Charles Jason Bourne
is a man without a past – he doesn’t
remember who he is and from whence he came. Found
floating in the
sea by fishermen, unconscious with a
bullet lodged in his brain, he is brought to a washed-out surgeon who brings him back to life. He recovers in time, and tries in vain to figure out his real identity. Some things that he does exceptionally well suggest he is no regular guy, like expertly handling firearms and knocking off tough guys with an uncanny skill in the martial arts. Besides, he is multi-lingual and capable of living like a “ghost”, leaving no traces. The doctor also finds imbedded in his flesh a chip containing a secret Zurich bank account. He embarks on a journey to find out who he is, and is surprised that some people want him dead. He frustrates the bad guys using the skills he has retained and the assistance of a female friend he rescues on the way, and with whom he falls in love. He remembers fragments of his past, reminiscences of a forgotten battlefield. Piece by piece he comes to know about Project Treadstone, a top secret operation of the CIA to kill an international assassin named Carlos. Bourne, code-named Cain had been sent as point man on this mission. To lure Carlos out of hiding, Cain is ordered to carry out assassinations as if to challenge Carlos’s supremacy. Something goes wrong with the operation, and Bourne is shot and thrown into the sea. Back in Treadstone, some top level guys theorize that Bourne, or Cain, had snapped in the course of his mission. They are convinced that Bourne, having taken his role of an assassin to heart, has gone berserk and is responsible for the spate of killings that have occurred. Bourne’s identity is also revealed – he is an intelligence operative whose real name is David Webb; he had killed the real Jason Bourne in a jungle in Vietnam. The conspiracy to silence Treadstone claims the life of a top official of the Project, while Bourne, always on the run, arranges for a fiery showdown with Carlos. After fulfilling his mission, Bourne (Webb) is reunited with the girl he loves.
The first of the popular Bourne series, this novel enjoys universal appeal because of its theme of a secret agent that is so human, unaware of his violent past, torn by emotions, and yet retaining the qualities that make him the perfect killing machine. This theme has been used with varying success by various authors. Ludlum succeeds in creating a character that draws empathy and a story-line that is almost believable due to the intensive research that obviously preceded it. His use of the flashback, although common, is effective in giving the reader just enough at a time to keep his curiosity aroused. At some stage, the author creates intrigue”: is Cain for real? Has Bourne really morphed into an uncontrollable monster? In my view, The Bourne Identity is Ludlum’s best, as evidenced by the immense success of its film adaptation at the box office, and its equally popular sequels.
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