The Bourne Ultimatum

“The Bourne Ultimatum,” by Robert Ludlum is an excellent fiction spy thriller. The novel is about a man named David Webb, field name “Jason Bourne,” who is being stalked by a terrorist code-named the Jackal. David Webb worked for the C.I.A. and was their top agent; however, sick of their games he retired to become an oriental studies professor. However, his arch-rival, Jackal had other ideas and is hunting him and his family down in order to finish his job.

This is the last in the Bourne trilogy and by far the best novel of the three. The novel captivated me right until the very last word and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen. The suspense in this novel was almost unbearable which led me to finish the novel in a single week-end.

A spy thriller is supposed to be suspenseful, have plot-twists and be full of action. Robert Ludlum fills this role completely and it shows because this was a #1 New York Times Bestseller. This novel is a great example of what a spy thriller is supposed to be. As well, the other Bourne trilogy novels were also excellent spy thrillers and would recommend them to reader’s interested in apprehensive spy thrillers.

Robert Ludlum is an excellent author who has created a very good trilogy about a spy. I have read a number of his books and there is a common theme amongst them, there are always one or two main characters that is up against an unstoppable enemy with vast resources. He uses many exclamation marks throughout his novel because much of his novel consists of action, so they are necessary.