Washington, Hong Kong and Peking - terror sweeps the globe. The Vice- Premier of the People's Republic has been brutally murdered by a legendary as...
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reviews
Sep 25, 2008
Dan
rated it: 
#2 in the Bourne trilogy. This book didn't have some of the elements that made the first one so great, but it had a few things that weren't there in the first book that I liked, namely the distinct seperation of David Webb, the mild mannered husband and Jason Bourne, the highly trained killing machine who cares for nothing but himself. Ludlum actually creates three different characters in the same body: David Webb, Jason Bourne and "Delta", Webbs codename during his time as a heartle
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Jan 05, 2011
Brian
rated it: 
8/18/04 - 6/10
The Bourne Supremacy was similar to Bourne Identity. The storytelling was not all that great, making it hard to follow who knows what and where all the plot tangles are going. There were also quite a few repetitive and annoying focuses (like the Bourne vs Webb conflicts). The premise is pretty implausible and makes a pretty flimsy backbone for the plot. The plot does move along nicely though. It makes for a nice roller coaster ride, albeit a shallow one. The overal plot was a littl More...
The Bourne Supremacy was similar to Bourne Identity. The storytelling was not all that great, making it hard to follow who knows what and where all the plot tangles are going. There were also quite a few repetitive and annoying focuses (like the Bourne vs Webb conflicts). The premise is pretty implausible and makes a pretty flimsy backbone for the plot. The plot does move along nicely though. It makes for a nice roller coaster ride, albeit a shallow one. The overal plot was a littl More...
Jan 08, 2012
Andrew
rated it:
In a line – not as good as the first.
That was one of my favourite books. I like the Bourne film a lot, but I can’t help feeling that the actual storyline deserved its own movie as well.
Jason Bourne is a great character. He makes the series. I also like the setting, as the vast majority of the books I read are based in America and the United Kingdom, with occasional forays into Europe. The Far East was out of my “familiarity zone” – I’m largely ignorant, although I find th More...
That was one of my favourite books. I like the Bourne film a lot, but I can’t help feeling that the actual storyline deserved its own movie as well.
Jason Bourne is a great character. He makes the series. I also like the setting, as the vast majority of the books I read are based in America and the United Kingdom, with occasional forays into Europe. The Far East was out of my “familiarity zone” – I’m largely ignorant, although I find th More...
Oct 21, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
My first thought will give you an idea of how this book reads: I am so happy to be done with it! The plot is terribly complex and if you are clueless about the Far East/China and try to follow it, good luck to you! The book and the movie are not similar and this is one of the rare instances where I found the movie better than the book.
In the movie, his wife is killed right away. Not so in the book. The wife annoyed me to no end. Here's what I thought of that:
As for More...
In the movie, his wife is killed right away. Not so in the book. The wife annoyed me to no end. Here's what I thought of that:
As for More...
Mar 04, 2011
Ali
rated it: 
Well, this was the worst book I've read in a long time. Where to start? It's bloated, racist and dull. The scenery is a bit interesting and the plot from the first hundred pages or so appeared just convoluted enough that I wanted to see what happened in the end, or I would have been done with this book by the end of half an hour. But I soldiered on...
In the end, the book was far less interesting than the Bourne Identity, perhaps because there was less for Bourne to do as the man be More...
In the end, the book was far less interesting than the Bourne Identity, perhaps because there was less for Bourne to do as the man be More...
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Jul 12, 2010
Shane
rated it:
Worth-reading ? yes. Why am I reading these books ? Well rather than be redundant, you can read the reviews of the first two.
Educational ? Yes. I suppose that this criterion is just jumping to the top of my reviews. Entertaining ? Page-turning ? of course are, in part, some of the reasons that people like to read specific books.
I like to learn things (in my own books - I purposefully integrate subject matter.)
So what did I learn ? I learned (or relearned More...
Educational ? Yes. I suppose that this criterion is just jumping to the top of my reviews. Entertaining ? Page-turning ? of course are, in part, some of the reasons that people like to read specific books.
I like to learn things (in my own books - I purposefully integrate subject matter.)
So what did I learn ? I learned (or relearned More...
