to an exquisite series. I couldn’t have asked for more in an action thriller series.
The Bourne series by Robert Ludlum is a treasure cove of world-building with details and highly expressive conversations that direct the flow of events rather than simply stating the events. It’s a lost art of writing, as the genre now adopts a more streamlined and faster pace. It’s a long book, but it’s well deserving since the book is the resolution of Bourne going up against his most dangerous adversary, Carlos The Jackal. It’s one of the best and the most exciting showdowns you will ever read. Not just because the showdown took 3 books to culminate, but also because the conflict is so vengeful and so blood-fueled between the two lethal assassins that you will feel your adrenaline spike up as you read the predators outsmart and outgun each other. If that wasn’t enough of a pickle for Jason Bourne, his family, Alex Conklin, and Mo Panov ( the closest things to family Bourne has other than his wife and kids ), Bourne and Conklin uncover there is a reincarnation of Medusa from the past books. A shadowy organization with members in the highest levels of government in all the major nations, putting a monopoly on business trades and gains while remaining in the shadows. With Jason Bourne’s antics pressuring Medusa to take violent measures, It’s Jason Bourne against both Carlos the Jackal and The Medusa. Will Bourne prevail, or will his healing mind shatter under the immense pressure?
The character of Jason Bourne is highly intriguing. I’d describe him as the Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the action thriller genre. David Webb is a man of academics, a scholar , who wishes to live a life of peace and harmony with his wife, Marie, and their children. That peace is threatened when Carlos gets back on Webb’s trail and promises to seek vengeful and brutal retribution for Webb’s tenure as Jason Bourne when he took Carlos’s kills and reputation as his own to get a shot at taking Carlos out. With no regard for Webb losing his memory of those events, Carlos comes back to haunt Webb and Webb can only do one thing to save his family and put an end to Carlos once and for all; he has to tap back into the darkness, the home of Jason Bourne, Webb’s violent nature. Jason Bourne is the Mr. Hyde to Webb’s Dr Jekyll. You see this imagery repeatedly when Bourne takes over and buries Webb deep inside layers of trauma, for only Bourne can do what needs to be done. This emotionally complex character is mapped out and described beautifully by Robert Ludlum.
The action is ramped up even more in this final book in the trilogy. Bourne is unhinged and takes no chances at letting Carlos slip away, unleashing his feral side with his .45 automatic and AK-47s in exciting and wonderfully executed combat shootouts. Even though some of the weaponry in this book is fictional, a well known characteristic of Ludlum’s books, it doesn’t hurt the fantastic and adrenaline pumping action sequences. The throwdowns between Bourne and Carlos are particularly my favorite action sequences. You can actually feel the bloodlust in the two characters as they try to shoot, stab, and blow each other up in cinematic fashion.
Bourne Ultimatum is a book that is every bit as smart as it is action packed. Jason Bourne is no ordinary spy. His shrewd and precise nature, stemming from intensive training, is displayed in full force in the events of the book as he tries to outsmart his adversaries in strategy and execution. There is no clear cut path for Bourne to take to get to Carlos. The plot is an intricate puzzle of brainstorming ideas and layered strategies that make brilliant sense once the proper amount of thought process has incurred. The events are mapped out as dominoes, each action having a ripple effect, giving us the next clue of the bigger picture and so forth. To get to Carlos, Jason Bourne has to uncover a whole hidden network of Carlos’s minions and other unsavory characters who feel larger than life and are so much fun to read and picture. Bourne’s analytical and espionage oriented mind comes into play in the form of some witty encounters that a character not as smart as Bourne wouldn’t handle really well.
Bourne Ultimatum is a must-read work of literature that is highly expressive in its content with details, interesting characters and dialogues, intricate plotting, and emotional distress of a good man falling back into violent habits to save his family. The action is super fantastic, the characters are super intriguing, the narrative is top-notch, and I found it to be even better than I had imagined. It’s packed with twists and turns that will leave you gasping for air in pure utter shock. A bittersweet goodbye for Jason Bourne, who won’t be the same without Robert Ludlum, but will always retain a special place in literature as one of the best and most complex protagonists. It’s a wonderful payoff to an exquisite series. I couldn’t have asked for more in an action thriller series.
Read
February 28, 2018Again, these books bear almost no resemblance to the movies (which I still like). But these books are far superior to the movies. Ludlum keeps the stress of the external and internal conflicts high throughout the books.
