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The SIGMA Protocol
The Sigma Protocol [Paperback] Robert Ludlum
612 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2001
452 people are currently reading
6688 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ludlum
631 books5,278 followersRobert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
December 14, 2012
This is my nth Robert Ludlum book but unlike those that I've so far read, this surprised me the most. Why? It's backdrop is the Holocaust. And for those who know me or those who regularly read my reviews, Holocaust novels have never fail to touch (choose one: grip, wretch, warm) my heart.
What will you do if the Jewish father that you loved all your life and who people respected and pitied because he claimed to be a Holocaust survivor was in fact, a Nazi torturer? And you found out this ugly incomprehensible truth only now that he is already dead?
This is the basic premise of the book. Something that could have win him a Nobel like Wiesel, Kertesz, Agnon, etc.
However, this is a Robert Ludlum book. This is said to be the last one what he wrote himself and completed before he died. So, there must be the Robert Ludlum ingredients. One, there has to be a secret powerful worldwide organization and yes you guessed it right, it is called "Sigma" (see the title) and it is an organization founded during the last year of Nazi's existence. The group, however, is still operating nowadays and it is composed of the rich and famous people around the globe. It controls the world economy and can influence presidential elections in many big countries.
Then there has to be two agents, a man and a woman who you think will fall in love because they are cute together. This time, they are Ben Hartman, the surviving son of the dead father and US DoJ agent Anna Navarro. They are both haunted by the Sigma tentacles so they run together in their quest to find out the truth about the organization.
The last quarter of the book is totally unexpected. They went to the Austria Alps and found something sinister there that will totally make you wonder and regret why Robert Ludlum did not pass on his wall-less imagination to the current herd of mystery-thriller writers. He was just one of a kind in terms of concocting books belonging to this genre.
I hope the Robert Ludlum estate continue to write and write books that are reflective of Ludlum's intricate plots like this one.
What will you do if the Jewish father that you loved all your life and who people respected and pitied because he claimed to be a Holocaust survivor was in fact, a Nazi torturer? And you found out this ugly incomprehensible truth only now that he is already dead?
This is the basic premise of the book. Something that could have win him a Nobel like Wiesel, Kertesz, Agnon, etc.
However, this is a Robert Ludlum book. This is said to be the last one what he wrote himself and completed before he died. So, there must be the Robert Ludlum ingredients. One, there has to be a secret powerful worldwide organization and yes you guessed it right, it is called "Sigma" (see the title) and it is an organization founded during the last year of Nazi's existence. The group, however, is still operating nowadays and it is composed of the rich and famous people around the globe. It controls the world economy and can influence presidential elections in many big countries.
Then there has to be two agents, a man and a woman who you think will fall in love because they are cute together. This time, they are Ben Hartman, the surviving son of the dead father and US DoJ agent Anna Navarro. They are both haunted by the Sigma tentacles so they run together in their quest to find out the truth about the organization.
The last quarter of the book is totally unexpected. They went to the Austria Alps and found something sinister there that will totally make you wonder and regret why Robert Ludlum did not pass on his wall-less imagination to the current herd of mystery-thriller writers. He was just one of a kind in terms of concocting books belonging to this genre.
I hope the Robert Ludlum estate continue to write and write books that are reflective of Ludlum's intricate plots like this one.
October 4, 2010
Nazis. I hate these guys. —Indiana Jones
Yeah, Ludlum is a famous author. And I loved The Eiger Sanction when I read it as a teenager. I know it's genre fiction, but I love a good escape, so I thought I'd give Robert Ludlum another try.
I suppose it's what it's supposed to be: fast-paced easy reading. But I was expecting more. It's not a total waste; it must have been a lot of work to put together that many pages. But come on, it's just not fair for a guy to get that rich for such basically mediocre writing and plotting. Let me kvetch about three things:
Mistakes. If you're making that much money, and getting that big an advance, you owe it to your readers to get the basics right. The publisher should be embarrassed at their own copyediting, but given that many publishers don't do squat, it falls to the author. And if your characters are jet-setting all over Europe and the Americas, (1) a lot of readers will have been there and (2) checking it out is tax-deductible! So there's no excuse. For example, a sign in a French police station reads DÉFENCE DE FUMER. Honestly. Such things erode our confidence and make us suspect all sorts of geographical, temporal, and linguistic laziness.
Brand-dropping. Many of the characters are obscenely rich. There is a fascination with these things, and great wealth gives characters a plausible excuse to have access to specialized knowledge and cool stuff like private jets. But please: we don't need to be told at every turn that character xyz has a beautifully-tailored gray pinstripe bespoke Savile Row suit, or a[n] Hermès scarf; or Volant Ti Super skis—none of which have any bearing on the plot except to tell us that the owner is tasteful and rich enough to afford it. In Legally Blonde, knowledge of clothes and accessories is part of the plot; when you do not reach the standard of that screenplay, you're in trouble.
Plot Grandiosity. I have complained about this before elsewhere. It's a bee in my bonnet. And of course all of these things are matters of taste. But one of the things that makes, say, John LeCarré's works so terrific is that what the spies spy about never really amounts to much. It's important to them, but the Earth never quite moves. Here, well, no spoilers, but the stakes are very high indeed. Ridiculously high. To give Ludlum credit, he does bring interesting moral dilemmas into play, but they get buried rather than resolved.
