The Bourne Legacy (Jason Bourne Series Book 4)

Lustbader did not disappoint me. I was always a little disappointed with RL's writing style, but liked the Bourne character. Lustbader adds dimension and "character" to the Bourne persona. Well done!

This book kept me glued to each page wondering what twists and turns would be around the next corner. I was only supprised  that joshua was never introduced to webs family. The gift was a good twist as it was the only real thing mentioned as a memory of borne Joshua.

Having real trouble even getting through the first couple chapters. If you've watched the Bourne movies and wanted to keep continuing the story (as I wanted to) then this seemed like a good way to keep it alive. The writing, however, is awful. The book isn't suspenseful and doesn't grip you like it should. On top of that, the book doesn't pick up where the 3rd movie left off. Characters are now alive that were already dead and the author has no idea how to write a spy novel or anything about weaponry, tactics, hand-to-hand combat or anything of the sort. Seriously, do not buy it. I want to toss the book before I keep reading and he ruins the trilogy for me.

My sincere apologies for not reviewing this product in a more timely manner. The book was excellent and arrived undamaged and protected from the elements and delivery service. Your customer service is excellent!

Thank you.

Darrell Fisher

Another great Bourne book form Ludlum. Haven't yet finished but I can hardley put it down to write this review. A real page turner, though a real disapointment that Conklin and the Doc have been killed off.

I loved the Bourne trilogy by Robert Ludlum, especially the first book, The Bourne Identity. I also think the Eric Van Lustbader's book, The Ninja, is also an extremely good book, and would recommend it. But I can't recommend this book.

There is a trend going where a major author dies, and their estate has another author continue to write about that character. If the author researches the character, and can make you believe that it is a continuation of the original novels, I think that is great. A good example of this is "The Godfather Returns" by Mark Winegardner. I strongly would recommend this book.

What I despise is when the new author just uses the main character's name, and has not researched the character. This book is a perfect example of that happening. I never once believed that the main character is Jason Bourne. Eric Van Lustbader wrote a book, and just changed the main character's name to Jason Bourne to make money.

I felt like I was conned, so I hate this book. If the book's main character was named any other name, I might not have given it one star. But if you do a continuation novel, the author must make the reader believe its that character. And in this book, I never once believed it was Jason Bourne.

I bought this book in a bookstore thinking it was another installment in Robert Ludlum's Bourne series. It was an impulse purchase; I didn't know at the time that Ludlum had died. Since the cover of the edition I bought says ROBERT LUDLUM and BOURNE in huge gold-embossed letters, and the name of the actual author in small grey print on a black background at the bottom, I'd say it was an understandable mistake. Even the reviews on the back have been edited to remove any reference to the real author's name.

One review reads: "Ludlum has never come up with a more head-spinning, spin-jolting, intricately mystifying, Armageddonish -- in short, Lulumesque -- thrill than this.... a surefire bestseller." (Side note to the reviewer: when referring to deceased writers, don't write about them in present tense.)

So okay. I was suckered into buying it. I need to read book covers more carefully, and stop buying on impulse. Lesson learned.

When I began reading it, I expected Ludlum's writings, but within a page or two, got a sinking feeling. I wanted to like it and tried to. I read/skimmed, read/skimmed, read/skimmed for a while. I still thought I was reading Ludlum, but thought, geeze, Ludlum has gone downhill.. Parts were interesting, but the plot made little sense. Publisher's Weekly calls it "mystifying." I would agree, but not in a good way. Others have pointed out some of the plot and characterization holes in their reviews, so I won't go on about them.

By the time I was a fourth of the way through, I realized I would not be able to finish it. I also realized that I knew the ending, knew who the guy chasing Bourne was, and knew how it would finally resolve. I skipped ahead to read the last ten pages, had those hunches confirmed, and shelved the book.

Van Lustbader may be a good writer when writing his own characters... I don't know.... but I would not call this a good book.

All in all I'd say, skip this one. I'm recycling my copy.

It's rare that fictional characters are passed along like some sort of inheritance, but Jason Bourne has a special place in the hearts of many Robert Ludlum fans. And so, by some unforeseen ritual, Eric Van Lustbader was chosen to produce the next generation Bourne-again franchise. Obviously, comparisons to the original Ludlum style will be unavoidable, but having read other Lustbader novels (and enjoyed them), reviews should be standalone, except to the author's previous works.

In short, Ludlum, Lustbader is not and expectations for a novel that Robert would have written are unwarranted. The story has all the expectations for being a page-turner with solid pacing along with multiple twists.In addition, the villains as well as supporting casts members are well developed, full human beings rather than the run of the mill fanatic, megalomaniac, or worker bee. There are several over the top (jumping the shark) moments that do detract from the overall storyline.

For escapist, thriller, literature, this is a yeoman's effort that will enjoyably pass the time. Continuation of the Bourne franchise may not be a given however.

While I found "The Bourne Legacy" an easy read with a storyline I could get caught up in, I found the extension of the author's liberty to exaggerate absurd. Two areas in particular drove me nuts.

First, the character Jason Bourne is supposed to be human, even in a novel. His physical ability to withstand hanging on to planes in the air by one arm, jumping on to trucks moving in the opposite direction off a speeding motorcycle, physical beatings beyond belief, swimming for two minutes in freezing water that we are told 50 pages earlier no human can survive in for 30 seconds, etc. is too much.

