Celluloid on Paper

Robert Ludlum's 'The Bourne Betrayal'. Eric Van Lustbader. Uk:Orion. 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7528-8213-0

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne is a haunting presence in this book. One sees not Bourne but Damon. We do not read but see frame by frame the action unravelling itself visually as in the celluloid. There is no depth to this Bourne of the book unless one imagines Damon imparting dimension with his level, penetrating gaze and the everpresent agonising puzzle about his identity glimmering through his eyes.

Even the stunts are described in such detail that there is very little left to the imagination. Enough of this...Fadi comes across as a terrorist with a crazed mind and ideals conveniently tailored to suit his personal agenda of revenge.

Soraya, the CI agent is a perfect counterfoil to Bourne as they move from one narrow escape to another. Tyrone, surprisingly, comes as a gernuine character with his streetsamrt ways.

The car and bike chases, the moles, the prosthetic 'face-offs', the double-take by the scientist, Katya, the girl with a golden heart who dies to save Bourne, the timer that has to be defused, the heart-stopping indecision of the hero as he has to decide which wire-green or red- to pull out to disarm the miniaturised nuclear device - doesn't one get the feeling of de javu?

There is no subtlety, there is too much of predicability and yet, one reads because of the action that follows one after the other and inevitably one wants to know how this is going to end.