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Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Risico007 wrote:
    its just Bond spends the first 2 chapters doing nothing except wasting his birthday away on various Going about town which for a short story Fine I love 007 in New York and Quantum Of Solace (short story) for that reason alone but when it comes to full blown novel I want to be sucked into the world...

    Wrong novel!

  • Villiers53Villiers53
    Posts: 802

    SaintMark wrote:
    Risico007 wrote:
    its just Bond spends the first 2 chapters doing nothing except wasting his birthday away on various Going about town which for a short story Fine I love 007 in New York and Quantum Of Solace (short story) for that reason alone but when it comes to full blown novel I want to be sucked into the world...

    Wrong novel!
    @ SaintMark is so correct. 'Solo' is only rated by relatives of Boyd, the IFP board or their paid agents. For the rest of us poor punters it is just the most recent, and hopefully final part of 'The Celebrity Trilogy' disaster.

  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    edited May 2014 Posts: 893
    Risico007 wrote:
    its just Bond spends the first 2 chapters doing nothing except wasting his birthday away on various Going about town which for a short story Fine I love 007 in New York and Quantum Of Solace (short story) for that reason alone but when it comes to full blown novel I want to be sucked into the world...

    007 in New York is a great little vignette. I'm thinking of writing my own Bond short story based off the plot line for that one.

    Also finished re-reading Thunderball and the resemblance between the hijacking of the Vindicator and the disappearance of the Malaysian Flight MH370 is uncanny. Perhaps the pilot was reading the novel at the time?

    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/malaysian-airlines-mh370-why-its-thought-provoking-to-recall-james-bond-thriller-thunderball/articleshow/32506417.cms?intenttarget=no

    I do like the novel but the last third is a bit of a letdown. I much prefer the build up to the final set piece than the actual set piece itself.
  • fromswedenwithlovefromswedenwithlove
    Posts: 654
    Now I´m done with LALD and tomorrow I will start with MR. Is it as good as everyone claims it to be? I read yesterday that it´s "different", but he did not explain why it´s different. What it is about that book? I would really like to now that before I start reading it...
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    fromswedenwithlove wrote:
    Now I´m done with LALD and tomorrow I will start with MR. Is it as good as everyone claims it to be? I read yesterday that it´s "different", but he did not explain why it´s different. What it is about that book? I would really like to now that before I start reading it...

    Read MR a few weeks back and I would say it definitley deserves it reputation, it is a bit different in that there are no glamorous locations and you get a bit more insight in the mundane stuff Bond does between missions, you also get a bit more insight into the man himself with the chapters at Blades. I would also say Drax is the most interesting of the Villians so far.

    Recently finished DAF and whilst not as good as the first three books, still very good and it did get better as it went on. Taking a short break before cracking into FRWL.
  • fromswedenwithlovefromswedenwithlove
    Posts: 654
    identigraph wrote:
    fromswedenwithlove wrote:
    Now I´m done with LALD and tomorrow I will start with MR. Is it as good as everyone claims it to be? I read yesterday that it´s "different", but he did not explain why it´s different. What it is about that book? I would really like to now that before I start reading it...

    Read MR a few weeks back and I would say it definitley deserves it reputation, it is a bit different in that there are no glamorous locations and you get a bit more insight in the mundane stuff Bond does between missions, you also get a bit more insight into the man himself with the chapters at Blades. I would also say Drax is the most interesting of the Villians so far.

    Recently finished DAF and whilst not as good as the first three books, still very good and it did get better as it went on. Taking a short break before cracking into FRWL.

    Thank you! I´m going to start with it tonight!
  • mirandafrostmirandafrost
    Posts: 368
    I'm currently reading You Only Live Twice again... Great novel, I love it!! My favourite actually...
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    mirandafrost wrote:
    I'm currently reading You Only Live Twice again... Great novel, I love it!! My favourite actually...