Second, and even worse for me, was the climactic scene, a terrorism summit with attendance by the leaders of the US, Russia, and the most important Arabic countries. The hotel site for the summit, in Reykjavic, Iceland, has been closed for some time and security of the site has been detailed for weeks. On the actual day of the summit, Jason Bourne (who by now is the most published wanted man in the world and is known to be in Iceland), Kahn (the world's foremost assassin), and a whole group of Chechnian rebels (including the head of the rebels) all seem to be able to move in and out of the hotel without any hindrance. So basically the world's premier security forces are complete incompetent idiots. The ways of moving in and out are even more absurd given the security groups and the heightened threat.

Please Mr.Van Lusterbader, maintain some control from going too far overboard.

**some very minor spoilers**

I love The first two Bourne books, they're among my all time favorites and I've probably read the Bourne Identity 8 times, own all the movies, which I've seen multiple times, etc... I just love the premise and the character, so I really looked forward to settling down with Legacy.

Lustbader is not Ludlum, clearly. And clearly he doesn't have a good handle on the character Bourne/Webb.

The Bourne Legacy is so poorly written that I couldn't even finish it, actually I skim read to the end. I was on a long (very long) boring plane trip with nothing else to do and by the time Bourne decided he was an ace fighter pilot I gave up. I'd already slogged through the ultra ridiculous Mission Impossible-like face and identity switching and I couldn't take any more. It was so bad, I left a *hardback* on the plane. I didn't want anything to do with the story. Nothing. I've never felt that way EVER about a book. I can always find some redeeming quality but found none. I instead watched a silly Drew Barrymore/Hugh Grant movie Music and Lyrics and for all its cloying, boring plot it was better than Legacy.

I DO NOT recommend this book. If you have to read it, get it from the library or borrow it from a friend. I cannot believe the editors allowed this to be published.

Van Lustbader for those that may not know was himself quite the backselling author with a popular series. The Ninja titles tended to flash back often providing hints about title character's past. In his most recent work he is more subtle about linking the past to the present as Lustbader adopts the ever growing in popularity Bourne.

Jason Bourne is the alter ego (the Mr Hyde if you will) to Professor David Webb. When Webb's family got killed CIA agent Alex Conklin recruited him and helped mold him into an excellent assassin/operative. Years later someone has murdered Conklin and Bourne's other friend/psyciatrist Mo Panov and framed Jason Bourne for the deed. With CIA and a mysterious assassin dogging his trail Bourne must survive long enough to get at the truth.

This is not Ludlum's writing, to state the obvious therefore those making comparisions between this title and the original trilogy are bound to feel disappointed. However Eric Van Lustbader is a talented author whose own interpretation of the mythos is well worth checking out. He weaves a tight thriller shifting scenes and action almost flawlessly with on or two exceptions where I admit it(the narrative) jerked from one scene to another so hastily and disjointedl;y I checked if I skipped pages accidentily. Overall though the minor critiques I reserve do not overshadow the fun and pleasure I recieved from reading this entry. As a bonus although it may be tricky this could be a stand alone introduction to Bourne's universe as well as a continuation of the story.

The Bourne Identity was the first Ludlum book in my library. Since reading it many, many years ago, I have read all of his works. Through it all, the three novels that make up Ludlum's Bourne trilogy were my favorites from all of his novels. At the same time, I had not read anything from Eric van Lustbader. Thus I had to decide whether to pass on the Bourne Legacy (and simply let the Bourne character die with Ludlum, leaving nothing but fond memories for me) or take a chance on a new author (who could potentially ruin the Bourne character). All things considered, I can honestly say that I am glad that I took the time to read the Bourne Legacy. The book, however, is clearly far from spectacular. The characters are more transparent and stereotyped and the storyline is far less complex and more predictable than those in the Bourne trilogy under Ludlum. To his credit, Lustbader does keep the reader tuning the pages with frequent action sequences (although some stretch reality a bit too far). He also creates a plausible storyline that plays on the current geopolitical landscape and the war on terror. All-in-all, your view of this book will likely depend on your history with the Bourne character. Bourne lovers may find this to be disappointing. Readers who are new to the character may very well be happy with this entry in the spy-thriller genre.

I read Lustbadder's "Bourne Betrayal" before "Legacy." The 2nd was more accessible than this one. That's the mystifying frustration of authors and publishers: There are no formulas that guarantee the best books. Bourne Legacy picks up where Ultimatum leaves the character Jason Bourne. David Webb is retired from ops work and wants to live his life as a father and husband, unassailed from the dangers of his former career as an international assassin (albeit conscionable). Lustbader takes on the task of continuing the legacy Ludlam had started with gusto, placing Bourne in an endless series of perilous situations, and leaving him to fend for his life, while trying to sleuth the motives and powers driving the villains.

There is so much going on, that it's hard to recall where characters fit, and there is some fatigue that comes from the onslaught of action and intrigue. The payoff is adequate reward, but don't expect not to have to to work for it. Lustbader writes to an intelligent reader who isn't afraid to take the punches with his protagonist. You do feel as if you've gone the rounds and taken a beating. But the writing is very elaborate in the tradition of what Ludlum has started.

With Lustbader taking over the Bourne series, I had my doubts as to how good this book would be. Not because of any failure of his writing capabilities, but rather because it is NOT his creation. I understand why he took it over, it was a popular trilogy. After reading the first 3 books, I was craving more of Jason Bourne. So, despite this next books failure to live up to the Ludlum Bourne, it still gave me what I wanted- more Bourne. But, at what cost did I pay for that?

