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The Scorpio Illusion
Born in a remote Basque village, she watched, a wide-eyed ten-year-old, as bayonet-wielding soldiers brutally beheaded her parents - and at that moment vowed death to all authority. Now the one man she loved has been killed in a terrorist raid and Bajaratt, an accomplished assassin and mistress of disguise and deception, has set in motion a bold act of vengeance: a masterful plan to strike with one violent blow at the heads of Israel, England, France, and the United States. To find her, a desperate intelligence community turns to Tyrell Hawthorne. Hawthorne was a naval intelligence officer - one of the best - until the rain-swept night in Amsterdam when he learned that his wife had been murdered, a victim of the games spies play.
Since then, Hawthorne has carved out a new life, sailing charters in the islands. But he's never forgotten the unanswered questions he left behind in Amsterdam. Now Hawthorne is about to be drawn into the deadliest game of all, as a large transfer of black funds makes its way from Bahrain to an offshore bank...a mysterious woman embarks from Marseilles on a mission of violence and mayhem... and a clandestine network of wealthy, well-placed men and women – the Scorpios – move behind the scenes in the nation's capital to do Bajaratt's biddingand to consolidate their own power. The key to this chilling conspiracy waits on one of the Caribbean's hundreds of uncharted islands. No one knows these deceptive waters better than Tye Hawthorne. No one - except the brilliant, lethal Bajaratt herself - has mastered the moves of the hunt more cunningly than he. No one else can stop her.
Since then, Hawthorne has carved out a new life, sailing charters in the islands. But he's never forgotten the unanswered questions he left behind in Amsterdam. Now Hawthorne is about to be drawn into the deadliest game of all, as a large transfer of black funds makes its way from Bahrain to an offshore bank...a mysterious woman embarks from Marseilles on a mission of violence and mayhem... and a clandestine network of wealthy, well-placed men and women – the Scorpios – move behind the scenes in the nation's capital to do Bajaratt's biddingand to consolidate their own power. The key to this chilling conspiracy waits on one of the Caribbean's hundreds of uncharted islands. No one knows these deceptive waters better than Tye Hawthorne. No one - except the brilliant, lethal Bajaratt herself - has mastered the moves of the hunt more cunningly than he. No one else can stop her.
672 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
376 people are currently reading
2912 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ludlum
632 books5,307 followersRobert Ludlum was a titan of the suspense genre, whose name became synonymous with the modern international spy thriller. Before amassing a staggering readership estimated between 300 and 500 million copies, Ludlum forged a career in the theater as a Marine veteran turned actor and producer. This theatrical background proved foundational to his literary success; he often credited his sense of pacing and "what-happens-next" urgency to his years on stage. Writing from his home in New Jersey, he crafted 27 novels characterized by "lone wolf" protagonists battling shadowy global conspiracies, corrupt corporations, and clandestine military organizations.
Ludlum is most famous as the creator of Jason Bourne, the amnesiac assassin who first appeared in The Bourne Identity (1980). While the blockbuster film adaptations starring Matt Damon brought the character to a new generation, Ludlum’s original trilogy delved deeper into the Cold War paranoia and intricate psychological trauma of the protagonist. His work often drew inspiration from contemporary conspiracy theories, such as rumors surrounding the Trilateral Commission, and he frequently explored the idea of terrorism as a tool for authoritarian manipulation. Even after his death in 2001, his literary estate has continued to expand his universe through video games and posthumous collaborations, cementing his legacy as a master of the "ticking clock" narrative.
Ludlum is most famous as the creator of Jason Bourne, the amnesiac assassin who first appeared in The Bourne Identity (1980). While the blockbuster film adaptations starring Matt Damon brought the character to a new generation, Ludlum’s original trilogy delved deeper into the Cold War paranoia and intricate psychological trauma of the protagonist. His work often drew inspiration from contemporary conspiracy theories, such as rumors surrounding the Trilateral Commission, and he frequently explored the idea of terrorism as a tool for authoritarian manipulation. Even after his death in 2001, his literary estate has continued to expand his universe through video games and posthumous collaborations, cementing his legacy as a master of the "ticking clock" narrative.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
August 31, 2017
Read this when it first came out and found it amazing!
This man has so many books it would be hard to choose one, but this one did the trick!
Amaya Bajaratt is a terrorist plotting to bring down America. Tyrell Hawthorne is a former agent brought out of retirement because he is a former lover and sole person who can recognize 'The Baj,' as she is sometimes referred. She is ruthless as she is beautiful. And she has coerced a handsome Italian looking for a future to play an instrumental part in her plot to throw America in disarray. Her team consists of high-ranking military and government people known as Scorpios. Their importance to the organization are numbered as Scorpio 1, Scorpio 2, Scorpio 3...and so forth. As Tyrell finds some of his skills have waned, he learns more about the woman he loved so long ago, and her history is as compelling as her ability to succeed in a dangerous plan to bring down the American Government and turn the nation upside down.
