The Bourne Imperative by Eric Van Lustbader's novel # 10 in the famed Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series and tries to be a typical Bourne novel. IMHO, a Bourne story is one full of smoke and mirrors, a good bit of action, and a storyline which leaves the reader with an urge to actually lean over to see where it is going, as if it could be done.
Robert Ludlum was a master of such stories with an added characteristic. Ludlum had the knack of making the readers suddenly feel as though they have missed a major issue in the plot and jerk back to look behind, as if they are the ones being hunted instead of/by Jason Bourne. Eric Van Lustbader usually manages to keep up with the atmosphere, with a little more action thrown in.
But The Bourne Imperative has none of it. Jason Bourne pulls out an amnesiac like himself and then caroms around Europe, Middle-East and Mexico to boot, always playing catch up. Almost every character coming into contact with Bourne, Treadstone team and allied characters, turn out to work for the other side. There is a middle east/Mossad angle to spice up the antagonism. The involvement of Chinese and Mexicans give it a distinct James Bond feel.
Of late, I get the feeling that Jason Bourne novels are being written with the Hollywood studios in mind - with a lot of unbelievable action, cliff-hangers and hair breadth escapades. Not to mention the amount of knifing the main characters survive.
In all, even if you are a Jason Bourne fan, like my nephews are, it is not imperative to read the Bourne Imperative. If at all you do want, keep it for boring day, when everything seems slow - that would make you perk up with the story.
Robert Ludlum was a master of such stories with an added characteristic. Ludlum had the knack of making the readers suddenly feel as though they have missed a major issue in the plot and jerk back to look behind, as if they are the ones being hunted instead of/by Jason Bourne. Eric Van Lustbader usually manages to keep up with the atmosphere, with a little more action thrown in.
But The Bourne Imperative has none of it. Jason Bourne pulls out an amnesiac like himself and then caroms around Europe, Middle-East and Mexico to boot, always playing catch up. Almost every character coming into contact with Bourne, Treadstone team and allied characters, turn out to work for the other side. There is a middle east/Mossad angle to spice up the antagonism. The involvement of Chinese and Mexicans give it a distinct James Bond feel.
Of late, I get the feeling that Jason Bourne novels are being written with the Hollywood studios in mind - with a lot of unbelievable action, cliff-hangers and hair breadth escapades. Not to mention the amount of knifing the main characters survive.
In all, even if you are a Jason Bourne fan, like my nephews are, it is not imperative to read the Bourne Imperative. If at all you do want, keep it for boring day, when everything seems slow - that would make you perk up with the story.
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