I firmly believe that if you are a fan of Jason Bourne, you should read Lustbader's continuation. He has an interested, albeit tacky, twist to the story. You still get a lot of action, but it seems that Bourne is not on his A-game, which is rare. While reading, I noticed that Lustbader left out one MAJOR detail to the persona battle of Bourne V.S Webb; leaving out Marie. In the first 3 books, she was his rock, his bridge to reality, and his emotional support. All of which, Lustbader admits plainly in The Bourne Betrayal. This makes it especially weird that Marie is never physically with David Webb/Bourne the entire time. All the interaction they have is a simple text message. After that, her name is barely even mentioned. Of course, if you read the other 3 books, you would immediately know that is weird of David Webb. I think this is the only MAJOR blunder for Lustbader.

Other than that, he did a solid job under the circumstances of trying to live up to the original creator of Bourne. Of course, this solid job is mediocre in comparison, but it is still a decent work. This book should keep you interested for the duration, but you will always be comparing it with the previous works, which automatically predisposes you to be angry about this next installment.

Robert Ludlum is dead, but the Bourne Legacy lives on! Ludlum's estate agreed to allow Eric Van Lustbader to write the fourth novel in the series - and it seamlessly works with the first three.

Jason Bourne has settled into his new identity and new life as David Webb, a college professor with a loving wife who knows of his past, and two wonderful children.

When Bourne is attacked in his classroom, he escapes and learns that two of the three people he can trust have been murdered - and he is the prime suspect. The CIA puts out a contract on Bourne and also on an assassin, Khan, who wants Bourne dead as well. Khan is Bourne's son who supposedly died - or did he? Khan appears to be a younger version of Bourne with the same skills and intelligence - and an intense hatred for the father who he believes abandoned him, his mother, and sister in Vietnam.

The characters in Eric Van Lustbader's The Bourne Legacy are richly drawn, sophisticated humanitarians by day, terrorists by night; beautiful woman who are even more deadly than the men who are drawn to them. Friends who become foes, and foes that are really friends. Just when you think you've figured something out, a twist changes everything. One thing is certain, this is a page turner that Ludlum and Van Lustbader fans will want to pick up and then won't put down.

If you expect a classic Robert Ludlum Jason Bourne book or a classic Eric Van Lustbader ninja delight, you will be very disappointed with this book. The Bourne Legacy doesn't fit well into either camp.

If you are willing to forget that you have ever read about Jason Bourne or anything else by Eric Van Lustbader, you will probably find this to be a relatively pleasing page-turner of an action novel.

The book shifts in a number of ways from the prior ones. First, this Jason Bourne is always reacting . . . and a little too late. Second, he's vulnerable both physically and emotionally. Third, he unrealistically recovers form serious injury time and time again to take even more abuse. He's sort of like a silly putty man in that sense. You toss him away and he bounces back quickly. Fourth, his long-time co-characters all but disappear. Fifth, an important new character is introduced, Khan, whom you will probably either like a lot of hate a lot. I leave it to you to decide.

Clearly, this book looks like it is intended to launch a whole series of novels based on the events in it. If you think you might like to see an action hero develop in a different way, give the book a try. If you want more of what you've had in the past, avoid this book.

Good hunting!

On its own, the Bourne Legacy is a good "thriller" book. Lots of action and page turning - likely 4 stars in this regard. However, when compared to the three previous books in the series (written by Ludlum), this book does not do the series justice (2 stars). My main problem was with the characters - the Bourne characters were either killed off, not in the book (or very limited - i.e. Marie) or hollowed out (lacked depth). The Bourne character lacked the cunningness of both the previous books and the movie series. Time after time in this book Bourne makes stupid mistakes and is either saved by another character or by chance/luck. Part of the awe of Bourne in the previous books was his ability to be on top of situations (mentally) at all times - to be a step ahead.

Other issues with the book (perhaps a little nit-picky) - most mentioned already: cliches (I was laughing reading the dialogue at the beginning of the book when Bourne saves an Asian student from two black "thugs" - the "thug" talk was comical); the in-depth detail of certain places or people (regarding the terrorists mostly) that added no value to the book, especially when compared to the lack of depth of the main characters; Marie completely being written out of the book, except for a couple pages to wrap things up (whereas Marie is central to the Bourne character in the previous books), to name a few.

Overall, a worthy thriller but a limited continuation of a great series.

Warning this book will make you lose sleep, due to a desire to see what happens next. How this book escaped not being read sooner is a mystery unto itself. Thinking that I had read all the Bourne books I came across this one, read the back cover and didn't reconize the story line so I bought it. Big mistake, started reading that night and had a hard time putting it down. Like all Bourne books it moves at lightning speed with enough twist and turns to keep the reader interested, page after page. Like all action books the book would not make a good movie due to the buthery that films produce with time constraits. Would recommend this book to any insomniac so they have a reason to stay awke. Sorry it took this long to find this particular book, but a good read anyway.

First, there were the Jason Bourne books that Robert Ludlum wrote during the cold war era. Then, came the Matt Damon movies that had almost next to nothing to do with Ludlum's books except the Jason Bourne character and its title. Out of the movies' and books' success, comes Eric Van Lustbader, with the permission of Ludlum's estate, taking up the Bourne series again with the Bourne Legacy.

The biggest obstacle that Lustbader had to encounter is that the Jason Bourne in the books and the movies are very different. The Ludlum Bourne is David Webb, a Vietnam-era solider who became the deadly assassin Jason Bourne after his family in Cambodia was brutally killed. He suffers amnesia and nearly dies in the sea while trying to track down the terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Throughout Ludlum's series, Webb/Bourne struggles with his identity, pursuing Carlos in Identity and Ultimatium (he would take a detour in Hong Kong to catch another rogue assassin in Supremacy) with the help of his wife Marie and friends Alex Conklin and Dr. Panov. Damon's Bourne is an young man who joins a secret government assassin organization Treadstone, suffers amensia and nearly dies in the sea, after trying to assassinate a world leader. With the exception of his girlfriend (who later ends up being killed), he's pretty much a loner hiding from his former employers, Treadstone, who consider him a liability at this point and try to wipe him out.

