Born by Bourne

First of all, HAPPY EASTER!
Now for the real reason I'm posting. "The Bourne Identity", while not the most incredible book I've ever read, did get my mental juices flowing. Amnesiacs like Bourne (sorry to be spoiling) try their very hardest to get their memories back - in Bourne's case, getting his memories back was a matter of life and death - and the course is not always easy. However, amnesia is sometimes more than losing your memory - sometimes you lose your complete identity. In my opinion, ID is connected to one's memories. For Bourne, who changes appearences and identities all the time, losing the core identity had to be very frustrating.
Anyway, I started looking at this concept with semi-Buddhist eyes and it got me thinking about the ID being connected to EGO, which is something devout Buddhists want very much to lose. If you do not have a sense of identity, you're in danger of losing yourself. Amnesiacs usually want their memories - ergo their identities - back no matter how bad the ID is. Some people want to forget their pasts and their lives, while amnesiacs want to remember. Perhaps it would be better to not want to regain one's memory - their EGO - should it be lost due to amnesia. Of course, there's a chance the memories would come back, so the EGO wouldn't really be dissolved, just hidden under more ignorance. (I am not a Buddhist; anyone who is - if you want to correct me, be my guest.)
Say I lost my memory and therefore my identity. I would have my journals at hand so I could at least gain a sense of what kind of person I am or was. I wonder what I would think of myself. This is all armchair speculation, but it might be worthwhile to be able to sort of stand outside and look in. I already do that when I read through past diaries I've filled. I guess it all depends on how serious I was to lose the EGO. Amazing what thoughts books can dredge up. At least I'm going to stay away from Ludlum for a while.

Impressed by Ludlum

Like everyone else who has cable, I've heard of the Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. Unlike most people, I have yet to watch Matt Damon in action. I'm of the school that believes one should read the book before watching the movie, so I went looking for 'The Bourne Identity' at the library. All copies are in use, but I came across a trio of Ludlum's books and decided to give it a go. The first book in this massive set is 'The Holcroft Covenant', and concerns a very terrifying premise - terrifying and yet fascinating. I enjoyed reading it, as I also enjoyed 'The Matarese Circle'. Being something of a writer myself, I try to not just read the story, but look at what other writers have done.
Let me repeat what others have probably said a thousand times before; Robert Ludlum is a remarkable writer. He digs deep into the psyche and dredges up images of perversion and resigned determination like not many others can. I've never really been into political thrillers before, but I think Ludlum has turned me around. I use the term 'impressed' in more ways than one, for this guy has opened my eyes at how easily a person's ideals can be warped and perverted to serve ulterior motives. Sad and frightening, but there are living and breathing people out there who have such skills as the ones Ludlum writes about in these two books, and these people do exactly what he portrays them as doing.
The third book in this trio is none other than 'The Bourne Identity', and I am greatly anticipating reading this one. I need nobody sending me info to spoil the anticipation. Once I've read 'The Bourne Identity', I can go out and rent Matt Damon's take on Jason Bourne. Without a doubt, I do intend to read more of Ludlum's works.