    Yes, it's in my top 5. Go and read Thrilling Cities as well for some back story to Ian Fleming in Japan and his great mate Richard 'Dikko' Hughes.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,691
    identigraph wrote:
    Just finished Moonraker, I would probably say the best I have read so far

    Derfinitely one of my favourites.
    Just minutes ago finished Devil May Care. I started it some time back (December for gosh sakes), but picked it up again this week. It wasn't an obsessive page-turner like Fleming, but I found it to be a good solid story with a few real highlights to it. I enjoyed the sense of the era, too. Some very predictable parts though, but even then, nicely written. I liked it. On to Gardner next. I'll see how he compares with Faulks. Unless maybe I can snag a paperback of SOLO first...
  • johntitor1johntitor1
    Posts: 12
    I only recently started reading the Fleming bookd so I'm up to Diamonds are Forever. So far I'm enjoying that one. Moonraker was exceptionally good. I'd say Casino Royale and Moonraker will probably remain my favorites when I've finished all the books, but who knows. Maybe one of the later Flemings might grab me too.
  • jobojobo
    Posts: 7,500
    johntitor1 wrote:
    I only recently started reading the Fleming bookd so I'm up to Diamonds are Forever. So far I'm enjoying that one. Moonraker was exceptionally good. I'd say Casino Royale and Moonraker will probably remain my favorites when I've finished all the books, but who knows. Maybe one of the later Flemings might grab me too.

    Just wait till you get to From Russia With Love! ;)

    Welcome to the forum btw!
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    edited May 2014 Posts: 3,564
    Currently re-reading YOLT & enjoying it tremendously. Tried a few of the Gardner novels but could never really get into them, probably because he's writing them as mystery novels. The Bond series are thrillers, not mysteries -- there's a difference in the two genres, and I don't think Gardner ever really got that idea. I agree with @identigraph and @birdleson, DAF is something of a lesser entry in the Fleming canon (although not without its merits.) The conflict between Bond and the Spangs never really becomes personal, which it needs to be in order for the story to reach prime emotional resonance. Bond finishes off both brothers from a distance and without any of the bizarre touches that enliven the best of Fleming's death scenes. The secondary villains (Wint & Kidd) are much more involving than the primary ones (the Spang brothers.) I would agree that Tiffany is one of Fleming's most interesting heroines though... It's not really fair to consider TSWLM in the same way one views most of the rest of Fleming's books. He was very consciously trying for something different, and even though the experiment isn't exactly successful I for one appreciate the attempt to stretch. Upon re-reading this novel recently, I was surprised by how quickly the first section of the book (setting up Vivienne Michel alone in her woodland motel) moves. This intro was was deadly dull to my youthful self in my first reading of the novel lo those many decades ago, but I found some minor level of appreciation for Fleming's craft upon rexamining it a few weeks back. MR I found interesting but uneven, as a relatively minor occurrence -- the card game at Blades, which was originally written as a stand-alone piece -- takes up so much of the book. An exceptionally well-written card game, I'll grant you, but still, it takes up a more substantial portion of the novel than it really ought to. And based on @chrisisall's recommendation, I may just have to pick up DMC after all...looks like I'll be giving Solo a pass, though...
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    edited May 2014 Posts: 1,727
    Licence Renewed.

    I'm almost done. Not quite sure what to make of it. It's patchy. At times excellent, almost like Fleming at his best, then suddenly cringeworthy.

    FYI Bond books I liked most up 'till now are MR, FRWL and High time to kill.
  • Risico007Risico007
    Posts: 9,770
    Half way through solo and my god is it bad... I might try my hand at another Gardner novel next or perhaps I might reread one of my favorite bond novels The Facts of Death.. Yes I am a closet benson lover sorry I just find his books to be real page turners
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    I'm reading Silverfin, and I'm really enjoying it. I've just started the chapter of the cross-country race. Highson must be the one got the closest to Fleming.
  • JuraquagmireJuraquagmire Canada
    edited May 2014 Posts: 41
    Currently, nothing. Had order 'James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me' by Christopher Wood, I will start read it as it's get here. After that I'll read J.Gardner's.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,691
    Juraquagmire wrote:
    Currently, nothing. Had order 'James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me' by Christopher Wood, I will start read it as it's get here.
    I believe you will enjoy that one!