November 2, 2020
Nazis, Nazis and more Nazis.....damn audio cut off with 45mins left. A real pisser.....
January 30, 2012
Well, though there's a woman (Anna Vavarro) who works for US Intelligence it's not really a spy novel, though there's a wealthy businessman (Ben Hartman) it's not a legal/money laundering novel, though there's a background of international intrigue it's not simply about world domination as those who're following global governmental revelations would expect. It's a simple murder mystery that uses the main themes as a backdrop, nothing else.
But with a catch. Motive. There is none. Until... and it's like the world we know is shrouded by the world we can never be allowed to know.
The Sigma Protocol is a page-turning dream of a read. Ludlum's books are so good because he just wrote 'crumbling rope-bridge fiction' and REALLY enjoyed what he was doing.
I blog'd about my second reading of this novel, this morning, with specific reference to the eponymous Sigma SG of the title ... http://mikephilbin.blogspot.com/2012/...
But with a catch. Motive. There is none. Until... and it's like the world we know is shrouded by the world we can never be allowed to know.
The Sigma Protocol is a page-turning dream of a read. Ludlum's books are so good because he just wrote 'crumbling rope-bridge fiction' and REALLY enjoyed what he was doing.
I blog'd about my second reading of this novel, this morning, with specific reference to the eponymous Sigma SG of the title ... http://mikephilbin.blogspot.com/2012/...
January 16, 2018
How to almost, but not quite, be killed over and over and over again for 500 pages
September 19, 2008
I didn't care for this Ludlum book as much as other ones. I originally got hooked on Ludlum by reading his Covert-One novels. The Sigma Protocol started out good, grabbing my attention and pulling me in, but I don't think the characters were realistic or compelling. I also found the whole thing to be a bit of a stretch. The biggest conspiracy in the history of the world is just a bit too much for me to swallow.
I will keep reading Ludlum, my next book is the Bourne Identity, I love the movies! I will enjoy reading about a character who can handle himself in any situation!
I will keep reading Ludlum, my next book is the Bourne Identity, I love the movies! I will enjoy reading about a character who can handle himself in any situation!
June 5, 2012
I first read a Robert Ludlum novel after watching The Bourne Identity movie. I started with the Bourne series of books and was hooked. If you're into thrillers, I would encourage you to read those books.
THE SIGMA PROTOCOL is a stand alone story and has a captivating beginning (as all thrillers should) placing the hero in an untenable position right from the start. From there, things only get worse for the hero. Trying to determine who the good guys and bad guys are is part of the fun for the reader.
Ludlum does an excellent job of making you want to stay up a few minutes more at night to read the next chapter just to see how the latest wrinkle will unfold in the story.
If you like thrillers, I think you'll like this book.
THE SIGMA PROTOCOL is a stand alone story and has a captivating beginning (as all thrillers should) placing the hero in an untenable position right from the start. From there, things only get worse for the hero. Trying to determine who the good guys and bad guys are is part of the fun for the reader.
Ludlum does an excellent job of making you want to stay up a few minutes more at night to read the next chapter just to see how the latest wrinkle will unfold in the story.
If you like thrillers, I think you'll like this book.
January 18, 2020
5/5 estrellas
Cof… cof… cof… ¡Madre mía el libro que me he leído! No esperaba encontrarme con otro personaje que jugara a ser Dios pero en el contexto de la segunda guerra mundial. Es lo primero que leo de Robert Ludlum y me ha encantado su estilo. Por lo que leí, ésta novela es obra póstuma escrita totalmente por Robert Ludlum y por lo visto ha sido un excelente escritor de novelas de espías.
Éste libro cuenta la historia de Ben Hartman en una conspiración de gran calibre el cual sale ileso de un atentado en Zúrich. Ben está vacacionando en Suiza cuando sufre un intento de asesinato por parte de su amigo de la escuela, Jimmy Cavanaugh. Hartman no tiene más remedio que matar a su atacante en defensa propia, y apenas sobrevive a la prueba. Pero cuando se despierta, descubre que el cuerpo y todas las pruebas de la pelea han desaparecido. Luego es convocado por la policía para obtener una explicación al respecto y se da cuenta de que no existe esa persona que dice ser su amigo de la infancia. Además, la evidencia indica que él fue el involucrado en el asesinato de varios civiles en la escaramuza. Mientras avanza con sus investigaciones para comprender qué está pasando porque de un momento pasa a ser blanco de muerte, encuentra a su gemelo Peter, “supuestamente muerto en un accidente aéreo” años atrás.
Al mismo tiempo tenemos a Anna Navarro, es una funcionaria de la administración de justicia de Estados Unidos y es reclutada para una misión de alto secreto en Europa e inicia una investigación por una serie de muertes de viejos criminales de guerra nazis, aparentemente sin tener nada en común. Las víctimas tienen en común dos cosas: Primero un viejo archivo SS y segundo, es que fueron causados por una rara toxina y que parecen inconexos. Ella comienza a avanzar en este asunto cuando se da cuenta de que no se trata simplemente de una serie de muertes. Lo que conecta estas muertes es un mito, una leyenda que va más allá de la comprensión del hombre común, una conexión conocida solo por los conocedores. Una leyenda conocida como SIGMA. Pero cuando comienza a acercarse al núcleo del asunto, le piden que retroceda (cortesía de algunas personas muy poderosas) y que no haga más investigaciones sobre el asunto. Ella, sin embargo, decide tomar el asunto en sus propias manos y seguir los pasos. Pero a medida que comienza a progresar, es arrastrada fuera del caso, atacada y declarada deshonesta.
