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Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,023
    Remington wrote: »
    Well, I finished Devil May Care pretty quickly. I fail to see what was so terrible about it. I enjoyed it all the way through.

    What's your opinions on Solo? I haven't heard good things about it.

    Are you not trying Carte Blanche?
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,533
    vzok wrote: »
    Remington wrote: »
    Well, I finished Devil May Care pretty quickly. I fail to see what was so terrible about it. I enjoyed it all the way through.

    What's your opinions on Solo? I haven't heard good things about it.

    Are you not trying Carte Blanche?

    @vzok I read it last year. I think it worked as a spy thriller, but it just didn't feel like Bond. I didn't like what they did to Bond's character either. Overall, a decent novel but too long and kind of forgettable.
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    edited August 2018 Posts: 17,272
    Completely forgot I have Carte Blanche in the shelf as well. Should probably give CB and Devil May Care a chance, but I'm not optimistic about being entertained.
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,533
    Torgeirtrap wrote: »
    Completely forgot I have Carte Blanche in the shelf as well. Should probably give CB and Devil May Care a chance, but I'm not optimistic about being entertained.

    The trick, for me at least, is to not compare them to Fleming and judge them by themselves.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Exactly.

    I can't understand all that praise for Horowitz when he's nothing like Fleming in the slightest, while other continuation authors (apart from the overrated Amis) get a lot of bad rap.

    Granted. No one can match Fleming. For the same reason no one is trying to be another Sean Connery.
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    Posts: 17,272
    Remington wrote: »
    Torgeirtrap wrote: »
    Completely forgot I have Carte Blanche in the shelf as well. Should probably give CB and Devil May Care a chance, but I'm not optimistic about being entertained.

    The trick, for me at least, is to not compare them to Fleming and judge them by themselves.

    Agree. Did the same with Solo for example – although the major issue I had with that book, was that it was a bit boring.

    I've always enjoyed Horowitz's writing, so reading Trigger Mortis, and now Forever and a Day, gives me a bit added enjoyment, other than just being continuation novels.
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    Remington wrote: »
    @jobo I can't speak for @Birdleson, but I didn't like how they toned down Bonds character. He seemed more PC.

    Yes, the Bond character is barely recognizable.

    Indeed. Among other attrocities, he had a flatmate that was a poof.

    Or wasn t that Horowitz, btw? Can t tell them apart.

    I'm not aware of any Bond continuation novel where Bond had a flatmate period, but you jest of course.

    Deaver got the character all wrong. Horowitz's Bond is quite acceptable though.
    I hope he continues to crank out fresh titles.
    What I wouldn't mind though is if someone picked up where Deaver left off, just not Deaver himself.
    At least he had Bond operating in the present day,
    which is what I prefer
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Agreed. Deaver's concept, while interesting, was completely misused and tarnished by the godawful characterization of Bond in Carte Blanche.
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,533
    If Carte Blanche had Bond actually acting like Bond and a tighter third act, then it'd be a pretty solid novel. I do wish we had a couple followups to it.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    timmer wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    Remington wrote: »
    @jobo I can't speak for @Birdleson, but I didn't like how they toned down Bonds character. He seemed more PC.

    Yes, the Bond character is barely recognizable.

    Indeed. Among other attrocities, he had a flatmate that was a poof.

    Or wasn t that Horowitz, btw? Can t tell them apart.

    I'm not aware of any Bond continuation novel where Bond had a flatmate period, but you jest of course.

    I remember now that it was definitely in Trigger Mortis that Bond had a homosexual ally whom he had shared a flat with. A certain section chief named Duggan.
  • timmertimmer
    edited August 2018 Posts: 4,622
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    Remington wrote: »
    @jobo I can't speak for @Birdleson, but I didn't like how they toned down Bonds character. He seemed more PC.

    Yes, the Bond character is barely recognizable.

    Indeed. Among other attrocities, he had a flatmate that was a poof.

    Or wasn t that Horowitz, btw? Can t tell them apart.

    I'm not aware of any Bond continuation novel where Bond had a flatmate period, but you jest of course.

