Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Objective (Jason Bourne series Book 8)

This review is specific to the Abridged Audiobook on 5 CDs  Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Objective I liked the cover for this edition, but was disappointed when I opened the package. The new CDs were packaged in an inexpensive holder and were already marked up when I removed them. They did play without any problems and Scott Sowers does a great job reading on this edition, so the packaging wasn't a big deal.Since Ludlum's stories tend to run a bit long for my taste, I thought I'd enjoy this abridged CD set, like I enjoyed the abridged audiobook of Eric Van Lustbader's  The Bourne Legacy . Unfortunately, The Bourne Objective didn't hold up well to abridgement. The pulpy action opener got my hopes up, but I was soon trying to keep up with all the characters and who and what they were talking about. The story felt disjointed. Although there was some good action, the story felt disproportionately dialogue heavy. I didn't understand Jason's motivations in the final confrontation. He acted one way, then another, then back to the way he started. The last chapter was a bit of a letdown, even though we see the kinder, gentler Bourne briefly.It didn't seem the David Webb / Jason Bourne character had much time in this story or any character development. Although it was good to spend some time with Jason Bourne again, there wasn't any character development in this story. It would be good to have another story focused on Webb / Bourne, like  The Bourne Identity: A Novel  or  The Bourne Legacy (Premium Edition) .If you're a die-hard Bourne fan or want to see what happens next with Leonid Arkadin, you might do better to go with the unabridged edition  Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Objective (Jason Bourne) .

Yet another fantastic novel in the Bourne series. Absolutely love this series. I will most definitely be reading the rest of them as well. Once completed, I hope to find a new suitable series to tantalise my senses!

Keeping Bourne alive, this book is part of a series in which Bourne and a recurring cast of characters both good and bad go round and round with plans of chaos, murder, and mayhem on a global scale with the characters sometimes aiding, sometimes inhibiting Bourne's journey of reintegration and foiling the bad guys. This is not a bad thing; a common cast through the series helps tie them all together. There is plenty of action, lots of detail and thud and blunder, it's just not Ludlum writing. There is something very hard to define about Ludlum's style, maybe more detail, maybe more getting into characters' heads, I dunno. Still, there is a lot to like about the series and I have them all (I think.)

I have read the first seven Jason Bourne novels leading up to this one, and I must say (so far) this one is my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong it is a decent read and not bad for an eighth installment. The ending of the book was much better than the beginning and middle. The character development was okay but not great. It is still worth your time if you’ve enjoyed reading the first seven books. I thought the action was good; the development of the story was lackluster.

I have always like Eric Van Lustbader and his novels set in Japan. I don't think the Jason Bourne series done by this same author are anywhere near as good. If not for remembering Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, I don't think this latest series would be on anyone's wish list. The characters are not developed enough for the reader to become involved and, even though, some of the characters continue from book to book, they never seem to come alive. Worth reading, but not great.

These books are basically junk-food for the mind, but the more recent ones are good junk. Is there a word for 'multiple simultaneous sub-plots'? Don't try to follow all that happens in this one if you haven't read the one (or two) before it, so at least you'll be familiar with the characters.

I attempted to read the series in order but was already introduced to most of the cast previously - still i felt there was a level of predictability .I'm a fan of the series so keep them coming...

Arrived early, and the book was in amazing shape...thank u

#8 in the Jason Bourne series. Bourne is again up against his old adversary Arkadin, the Russian assassin.Some quibbles- p.13 "mass of skeletal humanity...the chat of Hindi and Urdu" and p.16 "I won't take the bike away from you... he said in Hindi" Arkadin is in Bangalore in southern India addressing the local underclass. Only 1 in 40 speak Hindi as their mother tongue and 1 in 8 Urdu though the later has a much higher use amongst down and outs.P.85 "hovered now like the ravens in the Tower of London" The ravens have their wings clipped to stop them escaping, which would doom the Kingdom, therefore no hovering.P.103 "Diego spread his hands. I am at your service Senor Stone. he said in true Catalan style*Diego's father comes from Colombia and lives in Seville.with houses in Cadiz,Paris and London. I think Castillian was meant.P.463 Arkadin "spoke formally as if he were Catalan, rather than a Mexican" same mistake.P.211 has Arkadin watching scornfully at multi-million dollar yachts on an Alpine lake. Would such vessels be seen there?The entire passage seems to be identical with one from another Bourne novel set in Mexico or Monte Carlo, I forget which.P.261 "Eyeing it (Willard's resume), the receptionist smiled and said Your name? Wouldn't that be the first thing on the top of the page?P.521 "on the other hand,there had been attraction.Arkadin's three men had been neutralized"I think the word attrition was meant.

I enjoyed the original Bourne books and have read all the subsequent up to and including this one. Ever since Lustbader took over the quality has steadily dropped. He has steadily killed off most of the original characters. Each book has an increasing amount of senseless violence and fight scenarios that go beyond ridiculous especially given that Bourne is now in his fifties. An earlier reviewer pointed the obvious lack of research into languages spoken in areas included in the story.I can't help but wonder why he includes unnecessary content about things of which he obviously has no knowledge. In this case it was birds. where he talks of birds leaving their nests at dawn to go and feed as if he thinks birds live in nests. Then another part that was mentioned on two occasions. Tracy's apartment that had a tree in the garden that house martins nested and she was serenaded by a nightjar. HouseMartins do not nest in trees and Nightjars donot live in London. Furthermore, nobody that has heard a Nightjar would consider it a serenade. I shall not be bothering with any of the remaining Bourne books

I must declare that I am a long time fan of Robert Ludlum and have not had a poor book from him in the years I have read his tales ( I make one exception and that was The Road to Gandolfo). I also enjoy reading the later ones that have been either co-written or completed by Lustbader, although I am not quite as great a fan of his as I was of Ludlum Once again the story line goes into intricate detail and has all sorts of twists and twirls, with nothing being what it seems and betrayals galore. Boune prevails as we know he will, although always battered and bruised.Another good read, but I feel that the Bourne novels should cease now as it gets harder to believe some of the things he does when you consider the age he must be.

Brilliant read. Hardly wanted to put it down! My only question for the author is, whatever happened to Bourne's son who helped him out in battle in one of the previous books and also his daughter? Continuity please, but still enjoyable read.

A fairly good story although a little long winded. The sad thing was he was meant to die at the end of this edition and he could not even get that right, but at least he got rid of his nemesis or did he I hope to find out in book number nine.