SOLO by William Boyd - Reviews & Feedback

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  • edited October 2013 Posts: 267
    Now the truth is out, SOLO has only sold a little over 9000 in the first week.
    48% down on Deaver and 82% down on Faulks - not a sales decline. A clunking great disaster!
    @villieurs53 was correct, they are working with the law of diminishing returns and people certainly aren't going to be fooled thrice.
    Perhaps IFP will now get the message and give us something decent instead of this half baked nonsense.
    I should have known from the start - I mean what sort of fool would have put Bond in a Jensen? Don't tell me,that well known purveyor of good taste, Jezzer Clarkson!
  • Posts: 7,653
    If the Jensen were the only problem, and it is not in my humble opinion, you would be right.

    But they released this book without too much of a noise while about everybody has been clued in on The NEW Stephen King & Donna Tartt. Guess how they are selling? (Donna Tartt has already been released in my country and yes that is before the rest of the world).
  • Bentley wrote:
    Now the truth is out, SOLO has only sold a little over 9000 in the first week.
    48% down on Deaver and 82% down on Faulks - not a sales decline. A clunking great disaster!
    @villieurs53 was correct, they are working with the law of diminishing returns and people certainly aren't going to be fooled thrice.
    Perhaps IFP will now get the message and give us something decent instead of this half baked nonsense.
    I should have known from the start - I mean what sort of fool would have put Bond in a Jensen? Don't tell me,that well known purveyor of good taste, Jezzer Clarkson!


    The sort of fool who struggles to even spell the car's name perhaps?

    I largely agree, Solo is evidently a case for lickspittles and sycophants. Only I'm not yet sure which side has the more vocal number of them on their payroll. I reserve my own judgement until I actually had a chance to read it, not so much longer now.
  • Bentley wrote:
    Now the truth is out, SOLO has only sold a little over 9000 in the first week.
    48% down on Deaver and 82% down on Faulks - not a sales decline. A clunking great disaster!
    @villieurs53 was correct, they are working with the law of diminishing returns and people certainly aren't going to be fooled thrice.
    Perhaps IFP will now get the message and give us something decent instead of this half baked nonsense.
    I should have known from the start - I mean what sort of fool would have put Bond in a Jensen? Don't tell me,that well known purveyor of good taste, Jezzer Clarkson!

    Blimey Benters - this isn't a case of diminishing returns. At only 28% of Faulks' sales I would say it's more a case of plummeting returns!
    When things fall away like this, there has to be a question as to how badly the brand been damaged?
    Just goes to show you - arrogance always comes before a fall and throughout this whole trilogy saga there has been scant attention to detail. Hopefully IFP have learnt a salient lesson from this and are going to find somebody who can save the literary end of things.
  • Posts: 267
    harkaway wrote:
    Bentley wrote:
    Now the truth is out, SOLO has only sold a little over 9000 in the first week.
    48% down on Deaver and 82% down on Faulks - not a sales decline. A clunking great disaster!
    @villieurs53 was correct, they are working with the law of diminishing returns and people certainly aren't going to be fooled thrice.
    Perhaps IFP will now get the message and give us something decent instead of this half baked nonsense.
    I should have known from the start - I mean what sort of fool would have put Bond in a Jensen? Don't tell me,that well known purveyor of good taste, Jezzer Clarkson!


    The sort of fool who struggles to even spell the car's name perhaps?

    I largely agree, Solo is evidently a case for lickspittles and sycophants. Only I'm not yet sure which side has the more vocal number of them on their payroll. I reserve my own judgement until I actually had a chance to read it, not so much longer now.

    Quite right @ Harkaway. Don't say anything until you've read it. Oooops!

  • Posts: 1,310
    I haven't read the book yet, so I cannot comment on the quality myself, however....

    I find it rather silly that Boyd would go out of his way to bash Daniel Craig and the current Bond films on the heels of his own book being released. I mean, I'm not entirely sure who he was trying to appeal to there.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    SJK91 wrote:
    I haven't read the book yet, so I cannot comment on the quality myself, however....

    I find it rather silly that Boyd would go out of his way to bash Daniel Craig and the current Bond films on the heels of his own book being released. I mean, I'm not entirely sure who he was trying to appeal to there.

    And don't forget his lovely comments that claimed Fleming was a sadist, sexist, and racist, and on top of it all, that Ian wasn't as superior in prose as he. Barf. :-&
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,235
    SJK91 wrote:
    I haven't read the book yet, so I cannot comment on the quality myself, however....

    I find it rather silly that Boyd would go out of his way to bash Daniel Craig and the current Bond films on the heels of his own book being released. I mean, I'm not entirely sure who he was trying to appeal to there.

    A salient point - perhaps he just likes to shoot himself in the foot for good luck?
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    I bought this book on release day and I have no enthusiasm to read it based on what I'm hearing. I can't even find the motivation to read it in drips. I'm going to wait for an incredibly dead day to undertake what is overwhelmingly being conveyed as a literary laborious chore.
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,598
    I just hope that some of these negative reviews haven't been influenced by people's frustration and even dislike of Boyd due the criticism he has directed at our god...the one and only...Mr. Iaaaan Fleming!
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Bounine wrote:
    I just hope that some of these negative reviews haven't been influenced by people's frustration and even dislike of Boyd due the criticism he has directed at our god,,,the one and only,,,Mr. Iaaaan Fleming!