Book 3 (I think) did a better job with characterization than with 1-2, and it contained more humor than before.
Highly recommend.
Book 3 (I think) did a better job with characterization than with 1-2, and it contained more humor than before.
Highly recommend.
November 29, 2012
The Bourne series is a great set of books to read in order starting with the Bourne Identity. Robert Ludlum does a great job of using military terms and using names of places and intelligence offices to make you think that this stuff is really happening. He may have a lot going on at one time, but if you follow along and read carefully, you should be able to keep up with the challenging writing. I tended to lose track of what was happening a few times but i still enjoyed reading it.
Jason Bourne has been living peacefully for years after his last adventure and has settled down and had kids. He is forcefully brought into the old world of lies and danger by the jackal his arch enemy who is the most dangerous killer in the world. The jackal is unwilling to let Jason live so he is intent on spending the rest of his life hunting him until he finally kills him. Jason now has to change his mindset from a father and a husband to a killer who has a chance of defeating the jackal once and for all.
The jackal uses old men who are willing to die for him, to carry out his plans and to trust because they have nothing left to lose so it is them that he uses to hunt Jason's family. Jason finds out and and immediately goes to save them. The men as it turns out were meant to be killed once they finished their jobs, and that makes them mad. One of the men kills the other man and then he decides to change sides to get the jackal caught. Jason and the man decide to lead the jackal their and to defeat him. They finally succeed and the jackal is eventually caught but not until later. Their initial attempt fails and the jackal gets away. The death of the jackal finally brings a sense of peace to Jason.
Robert Ludlum does a good job in describing everything that is happening in detail. What I really like is that it is very hard to guess what is going to happen next like when the jackal and Jason meet to fight. The whole story seems to not go as you would expect like when the old man is supposed to kill Jason's family when they are completely unaware but it doesn't happen. There is always something that happens that changes things which keeps things interesting.
I think that this is a great book for most ages and anyone who wants to read a suspenseful and edgy book should definitely read this. The whole series so far has been great but i have not finished all of the books yet but I look forward too.
Jason Bourne has been living peacefully for years after his last adventure and has settled down and had kids. He is forcefully brought into the old world of lies and danger by the jackal his arch enemy who is the most dangerous killer in the world. The jackal is unwilling to let Jason live so he is intent on spending the rest of his life hunting him until he finally kills him. Jason now has to change his mindset from a father and a husband to a killer who has a chance of defeating the jackal once and for all.
The jackal uses old men who are willing to die for him, to carry out his plans and to trust because they have nothing left to lose so it is them that he uses to hunt Jason's family. Jason finds out and and immediately goes to save them. The men as it turns out were meant to be killed once they finished their jobs, and that makes them mad. One of the men kills the other man and then he decides to change sides to get the jackal caught. Jason and the man decide to lead the jackal their and to defeat him. They finally succeed and the jackal is eventually caught but not until later. Their initial attempt fails and the jackal gets away. The death of the jackal finally brings a sense of peace to Jason.
Robert Ludlum does a good job in describing everything that is happening in detail. What I really like is that it is very hard to guess what is going to happen next like when the jackal and Jason meet to fight. The whole story seems to not go as you would expect like when the old man is supposed to kill Jason's family when they are completely unaware but it doesn't happen. There is always something that happens that changes things which keeps things interesting.
I think that this is a great book for most ages and anyone who wants to read a suspenseful and edgy book should definitely read this. The whole series so far has been great but i have not finished all of the books yet but I look forward too.
March 14, 2019
عالی بود! شاهکار!
وقتی تموم شد، نمیدونستم باید خوشحال باشم یا گریه کنم. وقتی دشمن قدیمی جیسون بورن (دیوید وب) کشته شد، احساساتم قاطی کرده بود.
یکی از بهترین پایانبندیهایی که تا حالا خوندم.
وقتی تموم شد، نمیدونستم باید خوشحال باشم یا گریه کنم. وقتی دشمن قدیمی جیسون بورن (دیوید وب) کشته شد، احساساتم قاطی کرده بود.
یکی از بهترین پایانبندیهایی که تا حالا خوندم.
October 22, 2014
I remember reading the first Bourne story back in the 70s when it came out in paperback, and it was OK. Perhaps because I had measles and a high fever...but it kinda made sense.