En ésta novela nos encontraremos con banqueros suizos, con antiguos nazis y con industriales occidentales, todo tejido en una gran red y que la pluma de Ludlum lo describe de forma magistral notándose una gran investigación pero el estilo de escritura es atrapante y deja sin respiro al lector porque desde la página trece (aproximadamente) empieza la acción y no decae hasta el final.
Alguien quiere que se guarde un secreto y a medida que el futuro de Hartman y Navarro se entrelazan, se hace evidente que hay más en juego de lo que podrían haber imaginado.
“El Protocolo Sigma es una novela llena de emoción y aventura. ¡La historia está muy bien pensada! Tanto que he aprendido sobre venenos y diferentes calibres de armas de fuego (jajaja) He sido parte de una aventura cargada de conspiraciones donde me hacía preguntarme: ¿Qué es real y qué es ficción? Porque “estos muchachos a punto de ir a la tumba” no solo quieren restablecer el reich de mil años sino que han estado firmes en el control de los eventos en todo el mundo desde el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Han logrado manipular cosas detrás de escena durante más de cincuenta años. Y hay más, pero prefiero que lo descubra el lector porque los últimos capítulos finales son tremendos porque cuando crees saber de qué ira, sufre un revés y como lectora no dejé de impactarme durante las 832 páginas, pero es que está tan bien narrado todo que, no sabes qué sucederá a continuación.
Sin duda lo recomiendo ciegamente. Es una excelente novela. Mención aparte merece decir que el autor en un par de capítulos hace viajar a nuestros personajes a la Argentina y la descripción de nuestro país y sus costumbres son EXCELENTES.
Cof… cof… cof… ¡Madre mía el libro que me he leído! No esperaba encontrarme con otro personaje que jugara a ser Dios pero en el contexto de la segunda guerra mundial. Es lo primero que leo de Robert Ludlum y me ha encantado su estilo. Por lo que leí, ésta novela es obra póstuma escrita totalmente por Robert Ludlum y por lo visto ha sido un excelente escritor de novelas de espías.
Éste libro cuenta la historia de Ben Hartman en una conspiración de gran calibre el cual sale ileso de un atentado en Zúrich. Ben está vacacionando en Suiza cuando sufre un intento de asesinato por parte de su amigo de la escuela, Jimmy Cavanaugh. Hartman no tiene más remedio que matar a su atacante en defensa propia, y apenas sobrevive a la prueba. Pero cuando se despierta, descubre que el cuerpo y todas las pruebas de la pelea han desaparecido. Luego es convocado por la policía para obtener una explicación al respecto y se da cuenta de que no existe esa persona que dice ser su amigo de la infancia. Además, la evidencia indica que él fue el involucrado en el asesinato de varios civiles en la escaramuza. Mientras avanza con sus investigaciones para comprender qué está pasando porque de un momento pasa a ser blanco de muerte, encuentra a su gemelo Peter, “supuestamente muerto en un accidente aéreo” años atrás.
Al mismo tiempo tenemos a Anna Navarro, es una funcionaria de la administración de justicia de Estados Unidos y es reclutada para una misión de alto secreto en Europa e inicia una investigación por una serie de muertes de viejos criminales de guerra nazis, aparentemente sin tener nada en común. Las víctimas tienen en común dos cosas: Primero un viejo archivo SS y segundo, es que fueron causados por una rara toxina y que parecen inconexos. Ella comienza a avanzar en este asunto cuando se da cuenta de que no se trata simplemente de una serie de muertes. Lo que conecta estas muertes es un mito, una leyenda que va más allá de la comprensión del hombre común, una conexión conocida solo por los conocedores. Una leyenda conocida como SIGMA. Pero cuando comienza a acercarse al núcleo del asunto, le piden que retroceda (cortesía de algunas personas muy poderosas) y que no haga más investigaciones sobre el asunto. Ella, sin embargo, decide tomar el asunto en sus propias manos y seguir los pasos. Pero a medida que comienza a progresar, es arrastrada fuera del caso, atacada y declarada deshonesta.
En ésta novela nos encontraremos con banqueros suizos, con antiguos nazis y con industriales occidentales, todo tejido en una gran red y que la pluma de Ludlum lo describe de forma magistral notándose una gran investigación pero el estilo de escritura es atrapante y deja sin respiro al lector porque desde la página trece (aproximadamente) empieza la acción y no decae hasta el final.
Alguien quiere que se guarde un secreto y a medida que el futuro de Hartman y Navarro se entrelazan, se hace evidente que hay más en juego de lo que podrían haber imaginado.