    If they have he only has himself to blame. If you're going to rip into the master then you'd better make damn sure your book is top notch.

    Prick Faulkes made the same mistake with his pretentious 'writing as Ian Fleming' and knocking it out in 6 weeks crap.
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,598
    doubleoego wrote:
    I bought this book on release day and I have no enthusiasm to read it based on what I'm hearing. I can't even find the motivation to read it in drips. I'm going to wait for an incredibly dead day to undertake what is overwhelmingly being conveyed as a literary laborious chore.

    I have more enthusiasm due to a good deal of positive reviews out there - the ones on Amazon and the official reviews on newspaper websites. It's hard to believe that they're all mates with Boyd.

    Anyway, read the book now since you have bought it and decide for yourself. Don't just go on what others have said. They may be right but decide for yourself. I've read through the first two chapters to get a taste and the writing I find is very smooth and descriptive. Easy reading. Wouldn't take you long to finish it. It's a Bond book not a John Le Carre.

  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,598
    Bounine wrote:
    I just hope that some of these negative reviews haven't been influenced by people's frustration and even dislike of Boyd due the criticism he has directed at our god...the one and only...Mr. Iaaaan Fleming!

    If they have he only has himself to blame. If you're going to rip into the master then you'd better make damn sure your book is top notch.
    Prick Faulkes made the same mistake with his pretentious 'writing as Ian Fleming' and knocking it out in 6 weeks crap.

    A book review should be solely based on the books merits and demerits, not just slayed or further slayed due to the reviewer's dislike of the author.

    These celebrity scriber chaps aren't very humble to say the least are they? Why can't they do it with elegance, style and modesty and merely say that they have written certain or all parts of their books in a different style to that of Fleming. End of story. It's in poor taste to start criticising other people's work. Especially people like Fleming who wrote outstanding books and was responsible for creating the most or one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time...and who has also stood the test of time (albeit not without it's ups and downs as we're seeing now).
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Bounine wrote:
    Bounine wrote:
    I just hope that some of these negative reviews haven't been influenced by people's frustration and even dislike of Boyd due the criticism he has directed at our god...the one and only...Mr. Iaaaan Fleming!

    If they have he only has himself to blame. If you're going to rip into the master then you'd better make damn sure your book is top notch.

    Prick Faulkes made the same mistake with his pretentious 'writing as Ian Fleming' and knocking it out in 6 weeks crap.

    These chaps aren't very humble to say the least are they? Why can't they do it with elegance and modesty and merely say that they have written certain or all parts of their books in a different style to that of Fleming.

    Why can't they just keep it shut and only say 'I'm not Ian Fleming but I've done my best to write an entertaining and exciting thriller which I hope the fans will enjoy'?

    Perhaps we might be willing to cut them some slack then?

    I blame the clowns at IFP who are clearly fine with all these interviews as they will certainly have instructed Boyd what he should and shouldn't say. They clearly think the best way forward is for the current writer to belittle the guy whose legacy is keeping their snouts in the gravy.

    Well at 8000 copies that's pretty thin gravy cretins. Pretty lucky you still have the royalties from Fleming's ongoing sales and EON's hard work to live off or you might have to get a real job.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,788
    Things are about to get nasty.
    :))
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,598
    Bounine wrote:
    Bounine wrote:
    I just hope that some of these negative reviews haven't been influenced by people's frustration and even dislike of Boyd due the criticism he has directed at our god...the one and only...Mr. Iaaaan Fleming!

    If they have he only has himself to blame. If you're going to rip into the master then you'd better make damn sure your book is top notch.

    Prick Faulkes made the same mistake with his pretentious 'writing as Ian Fleming' and knocking it out in 6 weeks crap.

    These chaps aren't very humble to say the least are they? Why can't they do it with elegance and modesty and merely say that they have written certain or all parts of their books in a different style to that of Fleming.

    Why can't they just keep it shut and only say 'I'm not Ian Fleming but I've done my best to write an entertaining and exciting thriller which I hope the fans will enjoy'?

    Perhaps we might be willing to cut them some slack then?

    I blame the clowns at IFP who are clearly fine with all these interviews as they will certainly have instructed Boyd what he should and shouldn't say. They clearly think the best way forward is for the current writer to belittle the guy whose legacy is keeping their snouts in the gravy.

    Well at 8000 copies that's pretty thin gravy cretins. Pretty lucky you still have the royalties from Fleming's ongoing sales and EON's hard work to live off or you might have to get a real job.

    Is that right?

    "Well at 8000 copies that's pretty thin gravy cretins. Pretty lucky you still have the royalties from Fleming's ongoing sales and EON's hard work to live off or you might have to get a real job."[/quote]

    Sad but true.