Given the two different Jason Bournes, Lustbader tries to make Jason Bourne a combination of Ludlum's and Damon's Bourne. In the Bourne Legacy, Lustbader retains the origin of Ludlum's Bourne by making him a middle age professor who still has his friends and wife. The big twist in Bourne Legacy has to something to do with his family in Cambodia. However, instead of copying Ludlum's style or prose, Lustbader instead copies the Bourne movies' fast pace and non-stop action. A CIA character, Martin Lindros, seems to be a mirror image of Joan Allen's CIA character (who only existed in the movies, not the books.) Although Bourne would be in his 60s at this point, he seems to have the energy of a man in his 20s and has superhuman strength in escaping from death and recovering from his injuries.

Since everyone has their own idea of what Jason Bourne is like, Lustbader's mishmash of Damon's and Ludlum's Bourne is bound to disappoint readers along the way. But if the reader can let go of their own expectations, they are more likely to enjoy The Bourne Legacy. It is essentially a lowbrow tale of where Jason Bourne finds himself on the run after falsely being accused of murdering his friends. As he tries to prove his innocence, he discovers he is being used as a pawn in a potential terrorist plot. Meanwhile, there is another assassin, Khan, who follows Bourne much better than the authorities. At first, it looks like Khan may be another Carlos the Jackal but it turns out he has a personal reason for chasing Bourne. That reason has to do with Bourne's days in Cambodia. Not much of the story makes much sense, but Lustbader moves things so fast and action-packed that you really don't care that much.

The Ludlum books and the Damon movies were much richer in the characterization of Jason Bourne than Lustbader is. They were also more intelligent. But still if one takes the Bourne Legacy as something to read on a long flight or escape from daily grind, they will find the book delivers the goods. If I were to compare Lustbader to the films and books, it would be like this: Ludlum's Bourne is like a filet mignon, Damon's Bourne is a fine burger served at a 5 star steak house and Lustbader's Bourne is a big mac. All 3 vary in quality but all 3 know how to entertain.

(P.S. As if it wasn't confusing enough, The Bourne Legacy will be the next movie in the Bourne series on 2012. However, there will be no Jason Bourne in the movie version of the Bourne Legacy. It has Jeremy Renner as a Treadstone employer digging more into the past of the company that once employed Bourne.)

The marketplace speaks. Robert Ludlum's most popular character was arguably Jason Bourne, the deadly CIA agent with the fragmented identity. All three of the Bourne novels --- THE BOURNE IDENTITY, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM --- were among Ludlum's most popular, and have achieved a new spike in popularity thanks to the film adaptation of THE BOURNE IDENTITY. In an effort to give the people --- and, yes, probably the film studios --- what they want, the Ludlum estate has commissioned Eric Van Lustbader to create a new Bourne novel. The result is a good, though not perfect, fit that should please fans both old and new.

Lustbader wastes absolutely no time in getting to the explosions and karate that the readers of this genre expect --- nay, demand! --- and there is enough duplicity and backstabbing in THE BOURNE LEGACY to fill three novels in any other genre, with the possible exception of your average Chick Lit book. THE BOURNE LEGACY begins with a political assassination in war-torn Grozny; the action then abruptly cuts to Washington, D.C. and David Webb, who has submerged his Jason Bourne persona and is living a quiet, domestic existence as a Georgetown University academic with a wife and children. This idyllic existence is abruptly shattered when an assassination attempt is made upon Webb. Things go from bad to worse when he is framed for a double murder almost immediately thereafter.

Webb's Bourne persona begins to take charge almost out of necessity as he finds himself hunted not only by his former CIA colleagues but also by a mysterious assassin named Khan, whose talents and abilities appear to be the equal of Bourne's own. Khan also has a mysterious link to Webb's past, a link that affects both men, and what they do, throughout THE BOURNE LEGACY. At the same time Khan and Bourne are being manipulated by Stepan Spalko, a shadowy, powerful figure who to the world at large is head of Humanistas, Ltd., which ostensibly assists poor and developing nations but actually sees the world as a chessboard that it is playing toward its own ends. Spalko intends to disrupt a world security summit in Reykjavik, and Khan, Bourne and a missing scientist are merely the implements he plans to use for a cataclysmic display of power.

Lustbader is not afraid to toy with the Bourne mythos, playing within the boundaries of what has gone before while shaking things up a bit --- quite a bit, actually --- and he certainly lays the foundation to keep Bourne going for the long haul while staking a credible claim to be the man to do it. There are some rough edges though that will hopefully improve should the series continue. For one, Khan's ability to trail Bourne is almost too good to be true in spots. Bourne's abilities to escape from tight jams also become formulaic after a while, and the rope from which I suspend my disbelief while reading thrillers of this nature was almost frayed beyond repair by the time I reached the conclusion.

It appears, however, that Lustbader's primary focus with THE BOURNE LEGACY is to shake things up, and if that is the case, he has succeeded admirably. There is a "holy shoot with the 'o' dotted" moment about every 75 pages or so, as Lustbader rearranges the building blocks of Bourne's life, and there are a couple of killer conclusions that are nothing short of terrific. Regardless of your familiarity, or lack thereof, with Lustbader's previous work, THE BOURNE LEGACY is worthy reading.

(...)