Filled with suspense, action, drama, and romance, this book is a page-turner and leaves the reader wondering if this sort of thing has happened...Or will.
This man has so many books it would be hard to choose one, but this one did the trick!
Amaya Bajaratt is a terrorist plotting to bring down America. Tyrell Hawthorne is a former agent brought out of retirement because he is a former lover and sole person who can recognize 'The Baj,' as she is sometimes referred. She is ruthless as she is beautiful. And she has coerced a handsome Italian looking for a future to play an instrumental part in her plot to throw America in disarray. Her team consists of high-ranking military and government people known as Scorpios. Their importance to the organization are numbered as Scorpio 1, Scorpio 2, Scorpio 3...and so forth. As Tyrell finds some of his skills have waned, he learns more about the woman he loved so long ago, and her history is as compelling as her ability to succeed in a dangerous plan to bring down the American Government and turn the nation upside down.
Filled with suspense, action, drama, and romance, this book is a page-turner and leaves the reader wondering if this sort of thing has happened...Or will.
February 15, 2008
After Bourne this is Ludlum's best novel is my opinion. It has everything you could want in one of these books. International espionage, assassination attempts, guns, etc. It doesn't try to be something that it isn't. Pure thrill and adventure without the verboseness of a Clancy novel.
July 17, 2017
a grossly enthralling spy novel with abundant twists. i got through it all in around 2 days.
July 2, 2012
I remember vividly the first time I read one of Robert Ludlum's novels. I was in high school and had stumbled upon The Bourne Identity. The book oscillated between a plot moving at a frenetic pace and a series of flashbacks allowing you to slow down and get a deeper sense of who Bourne was, and why he did what he did. I came to appreciate the flashbacks almost more than the forward plot. The Bourne Identity wasn't the only one of Ludlum's novel to employ this technique. It was something that kept me coming back to him throughout my teenage years.
So it was with a sense of nostalgia and optimism that I recently started one of his later works, The Scorpio Illusion. At first, the plot is pure Ludlum. Our hero, Tyrell Hawthorne, is a former intelligence officer whose wife was murdered, a victim of "the games spies play." Now he has been called out of retirement as supposedly the only man alive who can track down a deadly terrorist. Amaya Bajaratt is beautiful (of course) and deadly; worse still she has set in motion a horrifying conspiracy that no one can seem to stop. The life of the U.S. president and various world leaders hang in the balance as Hawthorne follows Amaya's trail to uncover the secret group, The Scorpios, that exists to help her.
Sounds like a great spy-thriller-beach-read, right? Unfortunately, Ludlum seems to have rushed through this book. Gone are all of the character building flashbacks and carefully revealed details that allow the reader to lose himself in the world of espionage. He fell victim to one a genre writer's worst enemies. He expected his readers to fill in the blanks themselves.
One of the joys of reading genre fiction is allowing yourself to fall into the world the author creates. Yes, it is usually a very familiar place, especially if you have read much of a particular author. But an escape into that well crafted world is exactly what the reader is looking for.
The Scorpio Illusion is simply not one of Ludlum's best. While the plot moved along at his usual breakneck speed, the characters were so utterly flat I had a hard time getting invested in any of it. Most of the dialogue sounded like it was taken from a 1970's cop show, complete with all the requisite stereotypes these shows made famous.
While I still think most of Ludlam's work sets the standard for the spy/thriller genre, I would not recommend reading this book if you are new to Ludlam. His earlier work was much better.
So it was with a sense of nostalgia and optimism that I recently started one of his later works, The Scorpio Illusion. At first, the plot is pure Ludlum. Our hero, Tyrell Hawthorne, is a former intelligence officer whose wife was murdered, a victim of "the games spies play." Now he has been called out of retirement as supposedly the only man alive who can track down a deadly terrorist. Amaya Bajaratt is beautiful (of course) and deadly; worse still she has set in motion a horrifying conspiracy that no one can seem to stop. The life of the U.S. president and various world leaders hang in the balance as Hawthorne follows Amaya's trail to uncover the secret group, The Scorpios, that exists to help her.
Sounds like a great spy-thriller-beach-read, right? Unfortunately, Ludlum seems to have rushed through this book. Gone are all of the character building flashbacks and carefully revealed details that allow the reader to lose himself in the world of espionage. He fell victim to one a genre writer's worst enemies. He expected his readers to fill in the blanks themselves.
