This
is the second of the three books in the Bourne series, and like the
first book, The Bourne Identity, it is gripping for all of its
almost 700 pages.
David
Webb alias Jason Bourne alias Delta alias Cain is unwillingly pulled
into a complicated and deadly fight against a Chinese megalomaniac
whose eyes are firmly focused on controlling not only China and its
supposed territories but even the entire world. Whereas the setting
for The Bourne Identity was Europe and America, the setting
for this second book is, after a brief opening in America, Hong Kong
and China. As with the first book, where French phrases are cleverly
scattered throughout, language plays an important role in creating
atmosphere. In this case it is Mandarin, and although I do not speak
a word of Mandarin the snippets of that language did not cause any
confusion; on the contrary, it cements the story in the Far East.
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The
story is fast paced and suspenseful with a mixture of characters from
the first book together with a number of new characters. At all
times, the book is intelligent and extremely well researched and well
planned. Numerous twists and turns can challenge the reader’s
mental powers in the same way a big dipper might challenge a person’s
physical and emotional stability, but when one has fastened one’s
seat belt there is really no way of jumping off the ride.
Ludlum’s
understanding and interpretation of the political situation in China
(1980s) sheds light on the situation today, thirty years on. This is
a book not to be missed, but to avoid confusion it should definitely
be read after The Bourne Identity.