ORIENTATION
For orientation purposes, the Bourne Legacy is a sequel to (Robert Ludlam's) Bourne Ultimatum. More precisely, Bourne Legacy is the fourth of the Bourne series (following Ludlam's the Bourne Identity, the Bourne Supremacy, and the Bourne Ultimatum). Subsequent (Lustbader) novels in the series are the Bourne Betrayal, the Bourne Sanction and the Bourne Deception.

THE TEASER
The Bourne Legacy begins with a detestable unnecessary flashback in which a group of Chechen rebels are killed. Like most such uses of this deplorable device, the only purpose is to snag bookstore browsers with up-front action--even though the story line is a dead end.

THE SETUP
The actual story begins with a meeting in which Stephan Spalko hires "Kahn" to assassinate David Webb (Jason Bourne), for no given reason, in fact no plausible reason ever develops. As readers of the series know, Webb/Bourne is schizophrenic--two distinct personalities in one body, with little knowledge of each other. Bourne, a CIA assassin, is nominally retired and "asleep". Webb is a linguistics professor.

Kahn shoots at Webb, barely missing him. Seeking answers, Webb tries to visit his CIA handler and friend Alex Conklin, but finds Conklin and another friend shot dead, and himself (Bourne) framed for the murder. In the meantime, Spalko is also working to release a biological agent at a peace conference in Iceland. Why? And what is the connection with Bourne? Some explanation is given--but don't expect it to make sense. This is one of those things that calls for "suspension of disbelief".

COMMENTS
The Bourne Legacy is an espionage fantasy, more-so than the original Ludlam novels. Bourne and Kahn are simply superhuman, and the vague implausible plot is secondary to the never-ending action. The plot is just an excuse for Bourne to be "on the run". As in all fantasies, "suspension of disbelief" is essential, but once you've achieved that state, the novel is a great read, although it does drag a bit at about the 7/8ths point.

VERDICT
The Bourne Legacy is certainly not the best "Bourne", nor is it the best "Lustbader". The novel has the feel of a very talented writer writing too quickly and mechanically, perhaps with a movie in mind. Yet, the flow, the suspense, and the action are so smooth, vivid and crisp that it is easy to overlook the excessive and unnecessary implausibilities and the shallowness of most characters. Caveats aside, the novel is entertaining and satisfying, which is what really counts. Moreover, even mediocre Lustbader easily tops most of the novels written by Deaver, Woods, Margolin, Bernhardt, Coben and most other "garden variety" popular authors--allowing for variations in readers' tastes. So, rating Bourne Legacy is a difficult call.

> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

It almost seems like the author never read Ludlum's books before he wrote this. I can't imagine why the Ludlum estate would allow Lustbader to butcher the Bourne stories so thoroughly.
The only thing I can think is that he is writing this story to be the basis for a movie script for a 4th movie. The movies bear no resemblence to the books at all, except for a character called Jason Bourne who has lost his memory. This book would seem to fit if all you know about these stories was the movies. The author blatantly ignores major plot lines from the books, but makes it easy to adapt this to a screenplay. For instance, in the movies, they killed off Marie at the beginning of the 2nd movie, but she lived through all 3 books. In this book, there is so little reference to Bourne even having a wife that it would be easy to eliminate those sections entirely for a movie.
This book does a great disservice to all fans of Robert Ludlum. This author couldn't even dream of being as talented as Ludlum. I will not be buying the next Bourne book this guy has written and I will make sure to throw away this one, as I will never waste my time on it again.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Thanks for all the well-written reviews posted about this travesty of a Bourne novel. The only thing I would add is that there are so many completely unrealistic and/or totally unbelievable events in this supposed spy-novel as to make it unreadable even for just for pure plot. Among more issues than I care to recount, I noted many internal contradictions; for instance: the bad guys intend to disperse the biological agent - which is supposedly rendered "instantly neutralized by any heat" - through a hot-water heating system. This is doubly stupid because such a system would necessarily be hermetically sealed and the bio-agent could never reach it's target even if the heat didn't "neutralize" it. Or how about the chief villain not killing Bourne after torturing him to near-death because he "doesn't have time" and pistol-whips him instead of just shooting him? The list goes on and on.

Note that if you want to read this because you think it is the same plot as the movie starring Jeremy Renner, think again. This book has nothing whatsoever to do with the movie plot - only the title is the same.

There is absolutely NOTHING worth reading in this drivel - save your 10 bucks.

I am sorry, but Mr. Van Lustbader missed the mark trying to pick up the gauntlet of telling a tale involving Jason Bourne. The book is disjointed, coming back to characters in later chapters that you have almost completely forgotten about, mainly because they were not richly layered and revealed in any depth in the first place. And Jason Bourne himself, as a world-class spy and assassin we all know and love, comes off as a bumbling inept who seems to dodge certain death only by the even greater ineptitude of the adversaries he encounters. Lustbader's Bourne relies heavily upon people he has only just met, and knows much too little about, and spends almost the entire book being used as a pawn by others. The story has none of the heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat excitement we expect, and so many holes in it as to be almost unreadable. Nice try, but it missed.

There is definitely a distinct and obvious difference between Ludlums bourne and Lustbaders bourne. I was a bit annoyed that Lustbader left out some key elements of Jason Bourne in the book, such as his age growing and his reflexes deteriorating as well as Bourne's inner emotional struggle between his dual personality's(which someone else noted, the DCI from ULTIMATUM somehow disappeared, not a single mention of Marie, his Brother in law, barely a mention of The Jackal who played such an important role in The trilogy,or any of Bournes other old friends and allies.
Anyways if I was not mistaken I would say that Lustbader either ignored alot of relevant info on Ludlunms Bourne or decided to take Bourne in another direction.
That being said, the Bourne Legacy is a great action thriller but if you are looking to see what happens to Bourne after the Ultimatum then look elsewhere.