  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    Posts: 1,595
    Just finished <i>Thunderball</i> a couple of days ago. Realized I only own a couple of the Fleming books and 1 continuation.

    Is there a specific edition or reissue that you all recommend when purchasing them?
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited May 2014 Posts: 28,694
    ThighsOfXenia wrote:
    Just finished <i>Thunderball</i> a couple of days ago. Realized I only own a couple of the Fleming books and 1 continuation.

    Is there a specific edition or reissue that you all recommend when purchasing them?

    I and many other members here are very happy with the Penguin editions of the Fleming novels which were re-printed to celebrate his centenary in 2008. Here's what they look like:

    penguin1.jpeg

    penguin2.jpeg

    penguin3.jpeg

    penguin4.jpeg

    penguin5.jpg

    They're beautiful editions and well worth the purchase. You won't regret it if you take the leap. Penguin also prints a book that compiles all three novels encompassing the Blofeld trilogy, so if you choose to buy the Penguin books getting TB, OHMSS and YOLT separately from the rest will cost you less overall if you can't find all the books sold together in one collection.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Blofeld-Trilogy-Thunderball-Majestys/dp/0143117904
  • valentinzukovskyvalentinzukovsky
    Posts: 503
    Devil May Care, i was initially put off by the reviews but i'm giving it a chance,
  • Risico007Risico007
    Posts: 9,770
    Just finished solo which was dreadfull I will write a full review soon enough starting Doubleshot tomorrow just to get solo off my mind my fiancé picked out the book for me and since I have been a benson fan I figured it was high time to reread one of his books and see if I still loved it.
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    edited June 2014 Posts: 3,564
    I'd just like to second @OBrady's recommendation to @ThighsofXenia regarding the Penguin centenary editions. After scouring the used bookstores in the Berkeley CA area over the past 8 months or so I've managed to score a copy of everything except Quantum of Solace -- and I just love them! Haven't found any with the introductions, though -- so perhaps my search may need to continue!
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    @OBrady thank for putting up the covers of the Penguin books do you know anything about the artists that they used ?.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited June 2014 Posts: 28,694
    BeatlesSansEarmuffs wrote:
    I'd just like to second @OBrady's recommendation to @ThighsofXenia regarding the Penguin centenary editions. After scouring the used bookstores in the Berkeley CA area over the past 8 months or so I've managed to score a copy of everything except Quantum of Solace -- and I just love them! Haven't found any with the introductions, though -- so perhaps my search may need to continue!
    None of mine have the intros either, but I'm not worried about that. I have all of Fleming's novels in the Penguin editions except Goldfinger and the two short story collections.
    Mrcoggins wrote:
    @OBrady thank for putting up the covers of the Penguin books do you know anything about the artists that they used ?.

    The artist of the beautiful covers is named Richie Fahey, but I don't know much about him.
  • Alan007Alan007
    edited June 2014 Posts: 406
    Just finished Solo and I enjoyed it. going to go back to gardners now when I get caught upon my other reading
  • valentinzukovskyvalentinzukovsky
    Posts: 503
    Devil May Care was good, not great. Nothing memorable about it, but a fun read while it lasted.
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,347
    Reading From Russia With Love now. What a tremendous piece of literature. The way Fleming builds the villains of Grant, Klebbe, Kronstein, General G is just brilliant. On page 70 something and Bond still hasn't appeared. Glad they reflected that in the film as it paid off quite well.
  • Ed83Ed83
    Posts: 1,181
    Finishing up Casino Royale and am proceeding with a Gardner Novel after that, probably Licence Renewed.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,691
    valentinzukovsky wrote:
    Devil May Care was good, not great. Nothing memorable about it, but a fun read while it lasted.
    I concur.
    For me there are three kinds of books: ones I will only read once, ones I may revisit, and ones I will NEED to read again. This was the middle. That means pretty good.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Ed83 wrote:
    Finishing up Casino Royale and am proceeding with a Gardner Novel after that, probably Licence Renewed.

    From riches to rags.
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