“El Protocolo Sigma es una novela llena de emoción y aventura. ¡La historia está muy bien pensada! Tanto que he aprendido sobre venenos y diferentes calibres de armas de fuego (jajaja) He sido parte de una aventura cargada de conspiraciones donde me hacía preguntarme: ¿Qué es real y qué es ficción? Porque “estos muchachos a punto de ir a la tumba” no solo quieren restablecer el reich de mil años sino que han estado firmes en el control de los eventos en todo el mundo desde el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Han logrado manipular cosas detrás de escena durante más de cincuenta años. Y hay más, pero prefiero que lo descubra el lector porque los últimos capítulos finales son tremendos porque cuando crees saber de qué ira, sufre un revés y como lectora no dejé de impactarme durante las 832 páginas, pero es que está tan bien narrado todo que, no sabes qué sucederá a continuación.
Sin duda lo recomiendo ciegamente. Es una excelente novela. Mención aparte merece decir que el autor en un par de capítulos hace viajar a nuestros personajes a la Argentina y la descripción de nuestro país y sus costumbres son EXCELENTES.
May 10, 2020
This is one of the two worst novels I've ever read and at age 81 I've read thousands.
It is so bad that I am convinced the publisher didn't bother editing it because Ludlum has sold upwards of 400+ million copies of his 24 (pre-death) novels and they figured why bother editing it?; just publish it and they'll make money. | will let others comment on the plot which I will say is foundationally absurd and an insult to the reader's intelligence. The characterization is 3rd rate, the dialogue is 4th rate and on top of numerous other failings, this utter hack repeatedly (dozens of times) resorts to the ultimate tool of the totally dreadful novelist, the use of the deus ex machina to extricate his two protagonists from whatever danger (usually almost fatal) they find themselves in. The only preposterous intervention he didn't introduce were space aliens from another galaxy to rescue his two ridiculous protagonists...the rich guy and his sidekick, the beautiful gov't agent.
Let me write: I'm convinced Ludlum had only the sketchiest idea of a plot...therefore he wrote and wrote and wrote this grossly overwritten 662 page book just adding in every chapter more pointless characters, twists, murders, locales, and other killings, because he just had no idea of how to fill anything in before the 80-page ending.
And oh the ending...I have probably never read such drivel in my life except in the one other worst novel I've ever read. It absolutely amazes me that Ludlum was such a successful writer. Over 35 years ago I read three of his earliest novels, thought him ponderous, formulaic and dull and only now have returned to read a fourth-the last he wrote before dying. He turned out to be infinitely worse than I thought him originally. This book is worse than awful.
It is so bad that I am convinced the publisher didn't bother editing it because Ludlum has sold upwards of 400+ million copies of his 24 (pre-death) novels and they figured why bother editing it?; just publish it and they'll make money. | will let others comment on the plot which I will say is foundationally absurd and an insult to the reader's intelligence. The characterization is 3rd rate, the dialogue is 4th rate and on top of numerous other failings, this utter hack repeatedly (dozens of times) resorts to the ultimate tool of the totally dreadful novelist, the use of the deus ex machina to extricate his two protagonists from whatever danger (usually almost fatal) they find themselves in. The only preposterous intervention he didn't introduce were space aliens from another galaxy to rescue his two ridiculous protagonists...the rich guy and his sidekick, the beautiful gov't agent.
Let me write: I'm convinced Ludlum had only the sketchiest idea of a plot...therefore he wrote and wrote and wrote this grossly overwritten 662 page book just adding in every chapter more pointless characters, twists, murders, locales, and other killings, because he just had no idea of how to fill anything in before the 80-page ending.
And oh the ending...I have probably never read such drivel in my life except in the one other worst novel I've ever read. It absolutely amazes me that Ludlum was such a successful writer. Over 35 years ago I read three of his earliest novels, thought him ponderous, formulaic and dull and only now have returned to read a fourth-the last he wrote before dying. He turned out to be infinitely worse than I thought him originally. This book is worse than awful.
October 26, 2022
Damn, that was dumb. The plot was more like a Bond movie plot (and I mean Roger Moore or late Sean Connery Bond) and it didn't fit Ludlum's style at all.
Plus the story was so repetitive! I get that there is trope of an informat being killed just as he is to reveal the name/plan of the bad guy but this consists only of this trope repeated again and again! Seriously, the protagonists (an extremely bland pair with a truly astounding lack of chemistry in their forced romance) travel from one informant to another, visitting each one some five minutes before he gets killed.
I expected so much better from Ludlum.
Plus the story was so repetitive! I get that there is trope of an informat being killed just as he is to reveal the name/plan of the bad guy but this consists only of this trope repeated again and again! Seriously, the protagonists (an extremely bland pair with a truly astounding lack of chemistry in their forced romance) travel from one informant to another, visitting each one some five minutes before he gets killed.
I expected so much better from Ludlum.
December 31, 2008
I enjoyed reading this book until the last few pages. I laughed out loud, but I don't think a humorous ending was intended. I just couldn't help myself. All of that build-up for . . . that?!!
January 11, 2016
My husband loves Robert Ludlum, so I've decided to give it a try. Not completely bad, but definitely a man's world.