Aug 12, 2011
Adam
rated it:
I enjoyed it, but it was definitely not what I would call a "page-turner". Ludlum's got nothing on John Grisham or Vince Flynn in that regard. The story seemed to be a little slow to start with, but it did pick up about halfway through. In a nutshell - the novel has absolutely nothing in common with the film other than the character of David Webb (Or Jason Bourne, depending on what name you wish to call him by). Marie is killed in the opening scene of the film, but she is a major chara
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Feb 12, 2010
Pat
rated it: 
Great book (again). Ludlum's second installment in the Bourne series is quite different from the first book. Rather than the racing sense of simultaneous searching for Carlos, and his identity, this book is about Bourne/Delta/Webb in the Far-east, specifically Hong Kong, China, and Macao.
It is interesting to me that the book is set in East Asia, and the main reason that Bourne is engaged in his espionage activities is to stop a major Chinese power shift from taking place and thus a More...
It is interesting to me that the book is set in East Asia, and the main reason that Bourne is engaged in his espionage activities is to stop a major Chinese power shift from taking place and thus a More...
Mar 27, 2009
Wesley
rated it:
First and foremost, this book has absolutely nothing to do with the movies that recently came out. Sure, they share the same title, but let me reassure you, they have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the movie. The only thing that is kept from the book and transferred into the movie is the fact that Bourne is killers killer (if you don't believe me, just watch the movie. He kills a man with a TOWEL).
All that being said, I found this to be a quite enjoyable book. It takes place in China. Appa More...
All that being said, I found this to be a quite enjoyable book. It takes place in China. Appa More...
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Aug 12, 2009
Ryan
rated it: 
The first 100 and the last 100 pages were great. The 400 pages in the middle were kind of slow. The book is totally different from the movie. The book takes place in China in the late 70s and is premised on how the world will pretty much end if China tries to take over Hong Kong before 1998. Nothing like an out-dated international crisis to get the blood pumping. I'm just glad to have finished this book (I read it over the course of 2 years).
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Feb 22, 2010
Iwan
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 20, 2010
dan
rated it:
The Bourne Supremacy is not a brilliant, stand-out novel. It certainly won't go down in history as a classic work of fiction. In fact, there is nothing that spectacular about The Bourne Supremacy at all.
Keeping that in mind, I suppose I could rate this novel a spiteful 1 star. I could also compare it to more enduring works of suspense or nitpick about Ludlum's writing and how he didn't devote years to the study of Mandarin so as to make the dialogue more believable.
But Th More...
Keeping that in mind, I suppose I could rate this novel a spiteful 1 star. I could also compare it to more enduring works of suspense or nitpick about Ludlum's writing and how he didn't devote years to the study of Mandarin so as to make the dialogue more believable.
But Th More...
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Dec 31, 2009
Patrick
rated it:
I read a mass market paperback edition with this cover--the 1987 Library Edition surely didn't have this cover.
This was OK. The action draws you in and you care about Bourne and his wife getting back together, but the story just didn't do it for me. The concept of a fake Bourne raising ruckus in his name is interesting, but the characters, pursuits, tricks, fights, fake ID's, etc. just seemed even more stretched this time. I think the global threat posed by the actions of the ba More...
This was OK. The action draws you in and you care about Bourne and his wife getting back together, but the story just didn't do it for me. The concept of a fake Bourne raising ruckus in his name is interesting, but the characters, pursuits, tricks, fights, fake ID's, etc. just seemed even more stretched this time. I think the global threat posed by the actions of the ba More...
May 22, 2011
Elisa
rated it:
And the legend is back.
In this Bourne instalment the chameleon Jason returns to the spy/assassin game when his wife, Canadian economist, Marie, is kidnapped by a Chinese taipan who means serious business. Jason moves heaven and earth to get her back, which means leaving his gentle alter-ego, David, behind and embracing the killer he tried so hard to forget, Delta, in the hunt for his successor.
The new Jason Bourne is out there and only the original can catch him.
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In this Bourne instalment the chameleon Jason returns to the spy/assassin game when his wife, Canadian economist, Marie, is kidnapped by a Chinese taipan who means serious business. Jason moves heaven and earth to get her back, which means leaving his gentle alter-ego, David, behind and embracing the killer he tried so hard to forget, Delta, in the hunt for his successor.