One of the joys of reading genre fiction is allowing yourself to fall into the world the author creates. Yes, it is usually a very familiar place, especially if you have read much of a particular author. But an escape into that well crafted world is exactly what the reader is looking for.
The Scorpio Illusion is simply not one of Ludlum's best. While the plot moved along at his usual breakneck speed, the characters were so utterly flat I had a hard time getting invested in any of it. Most of the dialogue sounded like it was taken from a 1970's cop show, complete with all the requisite stereotypes these shows made famous.
While I still think most of Ludlam's work sets the standard for the spy/thriller genre, I would not recommend reading this book if you are new to Ludlam. His earlier work was much better.
November 29, 2009
This was more fun to read than I thought it would be. It is a spy-thriller that is surprisingly current despite having been published in 1993. What makes it so readable is the admittedly lame but funny conversations. It reads like James Bond with touches of 1960's Batman. It is very long, 664 pages, but it reads quickly and easily. What is it about? "--good Lord, leaks in Washington and Paris that we know about, Mafia connections, an island fortress, Japanese satellites, Swiss accounts, drops in Miami and Palm Beach, and who knows what else!"
"If I remember," said Neilsen (Batwoman), "her husband was our driver."
"And the limousine has a telephone," added Tyrell (Batman)
"Holy sh*t, he's right!" exclaimed Poole (Robin) Suppose the front gate tries the limo, then calls the police? Suppose they've already called 'em? They'll be here any minute, huntin for us!"
"My instincts tell me they won't," countered Hawthorne (Batman), "but then I don't have the confidence I once had. I've been away too long."
(Yeah, like 40 years, but welcome back Batman!)
"If I remember," said Neilsen (Batwoman), "her husband was our driver."
"And the limousine has a telephone," added Tyrell (Batman)
"Holy sh*t, he's right!" exclaimed Poole (Robin) Suppose the front gate tries the limo, then calls the police? Suppose they've already called 'em? They'll be here any minute, huntin for us!"
"My instincts tell me they won't," countered Hawthorne (Batman), "but then I don't have the confidence I once had. I've been away too long."
(Yeah, like 40 years, but welcome back Batman!)
April 8, 2021
Full of suspense.
March 3, 2025
You know all those books where the bad guy tells his plans when he has the hero at his mercy? Fortunately, you don't get that here... but only because here, instead, the bad guy reveals his plans when he *doesn't* have the hero at his mercy, because he "enjoying the thought of the hero knowing his plans but being unable to stop them". I let you guess how that turns out.
Then we have no less than THREE top secret groups that infiltrated the US government to such high levels that they have the: Director and Vice-Director of CIA, the Boss of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (or however is that position called), a Senator who is head of the Intelligence Committee in their pockets. Despite that, they need to outsource killing the President to some Islamic terrorists (and no, it's not the matter of them looking for a tool/puppet/patsy/scape goat, they do it because the leader of said terrorists is the only genius capable of devising a plan of killing the President). What else? Oh, any time the good guys get any sort of lead and pass it to their superiors, it turns out the person passing the information is a member of one of those Evil Organizations. That would stretch the suspension of disbelief already even if this organization was said to have hundreds of members but it's explicitly said to have only 25 people in the whole world and surprisingly all of them happen to be involved in that single operation. But that doesn't matter because after the boss of evil organization #1 dies (after monologuing to said hero), the rest of the organization leadership kill each other in the course of two days. Oh and the super-genius Islamic terrorist? The only way she can achieve anything is by threatening said Evil Organizations that if they don't do arrange everything for her, she'll have her buddies from Liban (who are actually Palestinians but really Basques and aren't Islamists at all) kill them. I mean, fanatic terrorists are no joke but it's explicitly stated that she has no idea about the identities of the people she's threatening. And those people she's threatening (the Director of CIA among them), how do they react? Do they lead her into a trap? Do they send assassisn/FBI/CIA/NSA against her? Nope, the Director of CIA, an old guy, grabs his gun and tries to meet and shoot her himself. Guess how that goes.
Despite these screwups, the good guys are so dumb that it takes them almost 700 pages to save them day.
Ugh.