I listened to this one on audio book, and seriously, by the time I got done with I was like, "Kill him! Kill him, already!" Jason Bourne is kind of like Indiana Jones; no matter how many holes, cuts, or bruises he has, he just keeps jumping, climbing, and doing impossible feats of derring-do. He never eats, he never sleeps, and you can bet he never needs to use the toilet. But he's got to be on some kind of performance-enhancing drug because by now he's in his late 50s or more. Why let that bother you, reader--it's fiction.
Boy is it ever.
The plot (well, I say "plot") has more twists in it than a mountain road, and I felt like I was gonna be sick on a couple of the switchbacks. Those aren't potholes, they're plotholes.
I stuck with it just to see how it would end. More doublecrosses than an Easter mass for conjoined twins, and it just kept getting weirder.
I have never seen any of the Bourne movies, trudging through the sludge was hard enough. I usually use audiobooks to while away the time during dull tasks such as cleaning, ironing etc. This made housework that much more work.
How can an action novel be so dull?
Actually Mr Ludlum is the only writer I know who can make "The Ipcress File" seem sophisticated by contrast.
I listened to this one on audio book, and seriously, by the time I got done with I was like, "Kill him! Kill him, already!" Jason Bourne is kind of like Indiana Jones; no matter how many holes, cuts, or bruises he has, he just keeps jumping, climbing, and doing impossible feats of derring-do. He never eats, he never sleeps, and you can bet he never needs to use the toilet. But he's got to be on some kind of performance-enhancing drug because by now he's in his late 50s or more. Why let that bother you, reader--it's fiction.
Boy is it ever.
The plot (well, I say "plot") has more twists in it than a mountain road, and I felt like I was gonna be sick on a couple of the switchbacks. Those aren't potholes, they're plotholes.
I stuck with it just to see how it would end. More doublecrosses than an Easter mass for conjoined twins, and it just kept getting weirder.
I have never seen any of the Bourne movies, trudging through the sludge was hard enough. I usually use audiobooks to while away the time during dull tasks such as cleaning, ironing etc. This made housework that much more work.
How can an action novel be so dull?
Actually Mr Ludlum is the only writer I know who can make "The Ipcress File" seem sophisticated by contrast.
December 4, 2018
This book was a roller coaster. There are several places where you think the penultimate climax – the one where Bourne and The Jackal finally have it out – only to have the book continue further. There are plot twists and hopes dashed by disappointments along the way, but it is the ultimate Bourne book. (Although, unlike many other Ludlum fans, I don’t think the Bourne books are his best works, but that’s not to say I disliked any of the original Bourne trilogy.)
I could have done with a little less of the hold-onto-David-Webb and make-Jason-Bourne-go-away stuff throughout the book; it does get a bit tiresome, but it’s also Marie that makes Bourne into Webb, and defending Marie and his kids is what makes Webb turn back to Bourne.
I could have done with a little less of the hold-onto-David-Webb and make-Jason-Bourne-go-away stuff throughout the book; it does get a bit tiresome, but it’s also Marie that makes Bourne into Webb, and defending Marie and his kids is what makes Webb turn back to Bourne.
September 12, 2007
Maybe it's not that bad, but Lord, it sure ain't good.
September 7, 2016
The plot is good, there is continuous action.
Some memorable phrases:
- Jason: You want compassion, go to a church and appeal to that God of yours who pisses on this planet! He's either got one hell of warped sense of humor or he's a sadist.
☺
-Alex Conklin: I lost my faith, and now after years of proclaiming my spiritual independence, I wonder if I'm missing something.
- Jason: Like what?
- Alex: I don't know. Things I can't control, maybe.
- Jason: You mean you don't have the comfort of an excuse, a metaphysical excuse. Sorry, Alex, we part company. We're accountable for what we do, and no confessional absolution can change that.
☺
- Dimitri: I never underestimate the Vatican. It ultimately proved that our mad Joseph Stalin misunderstood priorities when he asked how many battalions the Pope had. His Holiness doesn't need them; he achieves more than Stalin ever did with all his purges. Power goes to the one who instills the greatest fear, not so, Aleksei? All the princes of this earth use it with brutal effectiveness. And it all revolves around death - the fear of it, before and after. When will we grow up and tell them all to go to the devil?
☺
- Jason: what will he do in Novgorod?
- Dmitri: Dear God in heaven, which, of course, there is neither, who knows? He intends to leave his mark (...)
