The Matarese Circle

A Novel

By: Robert Ludlum

Narrated by: Stephen Lang

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

In this gripping best seller, Robert Ludlum spins a web of suspense and high-stakes intrigue as 2 men who are sworn mortal enemies must cooperate in order to foil a sinister plot to topple the world's governments. From opposite sides of the Iron Curtain, these 2 hard-bitten professionals are the best at what they do. And they do whatever is necessary. The Matarese Circle - a shadowy grouping of the most ruthless terrorists in history. They have been responsible for countless assassinations and massacres throughout the 20th century, but none as horrifying as their plan to throw the superpowers into chaos before making their boldest move...

©1997 Robert Ludlum (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"It's a blockbuster!" (The Wall Street Journal)

The Matarese Circle

Few books that I cannot put down but this is one of them. The scope of the book is grand and the attention to detail in surroundings and characters is nicely done.

Good plot fast paste

The plot was good, and fast paste, the only negative was the quality of the sound of the recording was poor or low tone. But the narrator did a good job.

Best book ever

This is quite possibly the best book I have ever read. Been through it 3 times now. The only downside to this presentation is that it is abridged.

Embark on This Adventure!

By the ending, it was as if I had lived through it myself. This is a Great journey to take. Enjoy.

A spy novel needs all the parts

When Ludlum actually wrote the books he was my favorite for spy stories, so I bought this remembering how I loved the book. But this book is abridged and if I had not already read the real book I would never have understood anything about the plot, much less enjoyed the book. I will not puchase another abridged Ludlum novel, it's the detail that makes the book interesting, this book was just painful to hear after reading the real book.

Too much missing

This is one of the best books I have read. That being said this version is terrible. The abridged version cuts out so much of the story I felt like it was not the same book. If you want to read a good story buy the paperback.

So disappointing.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This was one of the great books I have read in my teens so I thought I will re-live that feeling when I bought this book. I did not realize it was abridged, that was stupid of me, and worst, so much was missing I don't remember anything. On top of that, it won't play in my shuffle so I patiently listened to it in my computer, double frustrating. Production was bad, please refrain from background music. Narrator was okay. However, I am still a Robert Ludlum fan and nothing will change that.

Has The Matarese Circle turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

How could the performance have been better?

Better without the background music.

Couldn’t even finish

The narrator’s voice as the main character was off-putting. He sounded so angry or disgusted that I couldn’t stand it. The story line seemed ridiculous. The characters were flat, except for the main character who was just ridiculous. And, the loud, dramatic music was distracting and just unnecessary. Couldn’t finish. Yuck. All around just plain bad.

Abridged review: “Don’t.”

Having read the Matarese Circle, I was looking forward to listening to the story. I erroneously assumed that the recording would be unabridged. Key passages were glaringly absent from the outset. Shame on you Audible for not clearly identifying this as something less (far less) than the title promises.