Then we have no less than THREE top secret groups that infiltrated the US government to such high levels that they have the: Director and Vice-Director of CIA, the Boss of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (or however is that position called), a Senator who is head of the Intelligence Committee in their pockets. Despite that, they need to outsource killing the President to some Islamic terrorists (and no, it's not the matter of them looking for a tool/puppet/patsy/scape goat, they do it because the leader of said terrorists is the only genius capable of devising a plan of killing the President). What else? Oh, any time the good guys get any sort of lead and pass it to their superiors, it turns out the person passing the information is a member of one of those Evil Organizations. That would stretch the suspension of disbelief already even if this organization was said to have hundreds of members but it's explicitly said to have only 25 people in the whole world and surprisingly all of them happen to be involved in that single operation. But that doesn't matter because after the boss of evil organization #1 dies (after monologuing to said hero), the rest of the organization leadership kill each other in the course of two days. Oh and the super-genius Islamic terrorist? The only way she can achieve anything is by threatening said Evil Organizations that if they don't do arrange everything for her, she'll have her buddies from Liban (who are actually Palestinians but really Basques and aren't Islamists at all) kill them. I mean, fanatic terrorists are no joke but it's explicitly stated that she has no idea about the identities of the people she's threatening. And those people she's threatening (the Director of CIA among them), how do they react? Do they lead her into a trap? Do they send assassisn/FBI/CIA/NSA against her? Nope, the Director of CIA, an old guy, grabs his gun and tries to meet and shoot her himself. Guess how that goes.
Despite these screwups, the good guys are so dumb that it takes them almost 700 pages to save them day.
Ugh.
February 22, 2016
Le illusione dello Scorpione, in originale "The Scorpio Illusion" è un romanzo del 1993 del compianto Robert Ludlum. Si tratta di un romanzo che è un mix di suspense, dramma, azione e thriller. Robert Ludlum, come già detto molte volte nelle mie precedenti recensioni è un maestro indiscusso del genere spy-story, tanto da meritarsi l'appellativo di "Mr. Plot" -signor complotto-. Ha scritto 27 romanzi thriller. Il numero di copie dei suoi libri in stampa è stimato tra 290 milioni e 500 milioni. I suoi libri sono stati pubblicati in 33 lingue e 40 paesi. Ludlum ha anche pubblicato romanzi sotto gli pseudonimi di Jonathan Ryder e Michael Shepherd.
È diventato celebre per la serie di romanzi "The Bourne Identity" ai quali sono stati vagamente ispirati tre film.
La trama di questo romanzo: Tyrell Hawthorne era uno dei migliori ufficiali dei servizi segreti della marina fino alla notte piovosa di Amsterdam quando sua moglie è stata assassinata, una vittima innocente. Ora Hawthorne è stato richiamato per un ultimo incarico. Lui è l'unico uomo al mondo che può rintracciare il terrorista più pericoloso del mondo. Amaya Bajaratt è bella, sfuggente, mortale - e lei ha messo in moto una cospirazione agghiacciante che il governo non può fermare. Con la vita del presidente in bilico, Hawthorne deve seguire il percorso a serpentina di Amaya per scoprire la rete che usa questo killer spietato.
Ludlum è una garanzia per questo genere di thriller ambientati nel mondo dei servizi segreti, i suoi libri sono sempre ben documentati e strutturalmente ben progettati, non ci sono falle e l'autore cerca sempre di tenere il lettore sulle spine e ottimizza i colpi di scena in modo di non annoiare mai durante la lettura. Come la maggior parte dei romanzi di Ludlum, il palcoscenico della vicenda è il mondo stesso, per un romanzo che non vedi l'ora di finire.
Ludlum, come dico sempre è il maestro di questo genere. Ritmi concitati e una maestria superba nel costruire degli intrecci veramente complicati.
È diventato celebre per la serie di romanzi "The Bourne Identity" ai quali sono stati vagamente ispirati tre film.
La trama di questo romanzo: Tyrell Hawthorne era uno dei migliori ufficiali dei servizi segreti della marina fino alla notte piovosa di Amsterdam quando sua moglie è stata assassinata, una vittima innocente. Ora Hawthorne è stato richiamato per un ultimo incarico. Lui è l'unico uomo al mondo che può rintracciare il terrorista più pericoloso del mondo. Amaya Bajaratt è bella, sfuggente, mortale - e lei ha messo in moto una cospirazione agghiacciante che il governo non può fermare. Con la vita del presidente in bilico, Hawthorne deve seguire il percorso a serpentina di Amaya per scoprire la rete che usa questo killer spietato.
Ludlum è una garanzia per questo genere di thriller ambientati nel mondo dei servizi segreti, i suoi libri sono sempre ben documentati e strutturalmente ben progettati, non ci sono falle e l'autore cerca sempre di tenere il lettore sulle spine e ottimizza i colpi di scena in modo di non annoiare mai durante la lettura. Come la maggior parte dei romanzi di Ludlum, il palcoscenico della vicenda è il mondo stesso, per un romanzo che non vedi l'ora di finire.
Ludlum, come dico sempre è il maestro di questo genere. Ritmi concitati e una maestria superba nel costruire degli intrecci veramente complicati.