The new Jason Bourne is out there and only the original can catch him.
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Jul 20, 2011
Bookworm
rated it:
The second installment of the Bourne series is again full of action. However, the old proverb - about sequels never being as good as the original - is true.
Wordy! This book just has too many words. It could be a quick two or three hundred page fast movin' action packed paperback, instead of the 600 page mammoth it turned into. Now, there were many scenes that put you on the edge of your seat and kept you turning those 600 pages. There were the expected car chases, the identity change More...
Wordy! This book just has too many words. It could be a quick two or three hundred page fast movin' action packed paperback, instead of the 600 page mammoth it turned into. Now, there were many scenes that put you on the edge of your seat and kept you turning those 600 pages. There were the expected car chases, the identity change More...
Feb 09, 2010
William
rated it:
I stopped reading this about 20 pages from the end.
Now, this indicates something about either the book or about me, and probably a little bit of both.
For example, if I have a short attention span and am unable to keep track of concurrent story elements, then perhaps I was exposed by this book - as I was unable to properly assimilate the things which would have compelled me to finish it.
On the other hand, if I am a reader that tends to understand what is goin More...
Now, this indicates something about either the book or about me, and probably a little bit of both.
For example, if I have a short attention span and am unable to keep track of concurrent story elements, then perhaps I was exposed by this book - as I was unable to properly assimilate the things which would have compelled me to finish it.
On the other hand, if I am a reader that tends to understand what is goin More...
Jan 28, 2010
Danielle
rated it:
God, if this book could have been harder to get through, I'm not sure how. I read an older version, but they shouldn't even put Matt Damon's face on this thing. There is basically nothing in common with this book and the movie except the name of the main character and the title. Unbelievably, all the negatives of the first book were further exacerbated in this one by making the ranting 20 pages long instead of 10 and making the story into such a convoluted conspiracy that it's amazing the Uni
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Mar 18, 2011
Mumbo
rated it:
The Bourne Supremacy lacks some of the immediacy of the first book, but still carries the reader through with enough action and covert manipulations to make an enjoyable read. The book ended up a bit long in my opinion for the subject matter covered. There were several places where the information and action seemed completely superfluous to the story line.
Bourne Supremacy picks up where Identity left off, with the newly married Webb and Webb living happily away from government interve More...
Bourne Supremacy picks up where Identity left off, with the newly married Webb and Webb living happily away from government interve More...
Aug 27, 2009
Justin
rated it:
I apologize because my reviews will be very shallow since I'm at work on my lunch break. I enjoyed this book because of the deep character development with the Bourne Identity/David Webb. The book starts out very fast especially when David Webb is transplanted back into society after his eye opening experience in the initial book. In this book, you notice that David Webb grasps the difference between the two identities and frequently he is forced through stress/trauma into his Delta/Bourne ego a
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Apr 28, 2011
This book is the second in the Bourne series. Jason Bourne had been living a low excitement lifestyle. Until, one day. An assassin came to try and kill him ordered by the government. However, his experience helped him get away. I can't say the same for his wife though. The bullet meant for Jason, hit his wife instead. She was killed and their get away car plunged into the river. Jason is now on a mission to find out who set him up. He traces the steps and finds clues. Jason is a changed man in s
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Nov 29, 2011
Scott
rated it:
If you can completely forget the Matt Damon film that shares the same title, you may enjoy Robert Ludlum's novel "The Bourne Supremacy". I saw and enjoyed the "Bourne" movies, but the film does not not compare to the book as there is no resemblance whatsoever between the two. I nevertheless enjoyed the Ludlum novel slightly more. As for similarities: there is a character named Jason Bourne in both the film and novel. That's about it. Jason Bourne, as we learned in the first n
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Jan 07, 2009
BoekenTrol
rated it:
A book with speed, a lot of things happening one after another. I liked reading it and was fond of the way events were brought. There is a kind of evolution in David Webb / Jason Bourne that feels natural. David is growing, still fighting the things he learned as Jason Bourne and he is getting stronger every time.
This is the novel with the least different paths to follow, but still as catching as the other Bourne books. It made me turn pages quickly, hoping to read that with Marie all wou More...