☺
- Mrs. Cooper: No, Miss Marie, you stay with your husband. That man hurts but he won’t say anything
- Marie: Is that true, my darling? Do you hurt?
- Jason: I hate to dispel the myth of a great lady’s incontestable perceptions, but she’s wrong
- Marie: Why do you have to use a dozen words when one will suffice?
- Jason: Because I’m supposed to be a scholar. We academicians never take a direct route because it doesn't leave us any offshoots to claim if we’re wrong. What are you, antiintellectual?
- Marie: No. You see, that’s a simple, one-word declarative
- Jason: What’s a declarative?
- Marie: It’s a shortcut to the truth. No offshoots, no circumlocutions, just fact. As in five and five equals ten, not nine or eleven, but ten
- Jason: You’re a ten
- Marie: That’s banal, but I’ll take it.
--
The bad thing, again, is that Robert Ludlum, like in his previous Bourne books, included (even if only mentioned) a woman's abuse, and all along the book he uses related words like if it is something trivial.
Some memorable phrases:
- Jason: You want compassion, go to a church and appeal to that God of yours who pisses on this planet! He's either got one hell of warped sense of humor or he's a sadist.
☺
-Alex Conklin: I lost my faith, and now after years of proclaiming my spiritual independence, I wonder if I'm missing something.
- Jason: Like what?
- Alex: I don't know. Things I can't control, maybe.
- Jason: You mean you don't have the comfort of an excuse, a metaphysical excuse. Sorry, Alex, we part company. We're accountable for what we do, and no confessional absolution can change that.
☺
- Dimitri: I never underestimate the Vatican. It ultimately proved that our mad Joseph Stalin misunderstood priorities when he asked how many battalions the Pope had. His Holiness doesn't need them; he achieves more than Stalin ever did with all his purges. Power goes to the one who instills the greatest fear, not so, Aleksei? All the princes of this earth use it with brutal effectiveness. And it all revolves around death - the fear of it, before and after. When will we grow up and tell them all to go to the devil?
☺
- Jason: what will he do in Novgorod?
- Dmitri: Dear God in heaven, which, of course, there is neither, who knows? He intends to leave his mark (...)
☺
- Mrs. Cooper: No, Miss Marie, you stay with your husband. That man hurts but he won’t say anything
- Marie: Is that true, my darling? Do you hurt?
- Jason: I hate to dispel the myth of a great lady’s incontestable perceptions, but she’s wrong
- Marie: Why do you have to use a dozen words when one will suffice?
- Jason: Because I’m supposed to be a scholar. We academicians never take a direct route because it doesn't leave us any offshoots to claim if we’re wrong. What are you, antiintellectual?
- Marie: No. You see, that’s a simple, one-word declarative
- Jason: What’s a declarative?
- Marie: It’s a shortcut to the truth. No offshoots, no circumlocutions, just fact. As in five and five equals ten, not nine or eleven, but ten
- Jason: You’re a ten
- Marie: That’s banal, but I’ll take it.
--
The bad thing, again, is that Robert Ludlum, like in his previous Bourne books, included (even if only mentioned) a woman's abuse, and all along the book he uses related words like if it is something trivial.
February 19, 2009
Of the three books so far, this one is the worst.
First off, it has nothing to do with the movie. So forget that. Second it has more twists and turns than a plate of spaghetti. And it is as improbable as any. The story takes place 13 years after the first book. Jason is 50, and is doing things and tasks that he couldn't have done when he was 37. The story is obviously the last book in the series, and you can tell by the way that it is constructed that it was meant to be the last. So I am a bit concerned about the next three, where exactly does the story go after this one. The plot and scenes are forced and convoluted to the point that I only finished the book so that I could be done, not because I was interested in how the story ended up. At some point I didn't care anymore. A sad state as the first one was compelling and entertaining enough that I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see how it ended up.
First off, it has nothing to do with the movie. So forget that. Second it has more twists and turns than a plate of spaghetti. And it is as improbable as any. The story takes place 13 years after the first book. Jason is 50, and is doing things and tasks that he couldn't have done when he was 37. The story is obviously the last book in the series, and you can tell by the way that it is constructed that it was meant to be the last. So I am a bit concerned about the next three, where exactly does the story go after this one. The plot and scenes are forced and convoluted to the point that I only finished the book so that I could be done, not because I was interested in how the story ended up. At some point I didn't care anymore. A sad state as the first one was compelling and entertaining enough that I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see how it ended up.
