Mission: Impossible

by Peter Barsocchini

When agents of the former Soviet Union steal a top-secret decoded list of undercover American agents in Europe, CIA agent Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission team begin a daring adventure that is plagued by internal sabotage. Original. Movie tie-in.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Media Tie In, Action, Espionage, Adventure

217 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually one of my favorite books. I loved the movie, but the book is even better. If you liked the movie, but wanted more details, this is the book for you.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent adaptation of the movie. It followed the events closer, but added a lot of context to characters with their inner thoughts. Really enjoyed this. Wish more of this franchise had novelizations.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading. Makes sense of the movie.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novelization so it is faithful to the movie. Still it is nice to read what the characters are thinking and planning in their heads as the story moves forward. Good read

[Leandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say..? Ik ben lichtelijk verslaafd aan Mission Impossible

[Dani Noviandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ada yang ingat dengan adegan seseorang menerima telepon, dan di akhir percakapannya si penelepon bilang: “telepon/rekaman ini akan hancur dengan sendirinya dalam waktu 5 detik”? Yup, itu adegan dari film atau serial TV Mission Impossible. Khas banget kata-kata itu waktu dulu serialnya masih eksis.

Nah, gak disangka ternyata Mission Impossible ini ada bukunya juga lho. Saya juga gak sengaja nemu di lapak buku bekas. Buku ini terbit tahun 1996, bisa dibilang buku ini adaptasi dari filmnya, mungkin lho. Soalnya buku ini menceritakan film layar lebar Mission Impossible pertama di sekitar tahun 1996 juga.

Ethan Hunt, si agen MI yang identik dengan Tom Cruise tentu saja jadi tokoh utama dalam buku ini. Tim IMF (Impossible Mission Force) yang dipimpinnya kali ini terlibat kasus penculikan data daftar agen CIA di Eropa. Dengan setting di negeri-negeri Eropa seperti di Kiev, Praha, Paris serta London, Ethan membawa misinya ini dengan satu kekhawatiran yang telah terjadi: dirinya dicap sebagai pengkhianat oleh CIA. Hal ini terjadi akibat rekan-rekannya di IMF satu persatu tewas ketika sedang menjalankan misi ini. Ethan yang selamat sendirian mau tak mau mulai dicurigai sebagai dalang dari kejadian ini. Maka bertambahlah misi Ethan: mengejar data daftar agen CIA di Eropa, menghindari kejaran CIA yang coba menangkapnya, dan juga berusaha mencari tahu siapakah pengkhianat sebenarnya.

Petualangan Ethan sangat seru, misi yang dibuat IMF dalam berbagai kasus yang ditangani sungguh sangat rapi. Semua terencana dengan baik. Senjata-senjata rahasia, penyamaran-penyamaran yang brilian, juga gadget-gadget yang sudah sangat modern di zaman 90-an seperti di dalam cerita. Hal ini memang dapat diperoleh berkat agen-agen terbaik yang dimiliki CIA dalam setiap lininya. Memang, semua seolah terlihat sempurna, tetapi kasus terakhir Ethan di IMF inilah yang membuat semuanya buyar, misinya gagal, teman-temannya tewas, dirinya menjadi buronan.

Menegangkan membaca buku ini. Visualisasi dari filmnya seperti tercetak secara otomatis ketika membaca cerita di dalamnya. Briliannya sang penulis dalam menyusun rencana-rencana Ethan dan tim IMF, sungguh sangat mendebarkan dan membuat puas, karena memang penulis seolah membuat segala hal yang terjadi begitu masuk akal, dan tidak berdasarkan fantasi sama sekali. Namun memang, tak ada yang sempurna, ada bagian-bagian yang cukup ganjil di dalam buku ini. Salah satunya adalah ketika Ethan berhasil pergi ke Amerika Serikat ke markas CIA dari Eropa. Padahal saat itu statusnya sedang buron, most wanted person. Tetapi di buku tiba-tiba saja dia telah berada di Amerika, tanpa dijelaskan prosesnya seperti apa.

Ah, setidaknya, buku ini mampu membangkitkan kembali memori tentang Mission Impossible yang pada era 90-an sempat booming di televisi nasional. Lima bintang sempurna untuk buku ini.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I have not seen the FILM this book was based on, yet)

A predictable mash-up of random action sequences, Mission: Impossible did not have any very memorable moments or fascinating scenes. The main character Ethan Hunt is a CIA agent working on an “impossible” mission to retrieve a list of names from undercover agents in Europe. I found the premise of the book to be somewhat interesting, however I never found the book itself to be particularly exciting, or gripping in any forms.