November 3, 2023
eponymous-ey sentence:
p19: Sigma One would not be pleased.
punctuation marks:
p20: Dammit, he had to think.'
p28: He went back to the body, set it carefully on a shabby orange lounge chair, arranging the arms and head so that it looked as if the old man had fallen asleep in front of the TV
spaces:
p61: Ben flew to Lake Lucerne to claim the body and brought his brother home--what was left of him after the fuselage had exploded--ina little cardboard carton not much bigger than a cake box.
p261: One of them, Mercandetti had told him, resided in Vienna:the son of the monster Gerhard Lenz.
p302: I've tried tolove you.
p372: Jesus.And her guy at the DOJ had turned up nothing.
p412: The Marshall Plan itself, like so much else, was hammered out by Sigma--veryoften Sigma had devised the very language of the acts that would be submitted to, and passed by the American Congress!
p412: Wheels within wheels--thatwas the way we worked.
p412: Yet every detail had been outlined byus, mandated byus, longbefore.
p466: Everything wasbleached out.
p487: Wheels within wheels--thatwas the way we worked... It never crossed anyone's mind that the West had fallen under the administrationof a hidden consortium. The notion would be inconceivable . Because iftrue,itwould mean that over half of the planet was effectively a subsidiary of a single megacorporation--Sigma.
p493: "...Sie haben meinLeben gerettet!"
p511: "Oh, sweetJesus," said Officer Burt Connelly.
p550: This is agoddamned coffin.
p565: Youkilled my brother.
p572: This is not a manyou argue with, Ben thought, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to contain his outrage.
p593: CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT
construction:
p103: Of the small wooded casket that held the remains, his father's composure suddenly cracking as the casket was lowered into the hole, crumpling to the ground, fists clenched, his hoarse wail.
ocr:
p191: Pete's words of caution: They practically own balf the cops.
p295: Which meant that Hartman might already have given Jiirgen Lenz a lethal injection.
p299: Use reappeared, carrying a small leather-bound book; on its spine Ben made out the name Hölderin, lettered in gilt.
p339: Anna recognized the agency siang--it referred to double agents, American assets who had been recruited by hostile parties.
p354: "...Those included the treasurer, who is identified by the title Obersturmfiihrer, and by the name Max Hartman."
p435: A bolstered pistol sat atop his gleaming bare desk, the leather holster old but lovingly cared for.
p493: "¡Vamos, Señor Albrecht, vamos paraallá, que estoy apurada!iTengo que ver al próximo paciente todavía!"
p493: "iYa mismo," she said, "vamos!"
p493: "Gott im Hinamel," he moaned.
le mot juste:
p196: The ledge of the cement wall that separated the bank's back lot from that of its neighbor was at shoulder height; Ben stuck the gun in the waistband of his trousers and, with both hands, lifted himself up and over.
spelling:
p205: He handed her a sheet of paper stamped SECRET, NOFORN, and NOCONRACT.
narrative:
p489: Like a mannequin twitching with incipient life, the ancient guard moved an arm, yanking a slim, silenced revolver from his trousers, and pointing it at the ruddy-faced man who stood over him.
grammar:
p607: "And can I say thanks for saving out ass?"
The plot's like a sieve plus there's quite a number of deus ex machina bombs that Robert dropped. Still, it was quite a ride.
p19: Sigma One would not be pleased.
punctuation marks:
p20: Dammit, he had to think.'
p28: He went back to the body, set it carefully on a shabby orange lounge chair, arranging the arms and head so that it looked as if the old man had fallen asleep in front of the TV
spaces:
p61: Ben flew to Lake Lucerne to claim the body and brought his brother home--what was left of him after the fuselage had exploded--ina little cardboard carton not much bigger than a cake box.
p261: One of them, Mercandetti had told him, resided in Vienna:the son of the monster Gerhard Lenz.
p302: I've tried tolove you.
p372: Jesus.And her guy at the DOJ had turned up nothing.
p412: The Marshall Plan itself, like so much else, was hammered out by Sigma--veryoften Sigma had devised the very language of the acts that would be submitted to, and passed by the American Congress!
p412: Wheels within wheels--thatwas the way we worked.
p412: Yet every detail had been outlined byus, mandated byus, longbefore.
p466: Everything wasbleached out.
p487: Wheels within wheels--thatwas the way we worked... It never crossed anyone's mind that the West had fallen under the administrationof a hidden consortium. The notion would be inconceivable . Because iftrue,itwould mean that over half of the planet was effectively a subsidiary of a single megacorporation--Sigma.
p493: "...Sie haben meinLeben gerettet!"
p511: "Oh, sweetJesus," said Officer Burt Connelly.
p550: This is agoddamned coffin.
p565: Youkilled my brother.
p572: This is not a manyou argue with, Ben thought, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to contain his outrage.
p593: CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT
construction:
p103: Of the small wooded casket that held the remains, his father's composure suddenly cracking as the casket was lowered into the hole, crumpling to the ground, fists clenched, his hoarse wail.
ocr:
p191: Pete's words of caution: They practically own balf the cops.
p295: Which meant that Hartman might already have given Jiirgen Lenz a lethal injection.
p299: Use reappeared, carrying a small leather-bound book; on its spine Ben made out the name Hölderin, lettered in gilt.
p339: Anna recognized the agency siang--it referred to double agents, American assets who had been recruited by hostile parties.
p354: "...Those included the treasurer, who is identified by the title Obersturmfiihrer, and by the name Max Hartman."
p435: A bolstered pistol sat atop his gleaming bare desk, the leather holster old but lovingly cared for.
p493: "¡Vamos, Señor Albrecht, vamos paraallá, que estoy apurada!iTengo que ver al próximo paciente todavía!"
p493: "iYa mismo," she said, "vamos!"
p493: "Gott im Hinamel," he moaned.
le mot juste:
p196: The ledge of the cement wall that separated the bank's back lot from that of its neighbor was at shoulder height; Ben stuck the gun in the waistband of his trousers and, with both hands, lifted himself up and over.
spelling:
p205: He handed her a sheet of paper stamped SECRET, NOFORN, and NOCONRACT.
narrative:
p489: Like a mannequin twitching with incipient life, the ancient guard moved an arm, yanking a slim, silenced revolver from his trousers, and pointing it at the ruddy-faced man who stood over him.
grammar:
p607: "And can I say thanks for saving out ass?"