May 6, 2018
All good things come to an end and so does the triology of Jason Bourne with this third book in the series. I read all of it at one go with no other book in between just to keep the flow and enjoy the feel of staying with the ultimate Bourne!
Over the course of the three books I have watched as Bourne slowly finds out more bits and pieces of his past, all the while his almost super human kick-butt skills become more and more sharp. This is why there cannot be any more book after the three as The Bourne Ultimatum completes the series entirely. His purpose is over, he finds out who he is and why he is the way he is. There is nothing more to write here... and hence any more writing here would wreck what sets Bourne apart from all the rest. Sadly, it must end with this third installment. The memory of Bourne stays...
And now i look forward to the three movies to re-live the series :)
Over the course of the three books I have watched as Bourne slowly finds out more bits and pieces of his past, all the while his almost super human kick-butt skills become more and more sharp. This is why there cannot be any more book after the three as The Bourne Ultimatum completes the series entirely. His purpose is over, he finds out who he is and why he is the way he is. There is nothing more to write here... and hence any more writing here would wreck what sets Bourne apart from all the rest. Sadly, it must end with this third installment. The memory of Bourne stays...
And now i look forward to the three movies to re-live the series :)
November 7, 2007
Well, I finished the series, just to finish it. It took me nearly 2 1/2 weeks to finish this book. I was motivated simply to finish it, not because I was interested, really. I was disappointed, once again, in the language, too thick of a plot, violence, and sexual innuendos. My husband bought me the first and third books of the series for my Birthday, before I'd read either of them. Now that I'm done, I'm donating them to the library. I know I'll never read these again.
November 1, 2023
The Jackal -vs- Bourne! Which identity will prevail?
This one was a lot less confusing with the mental obfuscation of Jason/David. This is even further explained with a bit of the narrative points by Marie and her learning to designate the split in the man.
Lots of political intrigue, espionage, back-stabbing, and action.
I just realized how many books are left. Damn... Ludlum really wants to put Bourne through some crazy shit, hahaha. I'm here for it.
Solid 4 Stars.
This one was a lot less confusing with the mental obfuscation of Jason/David. This is even further explained with a bit of the narrative points by Marie and her learning to designate the split in the man.
Lots of political intrigue, espionage, back-stabbing, and action.
I just realized how many books are left. Damn... Ludlum really wants to put Bourne through some crazy shit, hahaha. I'm here for it.
Solid 4 Stars.
September 3, 2023
Such a great trilogy that I have now read for the second time. The first time I was in high school/college. There aren’t too many books that would appeal as much to me in my younger years as well as to my age now. But this trilogy definitely fits the criteria. It’s exciting and surprising and full of amazing characters. I am quite curious if I will enjoy the continuation of the series written by different authors. I am looking forward to finding out.
August 25, 2011
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 The Bourne Identity & its sequel, The Bourne Supremacy & 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 Robert Ludlum's Bourne trilogy.
Stubbornly, I slogged my way through one-third of the paperback, while also reading Vince Flynn's Extreme Measures 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.
Stubbornly, I slogged my way through one-third of the paperback, while also reading Vince Flynn's Extreme Measures 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.
December 6, 2011
In "The Bourne Ultimatum", the third and final Bourne book written by the late Robert Ludlum, the world's greatest assassin and Jason Bourne's arch-nemesis, Carlos the Jackal, is back! David Webb is living a somewhat calm life as a college professor with his wife and two children, when Carlos sends a clear message to him, his family, and the select few men in the U.S. government that he knows about Webb's alter-ego. Once again, Webb is forced to resurrect the personality of Bourne, an aspect of his character that he hates but nevertheless needs to keep his family safe. Bourne's search for Carlos leads him from his idyllic life to the Caribbean, France, and eventually Russia. Ludlum was a master of the international espionage thriller, and this book in particular has so many plot twists and turns it almost requires a diagram. It's a fun, exciting read, if you enjoyed the first two Bourne novels. And don't bother trying to find any similarities between the book and the film because there are none.
January 22, 2008
Finally. Okay, so the book was good but I have to say it really could have been wrapped up in about 250 pages instead of the 663 it took. So many misses that were just frustrating. All the integral plot points tied up in the end and it definitely didn't leave any questionable loose ends. While I'm glad I read the books as they are SO different from the movies, I'm also glad that I'm done with the series.
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