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Ian Fleming's Fascination with the world of flowers?

DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
edited January 2013 in Literary 007 Posts: 17,797
What are our views on Ian Fleming's reported fascination with the world of flowers - he wrote a poetry book as a young man called The Black Daffodil.

Many of his books featured flowers on the Cape dustjackets - see FRWL, YOLT, GF, TSWLM, TMWTGG. Flowers and fauna of a deadly nature are a major plot component in YOLT with Blofeld's Castle of Death and his Garden of Death. He also wrote that James Bond didn't like flowers in a room in Casino Royale (1953) when Bond was recuperating after his torture at the hands of Le Chiffre.

I feel tghe symbolism of flowers as a harbinger of death is a thread continued by John Gardner in Never Send Flowers (Slay It With Flowers would have been a great alternative Flemingesque title) and Sebastian Faulks' Devil May Care (2008) (the opium poppy so central to its plot), with both continuation novels using flowers as symbols on their hardback and paperback editions! Both YOLT and NSF feature flowers and dragonflies on their respective covers and flowers, whether as a deadly anti-Eden or a blood-tipped chilling calling card of a serial killer, reflect death. Reference also Bond in TLD film - "You should have brought lillies."

Also, Ian Fleming wrote The Poppy is Also A Flower film outline and had intended to author a book on the flora and fauna of Jamaica - so what was the deal with flowers? Was it just another expression of his love for the natural world most often seen in his underwater writing?

Your thoughts are appreciated...

Comments

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Hmm... Interesting to think about, isn't it? The evidence is there for some theories.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    Yes, I think that it may even form the basis of a new article on The Bondologist Blog -

    http://www.thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Yes, I think that it may even form the basis of a new article on The Bondologist Blog -

    http://www.thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk
    My thoughts exactly!
    :-bd
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    Yes, I think that it may even form the basis of a new article on The Bondologist Blog -

    http://www.thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk
    My thoughts exactly!
    :-bd

    Yes, I'm working on it at the moment - just wanted to check that I hadn't missed anything!

  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    In Devil May Care, the girl's "twin" is called Poppy, too.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    4EverBonded wrote:
    In Devil May Care, the girl's "twin" is called Poppy, too.

    Thanks - any more input on this subject?
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Well, I wonder if his relationship with Richard Chopping influenced him as well?

    Chopping's main job was a wildlife and botanical illustrator. But I'm sure living in Jamaica surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna helped.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 14,816
    I always wanted to have a villain whose distinctive trait, like Blofeld's cat, would be a flower he wore, preferably an orchid. Orchid look ophidian and plain evil.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    007InVT wrote:
    Well, I wonder if his relationship with Richard Chopping influenced him as well?

    Chopping's main job was a wildlife and botanical illustrator. But I'm sure living in Jamaica surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna helped.

    Very true - that's another point, of course. Fleming was at one point going to write a book on said subject of flora and fauna in Jamaica.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    And of course took the name of 'James Bond' from 'Birds of Jamaica' by afoermentioned.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    007InVT wrote:
    And of course took the name of 'James Bond' from 'Birds of Jamaica' by afoermentioned.

    Very true.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    It all really does seem to point toward Fleming's florphilia being a component of his broader fascination with the natural world.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    It all really does seem to point toward Fleming's florphilia being a component of his broader fascination with the natural world.

    Indeed. That's another connection that I didn't make. Well done.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Can anyone name all the flowers used on the dust jackets?
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Dragonpol wrote:
    What are our views on Ian Fleming's reported fascination with the world of flowers - he wrote a poetry book as a young man called The Black Daffodil.

    Also, Ian Fleming wrote The Poppy is Also A Flower film outline and had intended to author a book on the flora and fauna of Jamaica

    Is 'The Black Daffodil' available anywhere?

    Is 'The Poppy is Also A Flower' contained in 'Talk of the Devil' or just rumor?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    007InVT wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    What are our views on Ian Fleming's reported fascination with the world of flowers - he wrote a poetry book as a young man called The Black Daffodil.

    Also, Ian Fleming wrote The Poppy is Also A Flower film outline and had intended to author a book on the flora and fauna of Jamaica

    Is 'The Black Daffodil' available anywhere?

    Is 'The Poppy is Also A Flower' contained in 'Talk of the Devil' or just rumor?

    All copies of that poetry book were destroyed by Fleming himself, though I have seen snippets from the poems online.

    The Poppy is Also a Flower was never a short story - only a Fleming story idea. It was made into a film in 1966 - you can buy copies of the film, directed by Terence Young and also titled Danger Grows Wild. The film was backed by the UN.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Thanks for the intel @Dragonpol. Any links online to The Black Daffodil?
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    There is a rather interesting section in MR where Bond and Gala are walking along the beach near Dover. Gala picks a flower whereupon Bond spouts some nonsense about flowers being able to feel pain, scream and bleed. Gala responds that Bond has made her feel like a murderer. Bond takes the flower from Gala and puts it in his lapel, saying, "What's a little more blood on my hands. You said I'm covered with it already." Or words to that effect.

    Aside from the obvious Christological symbolism here, I find that this section is echoed rather clearly in the film CR where Bond and Vesper are sitting down in the shower and she is lamenting that she has blood on her hands and it's not coming off. Bond then puts her fingers in his mouth, saying, "There. That's better." As in the MR sequence, Bond is absolving the girl and taking her "sins" upon himself.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2013 Posts: 17,797
    007InVT wrote:
    Thanks for the intel @Dragonpol. Any links online to The Black Daffodil?

    Excerpts from some of his poems were on a site called 007 Forever ran by Nick Kincaid. That site is now defunct but I still have print-offs from it. I'll have to see if I can find them and if I do I'll post some excerprts. I assume that he took these quotes from a book or books published on Fleming and Bond. The book does get a mention in Lycett's biography - that I do know. Sorry that I could not be of more help.

  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Any quotes welcome if you find them!

    Thanks
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,797
    007InVT wrote:
    Any quotes welcome if you find them!

    Thanks

    OK, I'll try, but it might take me a while. I remember one quote about the outline of a dream.

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