August 25, 2017
I'm a very stubborn girl, I should've listened to my first instinct and put this book in the unfinished section as soon as I started it. But no, there I was pushing it on because I didn't wanna let it be unfinished and now I froze it at page 470. I just couldn't go on anymore. I've read two Ludlum novels previously - The Sigma Protocol, which by the way was good and the Rhineman Exchange, a very awful book. The Rhineman Exchange left me thinking that maybe Ludlum isn't a bad writer, it's just this particular case but no, The Scorpio Illusion is much worse.
I read books because I wanna think, if I didn't wanna challenge my mind I'd watch soap operas, wouldn't I? I like to think, I love when you finish reading for the day and you just sit there trying to figure out what's gonna happen, trying to solve the books inner structures and mysteries. A book that's so easily predictable doesn't give you the fun that books are supposed to be giving you and therefore just isn't entertaining enough to keep your attention.
The problem is that right in the beginning, Ludlum throws at us one ridiculous plot that quickly becomes obvious, not to mention that his narrative in this book is absolutely horrible and tiresome, worse than it usually is. It's just the good side against the bad side, there are no plot twists, hardly any sub plots, there's nothing surprising or nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat, it's completely flat. This is a novel that Ludlum wrote for purely commercial purposes, he didn't really care about the art in itself, in my opinion. A complete bust, I regret having lost so much time on such refutable novel and I can say with certainty that I shall not try to read it again.
I read books because I wanna think, if I didn't wanna challenge my mind I'd watch soap operas, wouldn't I? I like to think, I love when you finish reading for the day and you just sit there trying to figure out what's gonna happen, trying to solve the books inner structures and mysteries. A book that's so easily predictable doesn't give you the fun that books are supposed to be giving you and therefore just isn't entertaining enough to keep your attention.
The problem is that right in the beginning, Ludlum throws at us one ridiculous plot that quickly becomes obvious, not to mention that his narrative in this book is absolutely horrible and tiresome, worse than it usually is. It's just the good side against the bad side, there are no plot twists, hardly any sub plots, there's nothing surprising or nothing to keep you on the edge of your seat, it's completely flat. This is a novel that Ludlum wrote for purely commercial purposes, he didn't really care about the art in itself, in my opinion. A complete bust, I regret having lost so much time on such refutable novel and I can say with certainty that I shall not try to read it again.
July 11, 2016
There's a good pulp political thriller in here somewhere but man, if any book needed a copyeditor it's this one. I really tried to finish it but it just dragged and dragged that any climax or finale didn't feel worth it anymore. Conversations between two characters last way longer than they should and it seems like the whole book is more fixated on giving you every single mundane detail in the conspiracy the story is about than well, giving you an engaging story or characters to make you feel immersed in this world (to be fair a lot of characters started off as interesting but as the book trudged along, I became less fascinated with where their arcs would wind up). This is my first Robert Ludlum book and I certainly won't use it to judge his entire bibliography, but this was a massive disappointment.
February 25, 2017
The late Robert Ludlum was a master of the "secret society", often involving two or more in the intricate plots of his stories. THE SCORPIO ILLUSION is a classical example of his talent in this respect. As Tye Hawthorne tries to unravel a plot to destabilize the entire western world, he must also deal with a group of highly placed people led by Scorpio One. The Scorpio group, on the other hand is being aided and abetted, and restrained, by another group, the Providers. Whose side are these groups on--only the author knows. With the help of USAF Major Catherine Neilsen and Lt. Jackson Poole, Hawthorne tracks a Middle Eastern terrorist as she makes her way from a sanctuary in the Caribbean to Washington, DC. There is a high body count on both sides as everyone converges on the White House.
October 5, 2011
I thought it was horrible. The plot was decent, though far-fetched. The dialogue & narrative were trite, verbose & irritating. The book could easily have been condensed to 400 pages, rather than the 664 pages it was. When I started it, I thought, 'OK, this is bad, but I'll give it 100 pages to improve.' It didn't, but by then I was hooked on the plot itself. That's the reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1, which I would have if I'd put it away when the thought first hit me. I'll never pick up another Robert Ludlum book. I give myself 1 star for wasting the time reading it.
September 20, 2019
Ok, I loved reading this book. As different as night and day from Road to Omaha!!!! Kept my interest. It is a big book. I wish "she" had gotten "it" in the end but we can't all get our wishes granted! I am interested to know about Hawthorne and Cathy!!! How about that genius "MAJOR"
March 19, 2014
Awesome!
June 25, 2018
I enjoyed this action filled tale about a female terriorit that almost killed the president. Very exciting and very well written.
February 2, 2019
Slogging through it. Not impressed.