[Aidan Heitzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mission: Impossible by Peter Barsocchini is a gripping thriller that follows the story of Jack Turner, a former CIA operative who finds himself embroiled in a high-stakes game of espionage. Tasked with retrieving a valuable artifact, he must navigate a web of danger, deceit, and unexpected alliances. As the tension escalates, Jack's past resurfaces, and he must confront the impossible choices that await him.

What's good:
Barsocchini's writing style is fast-paced and immersive, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The suspense and thrilling action sequences were expertly crafted, leaving me eagerly turning the pages. Jack Turner is a compelling protagonist with a complex backstory. His blend of vulnerability and resourcefulness made him relatable and kept me invested in his journey. The intricate plot kept me guessing until the very end. Barsocchini skillfully weaved together multiple storylines and unexpected twists, ensuring there was never a dull moment.
The global settings added richness to the narrative, immersing readers in a world of international espionage and intrigue. The attention to detail in describing the locations brought an extra layer of authenticity. The exploration of themes such as trust, loyalty, and the blurred lines between good and evil added depth to the story. It raised thought-provoking questions about the nature of morality and the lengths one would go to protect what they hold dear.

What Could Have Been Better:
The character development, particularly of the supporting cast, could have been more robust. I would have liked to see greater depth and backstory for some of the secondary characters.
Certain plot points felt slightly rushed, and more time could have been spent exploring their ramifications. Some threads felt unresolved, leaving me wanting more closure in certain aspects.
While the action sequences were thrilling, at times they overshadowed the emotional depth of the story. I would have appreciated a better balance between the action and the character-driven moments.

I recommend this book to people who like action thrillers, and or like movies that display a lot of "eye candy" type movies.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Mission Impossible since the first time I watched it, and it has stood the test of time, even appearing ahead of its time in the mid 90s. I have continued to watch the rest of the series (although admittedly, two is not my favourite) and was amazed to find a novelization of the film.

I was not sure how this would be, as the film relies heavily on its action sequences and these same action sequences can fall flat when on page. However, Peter Barsocchini has kept the action flying on the pages and translated the novelization into a quick page turner.

The novelizations do have their pitfalls, but this doesn’t suffer from many of them. It’s a quick read, and you will fairly speed through it. There is not much in the way of additional scenes, that were perhaps cut from the final film, however, there is more background to some of the characters. We find out what Ethan did before IMF and how he was brought up. We find out how Claire and Jim got together and married (a still unlikely pairing in the film) and there are a couple of additional lines of dialogue scattered throughout. The ending is very slightly expanded, with a funeral scene and Ethan thinking about his time in IMF, before meeting Luther. There is a couple more lines of dialogue in this section and more insight into Ethan’s thought process and the whole mission.

It’s only 217 pages and has two adverts in the back - one for the Nintendo 64/IBM-PC CD ROM game from Ocean and the soundtrack (music from and inspired by the motion picture), direct from all good record shops.

I am disappointed that the rest of the series had not been duly novelized, despite frequently hunting for them. (If anyone can point me in the right direction, if they do exist) There are some tie-ins to the original 60s TV series (which I’ve never seen) but no more of the film novelizations. I don’t think there will be much call for them being written now, but a girl can hope. (Much like she can still hope that someday, Speed will be novelized, as Speed 2 was.)

[Steven Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novelization was largely phoned in. Large chunks of it look like they were copied and pasted from the screenplay. It was interesting to see some explanation of the characters' backgrounds that couldn't be effectively portrayed on screen (including Hunt's military background prior to joining IMF) as well as explaining the hierarchy of the IMF, but otherwise it left something to be desired.

One of my biggest gripes is long passages of dialogue back and forth. Personally, I like to break those up with gestures. Smoking a cigarette or having a drink or a meal are good ways to do this. Hand gestures and other non-verbal mannerisms are also effective at breaking up back and forth quotations. To me, back and forth dialogue blocks is lazy writing.

Not the worst book I've ever read (and it helps I've got about 80% of the film committed to memory, so I could fill in a lot of the blanks with recalling the movie), but definitely not the best, either.

[Vela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely exciting! I would've read this book faster if I hadn't discovered another book online.. Sadly the other book I read whilst also reading this one somewhat took the excitment out of Mission:Impossible. I guess, if I wouldn't have been distracted I would've enjoyed reading this a lot more because it is indeed a good book. But I can't say too much about the original version since I read the German translation which was a little weird. Sometimes the sentences just seemed unnatural. But all in all, it was a very good book!