The plot's like a sieve plus there's quite a number of deus ex machina bombs that Robert dropped. Still, it was quite a ride.
October 28, 2020
Painfully overwritten--there are enough adjectives in here to give shape and form to antimatter--and populated with artificial characters. Ludlum gives his two leads tragic backstories (natch), but envelopes their words and actions in juvenile melodrama. The one does not make up for the other.
All that said, the story moves at a good clip and reads like the best of 90's Bond: a secret, nefarious organization is attempting to seize world power; to stop it, two complete strangers must work together (while traversing plenty of exotic European locales). There are several juicy twists, and I was (relatively) hooked until the end.
Bottom line: if you like Ludlum, or spy-thrillers in general, this is worth a shot. But it may not claim a spot on your 'favorites' list.
All that said, the story moves at a good clip and reads like the best of 90's Bond: a secret, nefarious organization is attempting to seize world power; to stop it, two complete strangers must work together (while traversing plenty of exotic European locales). There are several juicy twists, and I was (relatively) hooked until the end.
Bottom line: if you like Ludlum, or spy-thrillers in general, this is worth a shot. But it may not claim a spot on your 'favorites' list.
July 23, 2023
3,5/5
"The Sigma Protocol" is a book that touches many important and controversial topics, such as Auschwitz, the morality of Mengele's experiments, trust, judging, and many more.
Overall, I liked the story, it was nicely developed. It started out pretty slow but it took on pace the further I went into it.
As far as characters go, sometimes their actions didn't make any sense, sometimes they were lacking depth, but they were okay.
When it comes to the logical aspect of the whole story, I feel like there were parts that didn't make much sense and were just not important at all. But again, overall it was nice.
Overall, there was a lot happening in the book, there were great plot twists, and I liked how the book was written.
"The Sigma Protocol" is a book that touches many important and controversial topics, such as Auschwitz, the morality of Mengele's experiments, trust, judging, and many more.
Overall, I liked the story, it was nicely developed. It started out pretty slow but it took on pace the further I went into it.
As far as characters go, sometimes their actions didn't make any sense, sometimes they were lacking depth, but they were okay.
When it comes to the logical aspect of the whole story, I feel like there were parts that didn't make much sense and were just not important at all. But again, overall it was nice.
Overall, there was a lot happening in the book, there were great plot twists, and I liked how the book was written.
May 6, 2019
Wealthy banker Ben Hartman is in in Switzerland on holiday when an attempt is made on his life. American Department of Justice investigator is assigned to to investigate if a series of the elderly are related and comes under attempts on her life. Soon the two are on the run for their lives and team up to find out who and why they are in danger. A thrilling read by a master of suspense.
May 7, 2020
Een goed boek. De opbouw is lang, maar doordat het een dik boek is was dat voor mij niet storend. Genieten van een diepe laag in het verhaal, die je stukje bij beetje ontdekt.
July 29, 2021
Kept my attention while on vacation. Sometimes a bit esoteric, but overall an enjoyable read.
September 17, 2021
It was ok. It dragged on in spots and could have been about 10 chapters leaner. The characters are good but it was long.
July 2, 2025
A ridiculous plot filled with non-essential details and bumbling boring characters; cats have nine lives, Hartmans have hundreds!
October 15, 2010
Ludlum doesn't mess around with small scale conspiracies. He goes for the over-the-top, take over the world conspiracies. This effort is no different.
In this case, a poor little rich kid, investment banker, Benjamin Hartman, meets up with poor little poor kid made good, Justice Department Agent, Anna Navarro, and, together, they save the world. As in most Ludlum novels, Hartman is an amateur who somehow manages to survive multiple attempts on his life through luck and skills picked up as a child and in college, mostly luck. Navarro is, of course, a stubborn rebel who goes off on her own whenever her instincts tell her she's right, no matter what the rest of the world is saying.
The plot became more and more unbelievable, but, by that time, I was hooked into finding out how it all ends. Fortunately for the world, justice and love triumph over ambition and evil.
The plot is ingenious and has many twists and turns, which serve to keep the reader hooked. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new pops up and the game goes on. The characters are not unlike the girl in the nursery rhyme, very, very good when they are good but very very evil when they are evil. Just keeping the characters separated into good and evil, is difficult because they keep changing colors: once again, a not untypical Ludlum ploy.
The plot has all the characters moving around the world at breakneck speed. The action takes place in at least eight different countries and moves back and forth between the 1940s and the present as the past poisons the present, a device used in most of Ludlum's stories.
All in all, though, I enjoyed the book, even while telling myself I shouldn't be enjoying it quite as much as I was. It helps that I am able to suspend my disbelief from time to time.
