In Print: The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

If you're thinking that you do not need to read this book because you saw the movie by the same name starring Matt Damon, you're wrong. Pretty much the only thing the movie and book have in common is the title. Beyond that the story is almost completely different.

They both start off the same with a man being hauled out of the water near death with no memory of who he is. The rest is very different and I won't mention the movie for the rest of this review. The book was written in the 1970s and is about a character who was once part of a covert force used in Vietnam for deep behind enemy line missions. Now that experience allows a man to assume the role of a vicious assassin by the name of Cain. Cain is Jason Bourne. But neither exist. They were both creations played out by David Webb. When he loses his memory, it creates the huge mess that "Bourne" can't figure out who or what he is.

The rest of the book is about his adventures in Europe and eventually in the US as he tries to come to grips with who he is and what he's supposed to get done. It's not nonstop action like the movie. It's far smarter and thought provoking. It's fun to read and the pages practically turn themselves. It's upsetting to have to put it down!

This is a fun book with a great story with more twists and turns than you can possibly imagine. I highly recommend it!