- The Bourne Identity is set in 1980. How would the plot change if it were set today, now that we have cell phones, more powerful personal computers, and the Internet? (After you answer, you might check out the 2002 movie and see if the filmmakers' answers jibe with yours.)
- The book tends to present information out of chronology. For example, you don't learn who "Jason Bourne" really is until practically the end of the novel. How would the book be different if information were presented in sequence? Would it be better or worse?
- The Bourne Identity is really long. Does it need to be so long? What would you cut out if you had to cut, say, 100 pages?
- In the novel, the main villain escapes at the end. How would you continue the story? What happens next? (After you think through your answer, you might want to check out Ludlum's sequel, The Bourne Supremacy.)
- How would the novel be different if the main character were a woman? How would it be different if Bourne had kidnapped a man rather than Marie St. Jacques?
- What if Carlos had lost his memory? Would he be an innocent? What is the relationship between memory and morality? Can you be responsible for something if you don't remember it?