I will say this about most sagas that change authors midway through- it will lead to either a lot of disappointment or surprised enjoyment. If you are a Ludlum fan and are looking for his distinct style, you'll be disappointed. Lustbader's style is different and should be read as such. Don't go reading this book looking for Ludlum's style.

If you read this book for its face value as an action novel, you'll be pleased. It has non-stop action starring a well-known character (Jason Bourne). Sure it has its errors, as some previous reviewers have stated, but which action novel doesn't? James Bond and his X-Ray glasses? Jurassic Park and DNA-replicated dinosaurs? Come on, people! Fiction is NOT totally accurate!

Overall, "Legacy" is a decent spy novel. It may not be for the Ludlum purists out there, but is acceptable as a novel on its own merits. It reads at a decent pace and could be finished in a couple of weeks of nightly reading or one week of dedicated reading (at least 2 hours per day).

Eric van Lustbader's plot moves along like a house on fire. It doesn't miss a beat and there are no skips in the story. But when you compare this story to the original trilogy by the late Robert Ludlum, it's like looking at a piece of paper instead of a block of wood - there's just no "there" there.

I had no problem with the character of Khan and who he turned out to be - Ludlum's plots always required you to suspend your belief in the logical and the ordinary, so that didn't matter one bit. But van Lustbader doesn't flesh Khan out at all, and makes too big a deal out of his reason for pursuing Jason Bourne. And unlike in Ludlum's books, there are no characters in this story with any redeemable values whatsoever.

If I want to visit Jason Bourne's world again I think I'll open one of Ludlum's books.

The book is well-crafted, and uses the craftsman's tricks to get the suspence going...like having shorter sections flipping back and forth between different characters/scenes as it gets closer to the climax.

the new twist is adding a character who claims to be a son of Bourne...a good plot idea, but i'm not satisfied with the way Lustbaden portrayed the interaction between Bourne and the would-be son.

the book suffers from reliance on a lot of cliches. the enemy, chechen terrorists, are potrayed in a manner more consistent with official US war-on-terrorism government spin and are not credible in terms of understanding the plausibility of such persons & their motives.

if you've read Ludlum's stuff or seen the Bourne movies, you know that the CIA are not supposed to be the "good guys" but are often portrayed as secretive, domineering, imperialist entity that isn't really under any real popular control, and the people in these aggencies are portrayed as a mixed bag, contradictory. this novel's portrayal of the CIA as the good guys is at odds with that other portrayal, and is another of the novels defects, to anyone who has a real understanding of the actual CIA role.

If they made a pill that was the exactly opposite of steroids, and taking it you wimpy and soft, Jason Bourne must have taken it in this book. A lot of the book is set some what late in Bourne's life making him seem old and a step too slow. I bought this on CD to listen to on my ride across the Pennsylvania Turnpike and it was a huge mistake. This was my first foray into reading a book written by an author who did not create the character he was writing about. Never again will I make this mistake. I think is is just the publishers way of churning out more material with the "Jason Bourne" brand on it to make a quick dime. Well, it worked but take it from me this was not worth your time.

Having read a number of Ludlum books, I was anxious to see what this appointed successor would do with Jason Bourne. The experience was mostly good. We find Jason Bourne (David Webb in the civilian world) pulled back into the secret spy world when an attempt is made on his life. He immediately goes to visit his mentor and he finds himself framed for two murders. What follows is a plot that finds Bourne running around the world trying to find out why he is being framed and how this fits in with the plot of a madman who seems to be working a greater scheme.
While he is no Ludlum, Mr. Van Lustbader does a commendable job in bringing back Bourne. One problem I had with the book was some of the language, which was a bit saltier than Ludlum's usual work.

This may be the most disappointing book I have ever read! What a heartbreak considering what he had to work with. One good thing about trying to get through this, I am getting lots of other books read that I have been putting off. I cannot believe Lustbader is an experienced author. This books is a one continuous string of cliches and just generally tired silliness. For example: Bourne is on the run and he finds himself in "the poor northeast district" of DC. What would he overhear in the diner full of "dark faces"? Of course it is "discussions of Welfare checks, drug scores, police beatings, the sudden death of family members, the illness of friends in jail." What!?! Not one other detail is given other than a black waitress who says, "Don't you mind the stares, sugah. They're scared of you." What, are we in the 1950's? Painfully distressing that this is all he could find to write about.

The technical aspects of the writing are even worse. Details are clumsy, generic and uninteresting. Ludlum crafted his writing. This idiot plods through like his is paid per word. Not surprising I am spending time writing as a weird procrastination to avoid having to make myself finish this book and get it off my nightstand. TERRIBLE!!!

Having read many novels by both Eric Van Lustbader and Robert Ludlum, and having enjoyed both authors, I was excited to see what Lustbader could do with the fourth Jason Bourne novel, and I wasn't let down. I think perhaps the biggest gripe many people have with this book is the same that many people had when Lucas released Star Wars Episode I. We'd grown up with Episodes IV through VI and now here comes Episode I...and...what is this??? What the heck is a Jar Jar Binks? And that cute little kid grows up to be Vader??? Give me a break!

I think the removal of key characters from the first three novels was crucial to the plot of "Bourne vs Khan", because Bourne had to have no way of verifying Khan's alleged identity. Otherwise the twist of who Khan was claiming to be could have been unraveled with a simple phone call. (I'm trying to avoid spoilers, ok?)