***SPOILER ALERT***

I somewhat could tell that Kittridge wasn't the traitor. I got suspicious about Claire surviving the attack at the beginning and when Jim came back I got even more suspicious and thought about Claire and Jim being the traitors all along.

[Abhijeet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a complete missed opportunity. The movie is very good, a slow burn film noir almost, and the is a good target for a novelisation. This book goes for a very literal adaptation and there are very few details added here that aren't already on screen. Most of the text is describing the action, as it happened on screen. A more literary approach could have resulted in something spectacular. The opportunity to do something deeper was there, but I guess the target audience is looking for a quick, shallow read, which is what this is.

[Joel Berrocal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mission Impossible is a must-read for fans of the genre and anyone who appreciates a story that combines heart-pounding action with deep, introspective character arcs. It’s a book that not only entertains but also lingers with you long after the final page is turned.

[Catt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having watched all the films multiple times I always thought Ethan Hunt was a heartbreaking character and this novelisation of the first film, with added details from his POV just confirms it. Ethan, let me hug you, baby.

[Amy Gay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is on par and as good as the movie. It is adventurous and gets right to the action-packed story. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys the movie, spy novels, and character development.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely, the book is almost as good as the film. A tad slower, though.

[Luca Peres]

Read screenplay by David Koepp and Robert Towne

[Andrew Overbye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid novelization that doesn't reinvent the wheel but gives every character a little extra spice.

[Christa Thoroski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I am a nerd.

[Bookbear · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have some books that are existing as movies, too. Some are books made after successful movies, and some are books, that got made into movies.
This is the book after the movie of the same title. I also have all four Alien books, and some others. But in opposition to the alien books, which I can enjoy quite a bit in their own right, this book is not even getting close to the movie - and that even though it tells exactly that story. It's boring, meagre, and just looks like a contract piece done because someone offered (not too much) money.

[Adhit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entah mengapa saat membaca buku ini saya merasa bosan. Mungkin karena tidak ada hal baru yg besar di buku ini, semuanya sama persis seperti di filmnya. Buku ini bisa menjadi salah satu koleksi buku movie tie-in karena di indonesia jarang sekali menerjemahkan novel-novel yang sifatnya movie tie-in seperti ini, tetapi untuk isinya, apalagi seperti saya yang sudah beberapa kali menonton ulang versi filmnya, buku ini terasa biasa saja.

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

aika nopeasti läpi luettu kirja. tämä on siis mission impossible-elokuvan pohjalta kirjoitettu ja ehkä sen takiakin niin lyhyt. seikkailu ei ole mun suosikkilaji ja tietysti tuli luettua koska se on suomeksi. oli kuitenkin hyvin viihtyvää, muistin taas elokuvaa, jonka näin vuosia sitten. se olisi voinut olla pidempi, uskon että elokuvasta olisi saanut enemmän irti, mutta kuten sanoin, vauhti on päällä ja muistot elokuvasta välähtivät silmien edessä.

[Kitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not great at deciding on a rating for books, and I haven't read this in I don't know how many years, so I don't remember a lot, but considering the fact that by the time I finished middle school, I'd read it so much the cover was already basically held together by tape (or at the very least, well on its way), I felt confident enough in my past enjoyment of it to give it all the rating-stars...

[Galihmelon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biasanya kalau ada novel dan ada filmnya juga, filmnya yang ga sebagus novelnya, tapi untuk MI, novelnya yang ga sebagus filmnya. Mungkin karena novel ini dibuat bedasarkan filmnya ya.. Biarpun begitu, novel ini tetep menarik, berhubung ceritanya MI yang seru banget itu..

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot here is definitely interesting but the novel would have been better if it had been fleshed out more. There was not much in the way of character development. The sub plot of a romantic triangle was interesting but another sub plot would have added more substance.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novelization. Something useful for plane rides, car journeys, waits, or days by the pool.

Almost completely faithful to the classic movie (1996). I loved the movie, hence forth I loved the book. Another person I recommended it to enjoyed it too.

[Debora Siburian · Rating 3 out of 5]

baca buku ini karena dipinjemin teman. tapi lebih enak nonton filmnya daripada baca bukunya...hehehe

[Rahmadiyanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adaptasi yang cukup baik dari skenario filmnya. Paling tidak, saya baca novelnya dulu baru nonton filmnya (telat deh). Soalnya dulu belum sufi :D

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 - 2014

I don't like this movie because it ruined my childhood memories... simply because it made Jim Phelps a villain.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would read twenty books about ethan and his first team