    I remember now that it was definitely in Trigger Mortis that Bond had a homosexual ally whom he had shared a flat with. A certain section chief named Duggan.

    ahh, you may be right. Can't remember. I read the continuation novels as they come out and then tend to forget about them.
    The only one's I've read twice are Colonel Sun and the Pearson book, along with the first three screenplay novelizations.
    I plan to reread the last 4 screenplay novelizations soon, as I like to compare them with the films.
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    edited August 2018 Posts: 17,272
    "Despite some ideological differences, Duggan and James Bond had been friends and colleagues for almost 15 years. He had served with Bond in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) during the Second World War and the pair had even shared a flat in Victoria."

    http://jamesbond.wikia.com/wiki/Charles_Henry_Duggan#cite_note-triggermortis-0
  • timmertimmer
    edited August 2018 Posts: 4,622
    Yes Duggan was Head of Station G Germany according to link above.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,023
    Anyone read 'Forever And A Death'?
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    Posts: 17,272
    vzok wrote: »
    Anyone read 'Forever And A Death'?

    Forever And A Day?
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,988
    Donald Westlake worked on an early script for Tomorrow Never Dies, unused. He redirected the material (fallout from the Hong Kong handover to China, also a topic for Raymond Benson's Zero Minus Ten) to his own novel Forever and a Death (with another main character).

    I should read that.

    hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=forever%20and%20a%20death

    https://hitsthefan.co.uk/2017/08/06/donald-westlake-james-bond-novel-forever-and-a-death/

    3fab581c771df9f2d63e510d453ee3c9--james-bond-cover-art.jpg
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    Posts: 17,272
    I was unaware of that, actually. Thanks for the information!

    That's a great cover by Paul Mann, by the way. He has made some great James Bond posters lately, which you can see on Instagram.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,023
    RichardTheBruce wrote: »
    Donald Westlake worked on an early script for Tomorrow Never Dies, unused. He redirected the material (fallout from the Hong Kong handover to China, also a topic for Raymond Benson's Zero Minus Ten) to his own novel Forever and a Death (with another main character).

    I should read that.

    hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?title=forever%20and%20a%20death

    https://hitsthefan.co.uk/2017/08/06/donald-westlake-james-bond-novel-forever-and-a-death/

    3fab581c771df9f2d63e510d453ee3c9--james-bond-cover-art.jpg

    I knew it was from an unused script, didn’t know it was TND. Must give it a try.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Paul Mann is the mann.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,787
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Paul Mann is the mann.

    Mr Mann, even?

  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,961
    How is the Westlake novel? Any traces of Bond?
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,533
    I'm about ten chapters into Solo. So far, it's not really grabbing me like the other novels.
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    Posts: 17,272
    Remington wrote: »
    I'm about ten chapters into Solo. So far, it's not really grabbing me like the other novels.

    I found Solo rather boring. Worth the read, but nothing special, IMO.
  • jobojobo
    Posts: 7,500
    Torgeirtrap wrote: »
    Remington wrote: »
    I'm about ten chapters into Solo. So far, it's not really grabbing me like the other novels.

    I found Solo rather boring. Worth the read, but nothing special, IMO.


    In my world nothing that is ´rather boring´ is worth a read... ;)
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    edited August 2018 Posts: 17,272
    jobo wrote: »
    Torgeirtrap wrote: »
    Remington wrote: »
    I'm about ten chapters into Solo. So far, it's not really grabbing me like the other novels.

    I found Solo rather boring. Worth the read, but nothing special, IMO.


    In my world nothing that is ´rather boring´ is worth a read... ;)

    Haha, good point! I mean, it was interesting in that it's a Bond story, and I didn't find it bad – just a bit "meh".
  • mybudgetbondmybudgetbond The World
    Posts: 189
    I really liked the idea of the “ageing” Bond. It works as a continuation of the Fleming timeline. As much as I enjoyed Forever and a Day I’m more interested in new stories set within the Fleming timeline and after it, continuing the story.

    Gardner doesn’t count for me because of the time jump.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,568
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  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,104
    Hmm. I kind of want to go and see Sebastian Faulks talk about his new novel...
    and get him to sign my copy of Devil May Care...
    even though I didn't like it all that much.

    I hate being a collector sometimes.

    https://mct.alleyns.org.uk/page.aspx?id=195
  • mybudgetbondmybudgetbond The World
    Posts: 189
    A signed copy is a signed copy;-)
  • QQ7QQ7 Croatia
    Posts: 371
    Zero Minus Ten

    Quite poorly written, but I like it so far.
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