I think Lustbader's biggest mistake with this novel was juxtaposing Nicholas Linnear onto Jason Bourne. Considering that Bourne was a highly trained assassin, other than the scars his body would be in much better condition than the average male. It had also already been established (in a previous novel) that Bourne still ran to stay in shape, so for him to survive what he goes through in this novel, even at the age he realistically should be, it's not that unbelievable. Just take a look at the Masters at your local Dojo (assuming it's the real thing), and you'll see that they'd stand a good chance of surviving what Lustbader put Bourne through, which as I mentioned was also Lustbader's biggest mistake. I believe he wrote too much of Nicholas Linnear into this novel, and that didn't sit well with many readers who've come to love the human side of our amnesia-bedeviled spy, as it shouldn't. Bourne is not Linnear, but it was all too easy to read this as a Nicholas Linnear novel. That didn't make it a bad story, but it didn't make it a good Ludlum/Bourne novel.

And there's another problem, but it's one the readers themselves are bringing to the table. This is not a Robert Ludlum novel, it's an Eric Van Lustbader novel. Both authors have their own styles and both are good to read (or at least I like them) but if you open a Lustbader novel expecting a Ludlum, you're going to be disappointed. Lustbader was not writing as Ludlum or attempting to copy his style, Lustbader took the Bourne character and wrote his own novel around him.

If you like Lustbader, you'll enjoy this book.

If you love Ludlum fanatically and are expecting a Ludlum novel you're going to be sorely disappointed.

One week before an international summit condemnging terrorism, Jason Bourne aka David Web's two closest friends, his controler, and psychiatrist are mysteriously murdered. Bourne arrives only minutes too late to save them, and is left taking the blame for their murders. Pursued by the CIA, and the mysterious assassin, Bourne goes to the summit to find out who is trying to set him up.
A good story, enough action, and plot twists for two books, my only complaint; the author makes it all too obvious who the mysterious assassin is, a quarter of the way through the book.
At fifty some odd years of age, Jason Bourne is just getting a bit old to be chasing around the world, looking to terrorists on the loose. That's why Clive Cussler retired his best known character, Dirk Pitt, because he was getting too old for the chases, fights, and shootouts!

terrible terrible book. there is obvious plot contradictions between this and the first 3 books. Accepting that you can keep reading but that will just ruin a perfectly good fictional character for you. this is more of a 1 man army type of novel where it's bourne against a million terrorists (as if this plot wasn't tired already).

read the first 3 books, watch the fantastic first 3 movies. but don't watch teh 4th movie and def. don't read or listen to this junk.

If you are a fan of the one man against the world plot, there are tons of better books written by much better authors. They use robert's name to sell this book when it has nothing to do with him.

Thriller writer Lustbader brings Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne back to life. One wonders if this is what Mr. Ludlum would have wanted, it smacks of his estate cashing in on the legacy, and I alomost did not buy the book for this reason. That being said, I must admit that I thourghly enjoyed this addition to the Bourne saga. David Webb (Jason Bourne is his alter ego) is now a mild mannered Georgetown professor. Upon visiting his ex CIA handler, Alex Conklin, David finds him murdered. It is a setup and he is the prime suspect. Thus the story takes off from here as Jason Bourne reemerges from the psychy of David Webb as he is pursued by the worlds intellegence agency. I was quickly pulled into the story, plenty of action and twists and turns that would do Mr. Ludlum proud.

Avoid this like the plague if you liked either the Bourne books or films.

Where should I begin with this review? Should I start off by saying that, even though he's now in his mid-60s, Bourne's fund of energy and determination is endless? Or how about that 3 of our favourite characters from the previous books have gone? Or that the book is simply badly written?

The author's style of writing is reminiscent of someone in high school trying to copy his favourite author. I've lost count the number of times a character does something "at length" (a phrase so jarring to me it's hard not to notice). The way he divides action into chapters is also unusual, to say the least, the action flitting between characters and continents for no rhyme nor reason. And while Ludlum would describe in detail seemingly inconsequential matters to successfully build up the scene or the tension, van Lustbader lumbers us with description upon description of anything, seemingly to reach the word limit.

Ludlum was known for his in-depth research before writing his novels. Indeed he was praised by "people in the know" for his accurate portrayals of the machinations of the CIA - the way people talk, the codes, the procedures, etc. van Lustbader, however, clearly limited his research to Google - and he didn't even click on the right pages. He states that Bourne running through a stream would get some dogs off his trail because they would never pick up the scent - wrong. Dogs find it easier to follow someone when they cross water because they disturb the bottom of the river and the scent is easier to follow. Then he was talking about Bourne stealing the ID of a baggage handler in the US... and then using it in a French airport. Somehow I don't think baggage handlers actually get on the plane and then get off in the destination country to take everything out of the plane. He also talks about Bourne crashing his bike into an "18-wheeler". We don't have them in Europe. Or some French government agent pulled out a tri-band mobile phone so he could phone the US. Why? You only need a tri-band phone if you GO to the US from Europe.

Then there are problems with the Bourne backstory. In the Ludlum books, it was stated that Bourne was NOT, in fact, a killing machine, he had only made a relatively few kills, and then only when necessary. van Lustbader has concocted a whole other story for Bourne where he deliberately and savagely killed someone. And what about Bourne's first family that were killed? Bourne saw them being buried. He was there at their funerals. Presumably he saw their bodies. So, if that's the case.... {I don't want to "spoil" the plot}

The book was TORTURE to get through, but I made it to the end simply so that I didn't waste my money.

DO NOT buy this book. It's a few hours or days of your life that you will never get back.

I actually rounded the LEGACY up a half star since I was feeling in a generous mood. Maybe it was because I was so surprised at how faithful the author was to Ludlum and how well the story continued the Bourne mythology. It definitely reminded one of the original novels at least in action and in the inner thoughts of Bourne.