January 22, 2021
This is a really good, typical Ludlum book. You've got a spy story mixed with the right amount of adventure, back-stabbing, violent plans, and assassination attempts, all combining to form a very good book. The novel can be quickly summed up by saying a retired CIA operative is recruited to stop a world-class terrorist from killing the President. But by limiting yourself to just that you miss a lot of the intricacies that are so much a part of Ludlum's novels. There are always twists and turns in his stories which help to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Although, I must say that other Ludlum novels that I've read before always seemed to be more complicated than this one. It had its twists but not as many as I remember other novels having. Either way though, Ludlum is still a master at weaving intricate spy stories.
March 3, 2019
Dreadful. Two stars because I managed to finish it.
March 11, 2019
Heads of State, assassinations, infiltration of governments at all levels
Just the kind of intrigue that will keep you turning pages. This story weaves several characters together into an exciting suspense filled story. Excellent read
Just the kind of intrigue that will keep you turning pages. This story weaves several characters together into an exciting suspense filled story. Excellent read
November 17, 2023
Great pacing and intense storytelling; Ludlum takes generic ideas and makes them compelling and interesting through the story's scale as well as the dramatic turns the story takes in unexpected places; all of his characters across his books are basically the same people, and this book was a bit overlong with some parts that lost me, but overall was a compelling thriller story
Read
August 23, 2024Dnf
December 9, 2016
*Spoilers ahead*
I know Ludlum's a famous spy story writer and that he's sold millions of books around the world. However, for me, this book is a total let-down. I was going to give it 2 stars, but the more I think of it writing this review, the more I realize that it's not even worth the 2 stars.
The book is quite long (600+ pages) for such a basic story. (Terrorist wants to kill US president, aided by a network of infiltrators on key positions in US agencies. Ex-navy, now retiree is asked to stop her. About everyone involved dies except our hero and in the end he's able to stop the terrorist. Pff, how original).
I also found the dialogue very weird and unnatural. Lots of exclamation marks and words in italics. The terrorist and her partner conversed in some antiquated manner with every other sentence going like this: "Oh, my darling, I must not tell you, for you are a mere man-child."
Disappointing.
I skimmed some other Ludlum books and saw the writing style is similar. Sorry, this writer's not for me.
I know Ludlum's a famous spy story writer and that he's sold millions of books around the world. However, for me, this book is a total let-down. I was going to give it 2 stars, but the more I think of it writing this review, the more I realize that it's not even worth the 2 stars.
The book is quite long (600+ pages) for such a basic story. (Terrorist wants to kill US president, aided by a network of infiltrators on key positions in US agencies. Ex-navy, now retiree is asked to stop her. About everyone involved dies except our hero and in the end he's able to stop the terrorist. Pff, how original).
I also found the dialogue very weird and unnatural. Lots of exclamation marks and words in italics. The terrorist and her partner conversed in some antiquated manner with every other sentence going like this: "Oh, my darling, I must not tell you, for you are a mere man-child."
Disappointing.
I skimmed some other Ludlum books and saw the writing style is similar. Sorry, this writer's not for me.
November 26, 2021
Genuinely cured my insomnia.
Took me 7 years to start reading it, which is a pity as could have done away with the many sleepless nights.
Tacky and pedestrian dialogue, forgettable stock characters and incredibly boring narration.
Skimmed most of it, yet found it never ending and filled with overlong one dimensional conversations. An enervating experience by itself.
Would say it's the equivalent to a C grade action movie marathon. Absolutely nothing to recall from it and experience is of just plodding by wooden, pointless dialogue followed by some threadbare action.
Could easily halve this book and still have too much of it. Of the 612 pages of an alleged thriller, the only genuine thrill I got was in reading the last line to go for another actually good book.
Despite this however, I'll admit never has anything come close to getting me sleep as many times as this book. Everytime picked it up, ended up asleep. Reserving a permanent spot for this on the nightstand for that alone.
Took me 7 years to start reading it, which is a pity as could have done away with the many sleepless nights.
Tacky and pedestrian dialogue, forgettable stock characters and incredibly boring narration.
Skimmed most of it, yet found it never ending and filled with overlong one dimensional conversations. An enervating experience by itself.
Would say it's the equivalent to a C grade action movie marathon. Absolutely nothing to recall from it and experience is of just plodding by wooden, pointless dialogue followed by some threadbare action.
Could easily halve this book and still have too much of it. Of the 612 pages of an alleged thriller, the only genuine thrill I got was in reading the last line to go for another actually good book.
Despite this however, I'll admit never has anything come close to getting me sleep as many times as this book. Everytime picked it up, ended up asleep. Reserving a permanent spot for this on the nightstand for that alone.