This is the novel with the least different paths to follow, but still as catching as the other Bourne books. It made me turn pages quickly, hoping to read that with Marie all wou More...
Nov 11, 2011
stuart
rated it:
I'm a completionist so I was naturally drawn to the second book, almost in disregard to the quality of the first, though this read may help me avoid falling into a similar trap with the third Bourne installment.
This book borders on dreadful. It's a mediocre 350 page candy in an agonizingly long 800+ page wrapper.
I was okay with the logic leaps, with the duplication ("How could I have not seen this reverse trap coming" laments Jason. Again. And Again.), and the mel More...
This book borders on dreadful. It's a mediocre 350 page candy in an agonizingly long 800+ page wrapper.
I was okay with the logic leaps, with the duplication ("How could I have not seen this reverse trap coming" laments Jason. Again. And Again.), and the mel More...
Jan 04, 2012
Brent
rated it:
I actually liked this book better then the Bourne Identity. However, Ludlum is a struggle to read at times. Instead of clearly setting out the plot he tends to muddle it up with things that just aren't needed.
The government is using David Webb again. A Chinese maniac is having other more friendly Chinese officials killed by hired assassin who is an awful lot like Jason Bourne. Thinking Webber won't want to become Bourne again and help find his imposter they arrange the kidnapping More...
The government is using David Webb again. A Chinese maniac is having other more friendly Chinese officials killed by hired assassin who is an awful lot like Jason Bourne. Thinking Webber won't want to become Bourne again and help find his imposter they arrange the kidnapping More...
Oct 13, 2011
Christian
rated it:
I think that The Bourne Supremacy is exactly what it makes itself out to be, "a killer of a thriler". I personally recommend this to anyone who has seen any of The Bourne movies or read any of the books. As you continue to read this book you will most likley experience goosebumps as you read many of the action filled scenes throughout this book. You will also be able to find out more about Bournes past and how someone is trying to take on the identity of the original Jason Bourne. In o
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May 06, 2010
J.
rated it:
Ludlum has done it again! Jason Bourne is back, but there never was a Jason Bourne because David Webb, an American scholar just posed as the assassin in order to catch another assassin. Now, away from that life, with his wife, who believed in him through his past troubles and is helping him through his recuperation from his past problems he is a college professor. But, the government (somewhere) needs Webb to return as Bourne tohelp them find and take care of another man who is calling himself
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Oct 12, 2011
Josh
rated it:
I found myself drifting off into the land of daydreams while listening to this one. No not about Bourne but about things that had nothing to do with anything. To put it another way the first 1/2-3/4 of this book I found very boring. Sure there was a few parts that would get my attention but in all it just took too long for things to start REALLY happening. The end was kind of cool but then I was surprised when the end wasn't the end and we went on to another ending.
There was quite a More...
There was quite a More...
Aug 09, 2011
Emma
rated it:
The second of the Bourne books, in my opinion, reads better than the first, although I was disappointed with the ending. The plot this time relates to evil goings-on in China and Hong Kong prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China from the UK in 1997. The book has the usual adrenaline filled chapters and is pretty much non-stop after the first few pages where David Webb is annonymously living out his life, now married to Marie, as a professor of oriental studies in the mid-Wes
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Sep 02, 2011
Tyler
rated it:
The second book is a good as the first, a true rarity. It's so good, it's not really a sequel, it stands on its own. Bourne faces a challenge in coming face to face with someone sent to impersonate him, and that person seems initially just as dangerous as Bourne, and younger. But Bourne can think geometrically and finds a way in the extremity to overcome and avoid plunging the world into war.
The other thing I like about Jason Bourne is that he reminds me that "sleep is weapon More...
The other thing I like about Jason Bourne is that he reminds me that "sleep is weapon More...
Jul 11, 2011
PenNPaper52
rated it:
The sequel to the Bourne Identity, this book is just as fast paced as the first. It starts off with Bourne assuming the role of David Webb, a college professor, living happily with Maria. That is until Maria is kidnapped, and Webb has to shun his quiet, routine life as a professor and assume once again the role of Bourne. The cat and mouse game between Carlos the Jackal and Jason Bourne is delightful, just when you think he's within grasp, he's gone. This is classic Ludlum, the dangling the chee
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