Once again, we have rogue assassins seemingly everywhere but this time one claims to be Bourne's son, Joshua, who he thought had been killed in Cambodia years before. A near hit draws David Webb aka Jason Bourne from his academic surroundings. What ensues is a series of chases - Bourne after those responsible for the brutal killing of his mentor, the CIA after Bourne, Joshua after Bourne and the terrorists after a new technology which brings bioterrism to a new level. The book is almost non-stop action, very little time for reflection, but although the pace is frenetic, the writing is not.

The story is also about betrayal - lovers betray each other, organizations betray their members, spies switch allegiances, politicians betray their mission. All in all this was a stellar success.

The only similarity with Ludlum is the use of the Bourne name. An otherwise good storyteller, Eric Van Lustbader lacks the most basic knowledge of weapons. This was always one of Ludlum's strong points. Bourne was an expert and Ludlum never jeopardized the integrity of the character with references to things he knew nothing about or hadn't researched. In the Eric Van Lustbader story, Bourne is carrying a switchblade that seems to be a cross between a Swiss Army knife and a crowbar. You must endure this magic switchblade throughout the entire book. Another annoyance for me was an obvious mental lapse by the author. In one chapter he snatches a carved stone Buddha from his attacker's neck (Bourne's lost son) and a few chapters later, it's miraculously back on that same attacker's neck. The author must have taken a vacation and forgot where he left off. I'm surprised the publisher's readers didn't catch this. I guess they realized that the power of the good Ludlum name would sell a few books either way.

I dissagree with the many reviewers that blasted this book. I approached it with an open mind, fully understanding that this is NOT a Robert Lundlum Jason Bourne novel. Sadly, we will never see another one. While at first I was a little thrown off that, based on age descriptions, Bourne seemed to be younger than in Bourne Ultimatum (Although Matt Damon is younger, largely because the movies didn't really follow the books, Jason was in his 50s in the novel Bourne Ultimatum.). After getting over that, I really liked the plot and the age he put Bourne at. Not too old but still mature. I thought Mr. Van Lustbader brought some excitment and fun into a weathered character. (Remember that, when first published, B.U. did not get great reviews.) I liked the changes in locals, the plot twists and really enjoyed the main twist, which most probably saw coming! I enjoyed this book almost as much as the originals and, without Mr Ludlum around, that is still better than what many authors serve up. I rate it high and slightly higher than Bourne Betrayal.

If you loved the bourne books by Robert Ludlum DONT read this book! It might have been an ok book if the the author just made up his own character. He didn't talk to Marie once in the book... a couple of text messages at the beginning and thats it, didn't even mention her again. Doesn't Bourne think about her while he's gone in this book. In the other books Marie was right there every step of the way.
Bourne has also become younger in this book somehow... not mentioning his age once or how he's not what he once was. I would not recommend this book to ANYONE. Please don't read this book unless you haven't read any of the other good Bourne books.

As author of AN UNQUIET AMERICAN a political thriller about clandestine activities, I can sympathize with Lustbader taking on the task of writing the Bourne Legacy. But as reluctant as I am to criticize a fellow author, I must say that this book is a disappointment. This portrayal of Jason Bourne, even if he's now retired from the CIA, is inconsistent with the dynamic, conflicted, intelligent, quick thinking Bourne we all know and love. I don't think I would ever write someone else's character - you live with the characters you create day and night, know their every thought and nuance and they develop from the depths of your own soul and understanding of them like a family member - that's tough to replicate and Lustbader definitely falls short. Such a disappointment.

I liked Lustbader's earlier novels and most of Ludlum's, although his later works made me feel I was being written down to, but at least I still felt an author conscientiously at work over a keyboard somewhere in the background. The Bourne Legacy seemed like a good chance to enjoy the best of both authors on a long flight but alas it was not to be. The persistent image I had throughout was of the author, Lustbader, pacing back and forth dictating the prose, pausing every now and then to check his cravate in a mirror and losing track of how often he had repeated the predictable devices employed to upholster the storyline. By midway I was unconsciously counting the number of times Bourne had been beaten to within an inch of his life as the central and closing device for the chapter, only to put himself successfully (but unsuccessfully) in harm's way in the next. I began to dread the reappearances of Bourne's son Khan/Joshua because they would oblige me to wade through another helping of corny father-versus-son angst. The technical details that made the earlier novels believable in a suspend-disbelief sort of way were not only lacking in this work but actively invited disbelief when attempted. Since I had enjoyed the film The Bourne Supremacy with Matt Damon I tried hard to summon images from it to replace the author-in-a-smoking-jacket pictures that kept flashing into my mind but I couldn't make them fit with the awful dialogue. All in all I kept reading the book not because I was enthralled or captivated, nor because of any suviving loyalty to the original novels but because it was too big to hide under the airplane seat. I consigned it to a quarantine bin as soon as I landed in the hope that this symbolic act might help the author and the Ludlum Estate to find closure after this tragic mistake.

Robert Ludlum gave us a Jason Bourne with martial arts skills and the intuition to anticipate and counteract those who are pitted against him. Eric Van Lustbader provides these same talents to the assasin, Khan. It is unbelievabe that Khan can read the upcoming paragraphs in the book to determine where Jason will be, and what he is going to do. Khan is much more accomplished in martial arts than Jason will ever be under Van Lustbader. Why the Robert Ludlum estate ever allowed this "Ludlum Wanabe" to pen this novel is a mystery in itself.
I read 150 novels a year, I kept telling myself, this novel has got to get better, it never did! If there is a sequel, I at least know to save my money and avoid another sure disaster.