I kept going, "C'mon, really, now he has ice skates built into his shoes!", and other similar exasperations, based on the ridiculousness of the escapades. Listed on Forbe’s list of top-earning deceased celebrities, Robert Ludlum’s net worth is around 1 billion USD. The legendary Bourne novels later made into movies were Ludlum’s best books of all time. The Bourne books/movies have been very enjoyable, but The Bourne Betrayal is just too far out there to enjoy. Robert Ludlum was one of the finest thriller writers of the world. I typically enjoy Baldacci, Connelly, Grisham, and Clancy, and my next purchase will be back in this group. This was easily the worst pick in my Audible experience. I read the previous release by Eric Van Lustaber, and it was enjoyable, so I thought that this one would be similar.
ROBERT LUDLUM BOOKS ABOUT BOURNE SERIES
What disappointed you about Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Betrayal? What’s special about this series of books is that Ludlum wrote the first 3 books in the series himself (which became 3 fantastic movies starring Matt Damon), and then Eric Van Lustbader took over the series following his death. I tried not to give up on it, but it is awful! I know this is a common plot, but I had hoped for something more original. While I do not want to give away the plot, this reminded me of the old James Bond novels and movies. Jason must save the United States from calamity using only his boundless ingenuity and the help of a very few and clever friends, but the clock is ticking.
Jason must contend with an evil and clever foe, double agents, an intelligence comunity that does not appreciate his talents, and a government bogged down in inertia. He withstands relentless near death beatings, from which he is able to recover with minor medical care and and an enourmous effort of will. He is fluent in a multitude of unusual languages and has countless expert skills that would take a dozen lifetimes to acquire.
A twelfth novel, The Bourne Nemesis, was scheduled to be released in 2019, but as of July 2020 is no longer expected to be published. After Ludlums death in 2001, Lustbader took over the character in his own series of novels, which span eleven books as of 2020. Jason is still the lethal, lone-wolf super spy. Ludlums series include the first three books, dubbed the Bourne trilogy. The most recent author to take up the mantle of this literary franchise is Brian Freeman. I was hoping for the intrigue and clever plot from past Bourne adventures, but Jason Bourne has reverted to a comic book style character in very familiar story lines. I like to believe that the late Robert Ludlum would be beyond pleased that perhaps his greatest creation - Jason Bourne, the super spy with a nasty case of amnesia - is still relevant and exciting decades after he passed away.