Two assassination, in the USA and USSR almost results in open war between the two. But cooler heads manage to prevail, as evidence surfaces that shows that these assassination were deliberate, and evidence left behind were meant to lead to escalation and an all-out war. But who's behind it? and why? Two rival spies, Consular Op's Brandon Scoefield and KGB's Vasili Talaniekov, find themselves hunted down by their own governments, with orders to be killed. They have to find a way to work together,...

Some spy novels get better and more relevant with age, and Robert Ludlum's fabulous The Matarese Circle falls into that category. What it lacks in literary aspirations it more than makes up for in sheer excitement and fun.Written decades ago, the story-line of Matarese Circle seems almost prophetic despite it being dated, the world finally catching up to the plot. A spy thriller this wildly entertaining isn't supposed to give you such pause afterward, as you look around the globe, yet it does. R...

We older folks are bruised, compromised and checkmated. We've been "driven inland by The Storm" - as Eliot says in his great poem Gerontion (gerontion is Ancient Greek for Little Old Man) - to the safety of our books.Guess what?There's a social media war raging out there. (Come again?) It's old uncool folks versus the smart young bucks. Guess what? The smart young bucks always - eventually - win! And no wonder. Their worlds are so solid and real.It's in the cards. One fine day we dinossaurs'll a...

It turns out that the band of murderous criminals running the US isn't the Republican Party after all, but a different band of murderous criminals. I think a hot woman takes her clothes off at some point.Sorry. I know I shouldn't drop all these spoilers, but sometimes I can't help myself.

This is a re-read for me. I read this book when I was in high school when it was a new, current best seller. It's the book that made me a Ludlum fan. It's like an old friend, and I'm looking forward to spending time with it.I"m finally done--it's an intricate plot and it took me a while to read. This is about as good as Soviet-Era spy fiction got; you have two "master spies"--action hero types, initially duking it out but then combining forces to combat an evil (the Matarese) that causes them to...

my favorite novelist.his novels were fast paced and suspenseful and the action was second to none.critics accused ludlum that his characters were paper thin in content and he relied on action a lot.i would say the critics should pay attention to the matatrese circle and the bourne series.the characters of these novels were memorable and had depth in them.the matarese circle is fast paced and sets the tone from the first chapter.the suspense and action is top and the characters of the 2 protagoni...

I had previously read The Bourne Identity, and while it was diverting enough, I wasn't in love with it. I felt the same about the movies. The problem was that I didn't feel there was a whole lot at stake, that there was much I should care about. It was just a very intelligently plotted thriller about a man who has no idea who he is, why he's so deftly skilled, or why he's being targeted. The Matarese Circle was quite a different experience. In the early going, I felt very much for the characters...

To cut a long story short, one could simply say, “This is Ludlum, what else would you expect?” if such a statement doesn’t capture the sheer brilliance of the man, I don’t know what can. The Matarese Circle is an old book, written many years before I was born actually but regardless: One would think it a recent publication. As it was decades ago, America-Russia relations are as frosty as ever. To read a book that chooses not to capitalize on this age-old enmity but rather has characters from bot...

A famous book, but not one which particularly appealed to me. The genre is James Bond, but unfortunately without the panache. The two heroes, respectively America's and Russia's top spies/espionage specialists, are sworn enemies to the death, but still see fit to team up to save the world (Mr. Ludlum doesn't do things by halves). That's right, the whole world is about to be subjugated by a shadowy threat which the Russian agent just happens to stumble upon. What's worse, they have to accomplish

'The Matarese Circle' written by Robert Ludlum is a thrilling spy adventure of Beowolf Agate and The Serpent. Two men who were once the greatest assets their respective agencies had but now are their greatest liabilities. To be added more importantly that Beowolf Agate and The Serpent are sworn enemies. These two legendary spies, past assets and current liabilities and sworn enemies have to stop The Shepherd Boy and his flock from their dream of dominating the  world and ultimately making the en...

Okay, this was an emotional book and a tad bit sentimental. So good. Sure, Ludlum was an emotional writer. Half the time, I didn't know what he was ranting about. But his theories were fun. Now, this sort of thing is more relevant than ever, the way shape of sounds is right now. What's happening is not right.This world, we don't need villains, let alone heroes.

I'm getting close to having all the Ludlum books done and even though I really, really enjoy them it makes me sad knowing there will be no new ones.

titular sentence:p327: The Matarese circle.cement:p148: It sprang loose and fell crashing to the cement floor.grammar:p154: "Krupskaya's son the Premier?"tech:p197: "I have a two-barrelled rifle in my hands, signori," continued the voice... the unmistakable voice of a woman, speaking now in English. "As the one fired moments ago, it is a Lupo, and I know how to use it better than the man at your feet...."One thing that keeps me from fully enjoying this (and other Ludlum novels, I suppose) is tha...

If you are ever planning on becoming a Ludlum fan, then read this book and be dazzled. This is the best follow-up book after his Bourne masterpieces. The interaction between Brandon Scofield, CIA operative and Vasili Taleniekov of the KGB is the best I have ever read so far. Their mutual hatred which turns to respect is unprecedented. I was never really present during the so called Cold War, but this book transcends you to those spy world days. The title was actually inspired by a steak house in...

Really good plot, typical Ludlum atmosphere, but man, the dialogue is hard to get through sometimes. Every character seems to revert into this Perd Hapley mode when talking to other characters: "I have three things to say to you and the first of those three things is this..."

That was a terrific book back then (1979/1980 or 1981). I should re-read it to see if it will have the same impact. I was very young but I remember very well how impressed I was with the story line and with the writing (although i read the version translated into Portuguese). I couldn’t stop talking about it. So my 5 stars is based on that memory.

The first thriller I ever read. Made me want to be a writer. Great book.

Why does one read thrillers?The apparent answer is rather simple. The edge-of-your-seat thrill-a-minute ride is a departure from the ennui of everyday living. Most of us live still lives. Most of us do not actively seek out the extreme thrills in real life; the mundane is boring but comforting. Thrillers allow us to nonetheless enjoy the excitement vicariously through the exploits of our protagonists. Sure, it’s transient, but often, it’s the shot of adrenaline the reader needs.The best thriller...

written six years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, nobody does the Cold War better than Ludlum. In this one, (not sure how I never read this before) a group of powerful and ruthless killers is close to completing their plans to take over the world. There is one CIA operative and one KGB operative, sworn enemies, who have to use their combined talents to defeat the Matarese. This is a page turner from start to finish and if you are stuck at home, I warn you that you might not get anything else...

THE MATARESE CIRCLE by Robert LudlumTypical Robert Ludlum novel, i.e. global action-adventure and elaborate conspiratorial plots (though the longstanding personal animus between the two protagonists and master assassins, American operative Brandon “Bray” Scofield and Soviet KGB pro Vasili Taleniekov, certainly tacks on additional degrees of intrigue & tension), constant foreign phrases without the common courtesy of a translation, “flesh erupting” and/or throats being torn out by bullets, ad woe...