March 21, 2019
The overall plot, a terrorist planning to create worldwide panic through assassination, is fairly interesting as are the main characters, but the never-ending slaughter is repulsive and tedious at the same time. Long passages explaining the backstories of corrupt or evil characters are also unnecessary and somewhat tedious. I stuck with it because I wanted to see how the hero would manage to foil the seemingly invincible mastermind, but from about halfway through, I was bored by the revelations of infinite conspirators and repeated executions. Definitely not Ludlum's best work.
June 8, 2017
A real struggle for my reading taste.
November 20, 2017
Awful writing. Terrible dialogue. I'm a sucker for a spy novel, but this was bad.
August 3, 2019
The story was great and the protagonist Tye Hawthorne moved along pretty good but the evil Baj just seemed to drag on and on.
I think I would have preferred the readers digest version.
I think I would have preferred the readers digest version.
November 27, 2019
This is a huge disappointment: I expected much more from Ludlum but this is just a very simple novel with endless, stupid and unnecessary conversations.
January 28, 2020
664 pages. Fair
December 21, 2021
Ütlen kohe ära, et selle raamatu lugemine polnud ikka õige värk. Aga lugemiskogemust tahan küll teiega jagada.
Kunagi lugesin Ludlumilt mõne raamat, oli väga mõnus poliitiline pinevpõnevus-värk. Siis tuli paus, Hotger andis vahepeal ikka mõnuga ludlumeid välja, neist paar tükki vist isegi lugesin, pole enam kindel. Ning nüüd on päris pikk paus olnud, kuni tänaseni. Mõtlesin, et vaatan vana armastuse üle.
Kohe alguses kandus mu jaoks aga see koorem kraavi poole. Raamatu alguses olev action tundus eriti nüri, labane ja kehvasti kirjutatud. Vägisi meenutas Veskimeest ja kloone nende kehvematel hetkedel. Või siis äkki ongi teised autorid lugenud Ludlumit ja kasutavad samu võtteid? No see selleks, aga selline "mehelik" halb jurts oli juba alguses mu jaoks loetavuse mõttes talutava piiri peal. Kuna aga tõesti näiteks "Chancellori käsikiri" on mul Ludlumilt ribadeks loetud, siis otsustasin, et loen siinse tüki lõpuni. Esimesed 100 lk lugesin ka, korralikult, midagi vahele jätmata.
Edasi... järjest hullemaks läks! Eks teatud väljendeid ongi raske tõlkida, aga kui ikka karmid mehed pilluvad omavahel solvanguid stiilis "kuradima Vietnami-röhkija!" siis see oli juba nukralt koomiline. Lisaks stiililiselt koosneb see raamat suures osas dialoogist, mis tehnilise võttena on mu jaoks kohutavalt väsitav. Ma pean küll natuke mõtisklema-meenutama, aga ma nii dialoogikeskset raamatut vist ei mäletagi. Samas Perry Masonil on ka ju midagi sarnast olnud kohati... hea küll, las praegu teised kirjanikud-raamatud olla. Ludlumi jutustamisviis oli aga selline, et ühel hetkel vandusin alla ja hakkasin lugemise asemel lehitsema, vahel lugema, kui oli dialoogivabasid kohti. Need olid head. Aga dialoogis oli jälle näha, et ahha, nüüd läheb tegevus "sinna" suunas ning saab diagonaalis edasi "kerida" mingi osa.
Igavaid ning kahemõõtmelisi tegelasi pole vist mõtet mainidagi? Kõik see kokku oli jah nii ruineeriv, et ma mõtlesin isegi poolelijätmisele. Sisi aga otsustasin, et kulutan ikka tunni-paar ning ratsutan raamatu kiirkorras lõpuni välja, sest äkki läheb paremaks. Lisaks tahaks ju teada, mis kogu sellest värgist saab. Pealegi Ludlum on hea. Eks?
Sisu. Ma isegi ei ütle, millest see raamat on, kuna Ludlumil on tavapäraselt väga suured teemad fookuses, kas siis riikide tasemel vandenõud või näiteks käilakujude mõrvaplaanid. "Skorpioni illusioonis" on see lahendatud lausa naeruväärselt kehvasti ja trafaretselt. Ma hakkan ise juba oma juttu lugedes mõtlema, et äkki ma olen millestki väga valesti aru saanud? Umbes nagu paneks parema jala saabast vasakusse jalga või üritaks Nikoni kaamerale Canoni objektiivi ette keerata. Nagu... ei.
Kokkuvõtvalt - ei läinud paremaks. Kõik mu öeldu kehtis kuni raamatu viimaste ridadeni välja. Ma nüüd ei teagi, mis selle raamatuga peale hakkan, tahaks tast lahti saada, aga häbi kellelegi edasi ulatada...
