The Osterman Weekend (Mass Market Paperback)

by Robert Ludlum (Author)

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. -- Review

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

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: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #302,339 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 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)

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.

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

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.

8 of 9 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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.