Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Bourne Identity

     The Bourne Identity is written by author Robert Ludlum. Before his writing career, Robert Ludlum starred as an actor and a producer. He specialized in spy thrillers, and went on to write 21 books during his lifetime. Born in 1927, he wrote his first book in 1972. The Scarlatti Inheritance, his first work was a success, landing a spot on the bestsellers list. He wrote book after book, each becoming best sellers. Many of his books were made into movies, the first one coming out in 1977, 50 years after the writer was born. His Borne series were adapted into 4 movies, the first one coming out in 2002, Matt Damon starred as Jason Bourne, the main character. Out of his novels, the Bourne series is the most well-known, most likely from the success of the movies. The last of the Bourne movies premiered in 2012, a fourth installment in the original trilogy.
 Robert Ludlum adds a mysterious quality to the books, refusing to name the character until after 50 pages in. He uses high vocabulary, the mix of words creating a strong connection to the book, the pages like scenes in a movie. On page 1 he starts the book out with strong visuals, transporting you to the boat, "The trawler's bow dipped suddenly into the valley of two giant waves, lifting the wounded man off his feet; he twisted to his left, unable to take his hands away from his head."
      Robert Ludlum passed away in 2001. But not without a legacy. Readers still connect with his soul as they read his books. The characters his mind made embedded into people's hearts forever. Even after his death, writers add onto his series, including Eric Van Lustbader, who has continued the Bourne series, writing 9 books, the last one coming out this year. The first one made into the 4th movie in the Bourne films.


1 comment:

  1. I really liked how you focused on the ways Robert Ludlum enhanced his books, such as using high vocabulary, and in one of his books, not revealing the main character's name for a while. He sounds like an amazing author, and I'm pretty sure I'll read the Bourne Legacy soon. I bet it's better than the movie!

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