"Skorpioni illusioon" on autori umbes-täpselt kahekümnes romaan. Näiteks "Matlocki dokument" on üsna varajane, kas äkki käis siis kirjanikul hiljem vedru maha? Või olen ma ise muutunud vahepeal, saa nüüd aru.
Igaljuhul ma ei plaani küll rohkem Ludlumit lugeda. Samas vaadates Goodreads keskmist hinnet - 3,85 ning 7193 hindajat. Ilmselgelt ma ei saanud raamatust aru.
Kunagi lugesin Ludlumilt mõne raamat, oli väga mõnus poliitiline pinevpõnevus-värk. Siis tuli paus, Hotger andis vahepeal ikka mõnuga ludlumeid välja, neist paar tükki vist isegi lugesin, pole enam kindel. Ning nüüd on päris pikk paus olnud, kuni tänaseni. Mõtlesin, et vaatan vana armastuse üle.
Kohe alguses kandus mu jaoks aga see koorem kraavi poole. Raamatu alguses olev action tundus eriti nüri, labane ja kehvasti kirjutatud. Vägisi meenutas Veskimeest ja kloone nende kehvematel hetkedel. Või siis äkki ongi teised autorid lugenud Ludlumit ja kasutavad samu võtteid? No see selleks, aga selline "mehelik" halb jurts oli juba alguses mu jaoks loetavuse mõttes talutava piiri peal. Kuna aga tõesti näiteks "Chancellori käsikiri" on mul Ludlumilt ribadeks loetud, siis otsustasin, et loen siinse tüki lõpuni. Esimesed 100 lk lugesin ka, korralikult, midagi vahele jätmata.
Edasi... järjest hullemaks läks! Eks teatud väljendeid ongi raske tõlkida, aga kui ikka karmid mehed pilluvad omavahel solvanguid stiilis "kuradima Vietnami-röhkija!" siis see oli juba nukralt koomiline. Lisaks stiililiselt koosneb see raamat suures osas dialoogist, mis tehnilise võttena on mu jaoks kohutavalt väsitav. Ma pean küll natuke mõtisklema-meenutama, aga ma nii dialoogikeskset raamatut vist ei mäletagi. Samas Perry Masonil on ka ju midagi sarnast olnud kohati... hea küll, las praegu teised kirjanikud-raamatud olla. Ludlumi jutustamisviis oli aga selline, et ühel hetkel vandusin alla ja hakkasin lugemise asemel lehitsema, vahel lugema, kui oli dialoogivabasid kohti. Need olid head. Aga dialoogis oli jälle näha, et ahha, nüüd läheb tegevus "sinna" suunas ning saab diagonaalis edasi "kerida" mingi osa.
Igavaid ning kahemõõtmelisi tegelasi pole vist mõtet mainidagi? Kõik see kokku oli jah nii ruineeriv, et ma mõtlesin isegi poolelijätmisele. Sisi aga otsustasin, et kulutan ikka tunni-paar ning ratsutan raamatu kiirkorras lõpuni välja, sest äkki läheb paremaks. Lisaks tahaks ju teada, mis kogu sellest värgist saab. Pealegi Ludlum on hea. Eks?
Sisu. Ma isegi ei ütle, millest see raamat on, kuna Ludlumil on tavapäraselt väga suured teemad fookuses, kas siis riikide tasemel vandenõud või näiteks käilakujude mõrvaplaanid. "Skorpioni illusioonis" on see lahendatud lausa naeruväärselt kehvasti ja trafaretselt. Ma hakkan ise juba oma juttu lugedes mõtlema, et äkki ma olen millestki väga valesti aru saanud? Umbes nagu paneks parema jala saabast vasakusse jalga või üritaks Nikoni kaamerale Canoni objektiivi ette keerata. Nagu... ei.
Kokkuvõtvalt - ei läinud paremaks. Kõik mu öeldu kehtis kuni raamatu viimaste ridadeni välja. Ma nüüd ei teagi, mis selle raamatuga peale hakkan, tahaks tast lahti saada, aga häbi kellelegi edasi ulatada...
"Skorpioni illusioon" on autori umbes-täpselt kahekümnes romaan. Näiteks "Matlocki dokument" on üsna varajane, kas äkki käis siis kirjanikul hiljem vedru maha? Või olen ma ise muutunud vahepeal, saa nüüd aru.
Igaljuhul ma ei plaani küll rohkem Ludlumit lugeda. Samas vaadates Goodreads keskmist hinnet - 3,85 ning 7193 hindajat. Ilmselgelt ma ei saanud raamatust aru.
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