In this case, a poor little rich kid, investment banker, Benjamin Hartman, meets up with poor little poor kid made good, Justice Department Agent, Anna Navarro, and, together, they save the world. As in most Ludlum novels, Hartman is an amateur who somehow manages to survive multiple attempts on his life through luck and skills picked up as a child and in college, mostly luck. Navarro is, of course, a stubborn rebel who goes off on her own whenever her instincts tell her she's right, no matter what the rest of the world is saying.
The plot became more and more unbelievable, but, by that time, I was hooked into finding out how it all ends. Fortunately for the world, justice and love triumph over ambition and evil.
The plot is ingenious and has many twists and turns, which serve to keep the reader hooked. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new pops up and the game goes on. The characters are not unlike the girl in the nursery rhyme, very, very good when they are good but very very evil when they are evil. Just keeping the characters separated into good and evil, is difficult because they keep changing colors: once again, a not untypical Ludlum ploy.
The plot has all the characters moving around the world at breakneck speed. The action takes place in at least eight different countries and moves back and forth between the 1940s and the present as the past poisons the present, a device used in most of Ludlum's stories.
All in all, though, I enjoyed the book, even while telling myself I shouldn't be enjoying it quite as much as I was. It helps that I am able to suspend my disbelief from time to time.
August 22, 2013
Such a shame...
While on vacation in Switzerland Ben Hartman, an American investment banker, suddenly stands face to face with his old school friend Jimmy Cavanaugh. They have hardly said hello when without any warning Jimmy pulls a gun on Ben. Thanks to his quick reflexes Ben manages to deflect the assault and kill his attacker. In the meantime, United States Department of Justice Agent Anna Navarro is on the trail of a series of seemingly unrelated deaths. When Anna and Ben's paths cross, they start to unravel a plot that has already influenced the face of our planet gravely and only promises to widen its influence even more. One thing is clear: Jimmy's death was not the last...
The Sigma Protocol was published a few months after the death of its author Robert Ludlum in 2001. After struggling through this dome of a novel, one cannot avoid to wonder if publishing this work was a good idea. All the Ludlum trademarks are obviously present: fast plot, many twists, an enormous list of kills and a mega explosive finale. But... maybe The Sigma Protocol has too much of the stuff. It become too much formula and not enough inventiveness. After a while it starts read like some sermons: run, almost getting killed, alley killed instead, run, find other alley, almost getting killed, alley dead, run and so on. A good editor would have cut the size of the novel into half and made it an exciting story. Now we remain with something that drags and drags. This should never have been allowed to be Ludlum's last...
While on vacation in Switzerland Ben Hartman, an American investment banker, suddenly stands face to face with his old school friend Jimmy Cavanaugh. They have hardly said hello when without any warning Jimmy pulls a gun on Ben. Thanks to his quick reflexes Ben manages to deflect the assault and kill his attacker. In the meantime, United States Department of Justice Agent Anna Navarro is on the trail of a series of seemingly unrelated deaths. When Anna and Ben's paths cross, they start to unravel a plot that has already influenced the face of our planet gravely and only promises to widen its influence even more. One thing is clear: Jimmy's death was not the last...
The Sigma Protocol was published a few months after the death of its author Robert Ludlum in 2001. After struggling through this dome of a novel, one cannot avoid to wonder if publishing this work was a good idea. All the Ludlum trademarks are obviously present: fast plot, many twists, an enormous list of kills and a mega explosive finale. But... maybe The Sigma Protocol has too much of the stuff. It become too much formula and not enough inventiveness. After a while it starts read like some sermons: run, almost getting killed, alley killed instead, run, find other alley, almost getting killed, alley dead, run and so on. A good editor would have cut the size of the novel into half and made it an exciting story. Now we remain with something that drags and drags. This should never have been allowed to be Ludlum's last...
September 23, 2008
I have always wanted to read a Robert Ludlum book to see what the fuss was all about. I really enjoyed the "Bourne" movies, but that could have been largely due to Matt Damon. Ludlum has written a ton of books, but my mom lent me this one, so I figured it was the one to try. I did enjoy it. However, I found my experience reading it similar to watching the movies...... I kind of needed my husband or someone with me to explain what was going on sometimes! There are so many characters and so many different settings that I tended to get a little confused. But, it's a purely for entertainment kind of read, so I didn't let that slow me down.
The story is about an American investment banker Ben Hartman who is on vacation in Switzerland, which is where his twin brother was killed in an accident four years earlier. He sees an old college friend who actually tries to kill him, and he finds himself in the middle of a mess he doesn't understand and ends up being on the run. Another character with a story running concurrently is Department of Justice field agent Anna Navarro who is investigating the sudden deaths of a number of old men throughout the world. She also ends up being stalked and on the run. Their paths meet and they end up relying on each other for survival. They uncover terrible secrets that involve family and world history.
I thought it got a little unbelieveable at the end, but again, it's an entertainment piece in my opinion.
The story is about an American investment banker Ben Hartman who is on vacation in Switzerland, which is where his twin brother was killed in an accident four years earlier. He sees an old college friend who actually tries to kill him, and he finds himself in the middle of a mess he doesn't understand and ends up being on the run. Another character with a story running concurrently is Department of Justice field agent Anna Navarro who is investigating the sudden deaths of a number of old men throughout the world. She also ends up being stalked and on the run. Their paths meet and they end up relying on each other for survival. They uncover terrible secrets that involve family and world history.