    "Why can't they just keep it shut and only say 'I'm not Ian Fleming but I've done my best to write an entertaining and exciting thriller which I hope the fans will enjoy'?"

    Even better. :)
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Even if IFP told Boyd to promote the product and Fleming, he could have simply raised his nose in contention and done it anyway. As I said, he comes off as the self-entitled type.
  • Posts: 2,913
    And don't forget his lovely comments that claimed Fleming was a sadist, sexist, and racist, and on top of it all, that Ian wasn't as superior in prose as he. Barf. :-&

    In Boyd's defense, the sexist/sadist/racist criticism was really the fault of the Times interviewer, who kept trying to get Boyd to attack Fleming. Boyd was plainly reluctant to do so. Boyd did say his plotting would be better than Fleming's, but I think all of us can admit that plots were not Ian's forte.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited October 2013 Posts: 9,117
    Just gone and bought that Fleming box set. If I'm going to put money into IFP's pockets then £15 for all of Fleming seems money incredibly well spent considering what they are serving up as full price novels these days.
    I reccomend everyone here to do the same. How great would it be if we could get Fleming to outsell Boyd?

    Was fancying the Gardner set as well. First 5 only (but they are the only ones that are really worth reading), hardback with the original Chopping style covers. But £64 doesn't seem like quite such a bargain.

    I'll probably get Solo in a few months when I can be bothered.
  • Posts: 267
    . Boyd did say his plotting would be better than Fleming's, but I think all of us can admit that plots were not Ian's forte.
    [/quote]

    No we most certainly can't - Fleming was a superb plotter.
    The likes of Moonraker, FRWL, OHMSS, and Thunderball are a solid testimony to his prowess.
    If you want an example of slap dash structuring, look no further than the "Bond Celebrity Trilogy Disaster"!

  • edited October 2013 Posts: 7,653
    Bentley wrote:
    . Boyd did say his plotting would be better than Fleming's, but I think all of us can admit that plots were not Ian's forte.

    No we most certainly can't - Fleming was a superb plotter.
    The likes of Moonraker, FRWL, OHMSS, and Thunderball are a solid testimony to his prowess.

    To be honest I would leave Thunderball out of the equation as that book was not just Flemings work all by himself to begin with.

    And as for the plot for SOLO, Flemings were all better easily. Boyd might be great at plotting he just did not do very well with SOLO.

  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,598
    SaintMark wrote:
    Bentley wrote:
    . Boyd did say his plotting would be better than Fleming's, but I think all of us can admit that plots were not Ian's forte.

    No we most certainly can't - Fleming was a superb plotter.
    The likes of Moonraker, FRWL, OHMSS, and Thunderball are a solid testimony to his prowess.

    To be honest I would leave Thunderball out of the equation as that book was not just Flemings work all by himself to begin with.

    And as for the plot for SOLO, Flemings were all better easily. Boyd might be great at plotting he just did not do very well with SOLO.

    This is what I find amazing. Faulks has written many great books as has Deaver but when each author gets to a Bond book they seem to fall flat on their faces. Strange. I'm not making any mention of Boyd as I haven't read SOLO yet.
  • Posts: 686
    Please let Ken Follet write a Bond novel before he dies.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,788
    With all the negativity here concerning SOLO, I just bought a copy of Devil May Care. I'll read it and enjoy it. Or not. All Bond continuations can't be Colonel Sun. :-??
  • Posts: 686
    The reviewer on Amazon said that Solo had a bit of "anti-Americanism", is this true?
  • edited October 2013 Posts: 2,598
    Perdogg wrote:
    Please let Ken Follet write a Bond novel before he dies.

    Yeah, if they IFP do continue with the celebrity writers then Follet would be a good choice. I've read a few of his books. 'Eye of the Needle' is still my favourite. Fantastic book. Atleast he's a thriller writer like Deaver , but unlike Deaver his books aren't filled with twist after twist after twist... If he was chosen, let's just hope he can do justice to the character unlike Deaver. His Bond is unrecognisable.

  • Posts: 2,598
    chrisisall wrote:
    With all the negativity here concerning SOLO, I just bought a copy of Devil May Care. I'll read it and enjoy it. Or not. All Bond continuations can't be Colonel Sun. :-??

    Do you think that it'll be better than Solo?

  • Posts: 2,598
    Perdogg wrote:
    The reviewer on Amazon said that Solo had a bit of "anti-Americanism", is this true?

    Let's hope so! ;)

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited October 2013 Posts: 17,788
    Bounine wrote:
    chrisisall wrote:
    With all the negativity here concerning SOLO, I just bought a copy of Devil May Care. I'll read it and enjoy it. Or not. All Bond continuations can't be Colonel Sun. :-??
    Do you think that it'll be better than Solo?
    I won't know until I read it, then contrast it to SOLO once it's out in used paperback cheaply. :)>-
  • Posts: 7,653
    Perdogg wrote:
    The reviewer on Amazon said that Solo had a bit of "anti-Americanism", is this true?

    As it is play in the post colonial Africa I do guess all those involved do not get the prize for being great, England included.
    But the book is not specificly anti-American.
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