The Osterman Weekend [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Ludlum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1984

In Zurich. . .in Moscow. . .in Washington. The  machinery was already set in motion, while in a  quiet suburb an odd assortment of men and women  gathered for a momentous weekend. At stake was the  very existence of the United States of America. .  .and the future of the entire free  world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Shattering. . .it will cost you the night and the cold hours of the morning."—Cincinnati Inquirer

"A complex scenario of inventive double-crossing."—Chicago Sun-Times

"Powerhouse momentum. . .as shrill as the siren on the prowl car."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

"Shattering. . .it will cost you the night and the cold hours of the morning."
--Cincinnati Inquirer.

"A complex scenario of inventive double-crossing."
--Chicago Sun-Times.

"Powerhouse momentum. . .as shrill as the siren on the prowl car."
--Kirkus Reviews.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (March 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553264303
• ISBN-13: 978-0553264302
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After a successful career in the theatre, Robert Ludlum launched his career as a best-selling writer with THE SCARLATTI INHERITANCE in 1971, the first of twenty-two consecutive international bestsellers. Robert sadly passed away in March 2001.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ludlum's Early Work, July 14, 2003

By 

Adam Shah (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Osterman Weekend (Mass Market Paperback)

After Robert Ludlum passed away, I decided to read several of his books, having loved The Bourne Identity when I read it several years ago, but having stopped reading his books when The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum disappointed. I started with The Holcroft Covenant, reported to be one of the classics, which I really enjoyed. Then I read the final book he wrote, The Prometheus Deception, which I enjoyed more than most.

This year, I decided to go back to his early books. I found the second book he ever wrote, The Osterman Weekend, in a used bookstore. The book tells the story of John Tanner, a TV news executive who is summoned to Washington one day and told by a CIA operative that one or more of his best friends, the Ostermans, the Cardones and the Tremaynes is a traitor. They are all gathering for the weekend at Tanner's house in suburban New Jersey and Tanner's job is to get the traitors to reveal themselves so the CIA can swoop in and deal with them.

On its own, the book is probably worth three stars. It is a quick and easy read, the suspense grows and the reader has no idea where the plot will lead although double-crosses seem likely. However, until the last few chapters, it doesn't really grip you.

However, the book shows flashes of the greatness Ludlum achieved later. An ordinary person is thrown into extraordinary circumstances and must get by on his own wits. Ludlum is a genius at making the ordinary person seem believable and scared and yet be the hero who saved the world. The action in the last few chapters is a foreshadowing of the wall-to-wall action that will be Ludlum's trademark in other books. The insight this gives the reader into Ludlum's evolution as a writer was worth an extra star to me.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the lot - Perfect, August 22, 2003

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Osterman Weekend (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Ludlum book I ever read and it still remains my favorite. For sheet storytelling, suspense and convoluted plot resolution, it remains supreme.

It is characterization that drives this book - much more so than the movie - and particularly the interplay among the various guests. This is vintage Ludlum before he became Ludzilla, the author of sagas of immeasurable length. This is also the typical formula that Ludlum uses in his best books - a lone guy gets involved in nefarious activities involving the government and both people and events are not what they seem.

The moment when he awaits the arrival of the agent, when the agent walks up and we all hold our breath - the revelation is simply stunning! This is a classic.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing, suspenseful weekend., May 15, 2005

By 

sporkdude "sporkdude" (San Jose, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Osterman Weekend (Mass Market Paperback)

Usually, being kept in the dark by a book is a bad thing. This usually results in a muddled, incomprehensible mess. Not in this case. He successfully pulls off the greatest act of intrigue ever, by intentionally leaving the reader as clueless as the main character.

The main character is brought to Washington under false pretenses to discover that his weekend party with three other couple may be a meeting of some Omega agents. The only problem is, no one knows who is and who isn't part of Omega. Now the main character has got to lead a double life, protect his family against Omega, figure out who are his true friends, and worry about the CIA protection.

While the middle of the book feels kind of jumbled, and beginning of the book is slightly dull, the book is immensely readable and fun. Definitely not an action packed book (not until the end at least), Ludlum instead brings the low-key mundane trivialities of life into a new light. Does a particular sentence reveal something about his or her loyalties, does weary a gaudy piece of jewelry mean your connected with an organization? Finding out the truth behind everything becomes harder and more alluring than ever.

All in all, I would recommend this quick page turner.