I thought it got a little unbelieveable at the end, but again, it's an entertainment piece in my opinion.
June 5, 2017
Sure, this book's main plot might be a little unbelievable but it is fiction after all. I actually ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would, I'm a sucker for any book that involves (either directly or indirectly) the take-down of Nazis. I guess I'm romantic that way.
This book kept me turning the pages quickly and I didn't lose interest which is I think all you can really hope for at the end of the day from a book. This book does jump around from location to location and introduces character after character in rapid succession but I still found in surprisingly easy to follow considering how much was going on. I've also always been really interested in researching the disease known as Progeria and found myself rather excited that it was included as part of the story line. The one draw back is that the ending (last 50ish pages) was fairly predictable after a lot of earlier twists and turns. I found myself predicting the final revelations a a few pages before they actually came to fruition. I would have really enjoyed one last major shocker but what I got was rather anti-climactic.
This book kept me turning the pages quickly and I didn't lose interest which is I think all you can really hope for at the end of the day from a book. This book does jump around from location to location and introduces character after character in rapid succession but I still found in surprisingly easy to follow considering how much was going on. I've also always been really interested in researching the disease known as Progeria and found myself rather excited that it was included as part of the story line. The one draw back is that the ending (last 50ish pages) was fairly predictable after a lot of earlier twists and turns. I found myself predicting the final revelations a a few pages before they actually came to fruition. I would have really enjoyed one last major shocker but what I got was rather anti-climactic.
March 24, 2010
A fast-paced, enjoyable, but cookie-cutter and simplistic thriller novel by the author of the "Bourne" series. Two plotlines intertwine, that of Ben Hartman (a handsome, tall, sophisticated, rich financial manager) and Anna Navarro (a smart, beautiful, independent-minded federal agent). Intrigue piles on intrigue. Surprise piles on surprise. Sympathetic supporting characters get killed. The two main characters are very often nearly, but never actually, killed. Etc., etc., etc.... The central conspiracy surrounds a secret corporation, composed of rich, powerful people, founded after WWII to promote capitalism, which now may or may not have fallen into nefarious hands, and which is now trying to kill Ben and Anna (who, incidentally, naturally eventually fall for one another about 2/3 of the way through the book). Believe me, that's no spoiler, you'll see it coming. You'll see a lot coming. Good airplane reading though.
June 23, 2010
I ended up reading the whole book (520+ pages) while traveling. I started the book while waiting for the first flights, and finished just when arriving at the destination. This, I think, was my first Robert Ludlum (that at least I can think of), and was a very enjoyable one to read too. The action starts at the first page, and finishes on the last. This is just perfect for the type of book - where you have the good and the bad guys, and need action and surprises. Very enjoyable, Ludlum definitely masters the style.
I love many of Ludlum's books, and this is definitely among my favorites. Lots and lots of action. Cold war still on. Lots of exotic places.
I love many of Ludlum's books, and this is definitely among my favorites. Lots and lots of action. Cold war still on. Lots of exotic places.
November 15, 2008
I won't review all of his books as that would be pointless. These are like TV for me, but that isn't to say some aren't worthwhile. Ludlum successfully transitioned from doing spy books about the commies and the Nazis after the end of the cold war. Who were to be the new villains? Why, corporations of course. These later books usually involved people who weren't super-spies or ex-military, but "ordinary" (rich) guys who stumble on to some plot and have to figure it out while on the run from professional assassins. Fun stuff!
February 23, 2014
Now, here is a conspiracy of epic proportions.
Let us not debate, or wonder, how much research went into the novel, and hence how many iota of probable truths lay embedded deep within the "fiction".
But instead come to the obvious conclusion that an epic conspiracy involves an epic journey written in epic number of pages with epic length of dialogues necessitating epic boredom as an epic ingredient to the enjoyment of this epic.
Action comes only as an expendable change to heighten the epicness.
Enough said.
Let us not debate, or wonder, how much research went into the novel, and hence how many iota of probable truths lay embedded deep within the "fiction".
But instead come to the obvious conclusion that an epic conspiracy involves an epic journey written in epic number of pages with epic length of dialogues necessitating epic boredom as an epic ingredient to the enjoyment of this epic.
Action comes only as an expendable change to heighten the epicness.
Enough said.
May 11, 2020
Got through the first chapter and gave up.
This is utter rubbish. The exposition is just awful. You do not have to explain every single thing in excruciating detail. We don’t need to know what skis the character has, just knowing he has skis is fine. We don’t need to know that the group of tourists are specifically Japanese, just Asian is fine, or even just a group of tourists.
One of the worst pieces of writing I’ve read in years. It felt like it was written as a school assignment.
Maybe it gets better, who knows. Life is too short to spend finding out.
This is utter rubbish. The exposition is just awful. You do not have to explain every single thing in excruciating detail. We don’t need to know what skis the character has, just knowing he has skis is fine. We don’t need to know that the group of tourists are specifically Japanese, just Asian is fine, or even just a group of tourists.
One of the worst pieces of writing I’ve read in years. It felt like it was written as a school assignment.
Maybe it gets better, who knows. Life is too short to spend finding out.
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