Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • Posts: 9,730
    I am reading what I believe is the last 007 comic book series the Oro then I might read a John Gardner novel Death is Forever
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,332
    Reading Colonel Sun. The opening chapters are fantastic, really has that Fleming feel. I have to admit the middle chapters though have been a bit dull to get through. Entering the last act of the book and hope it picks back up to a nice conclusion.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Reading Colonel Sun. The opening chapters are fantastic, really has that Fleming feel. I have to admit the middle chapters though have been a bit dull to get through. Entering the last act of the book and hope it picks back up to a nice conclusion.

    Personally, I only enjoyed the beginning.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,378
    I read Colonel Sun only once so far and was a bit bored.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited July 2020 Posts: 13,882
    I have only read Colonel Sun once, and I can't say I was all that keen on it. I'll give it another try when I get around it it. Trigger Mortis today, so I am ready to move on to For Your Eyes Only later.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 754
    For anyone interested:
  • Agent_47Agent_47 Canada
    Posts: 330
    Now reading Colonel Sun. The first 3 chapters are great, wastes no time setting up the plot. Can't wait to check out the rest.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    Just finished TMWTGG and I have to say I was expecting it to be worse. Yes, it lacks further polishing but I really loved the western feeling to it. A crepuscular tale with some really cool imagery, especially in the finale. The beginning with “robo-Bond” is a nice touch as well. I didn’t have any problem with the decision of not referencing Bond being a father, since he basically didn’t even know about that.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited August 2020 Posts: 13,882
    That reading challenge looks fun, and had I not allready started my own reading of the books, I would join in. Alas...

    Finished Thunderball earlier. One of Flemings better Bond books. nothing here to complain about.

    Next up: The Spy Who Loved Me
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I like TB a lot, but I do think it is the weakest of The Blofeld Trilogy.

    That's a fair assessment. It's good, but OHMSS and YOLT are better.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 754
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I like TB a lot, but I do think it is the weakest of The Blofeld Trilogy.

    But the best Blofeld.
  • Posts: 2,887
    Fleming's Blofelds are almost three different characters. Cold-fish Eastern European mastermind in TB. Snobbish mitteleuropean "aristocrat" in OHMSS. Stark raving mad German, with a girlfriend and tendency to rant, in YOLT.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 754
    Yeah I’ve always found it hard to think of them as the same character.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    edited August 2020 Posts: 3,985
    The Spy Who Loved Me Novelisation by Christopher Wood

    Picked this up recently on a secondhand book site. And wow! Wood emulates Fleming much better than any other Bond novelist, apart from Markham (Kingsley Amis)

    He blends the Fleming Bond with the cinematic one quite seamlessly.

    This is very different from the film (No Bond on a Camel in this) especially the first few chapters which are excellent.

    Jaws is treated as completely serious and threatening. He even gets a cool backstory, as does Stromberg.

    The latter parts are more close to the finished film (Bond and Anya have been winched down to the sub) which is where i'm up to in this so far suprisingly excellent read.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    edited August 2020 Posts: 984
    Always felt like TMWTGG was fairly harshly viewed in comparison to a lot of the other Fleming novels, so I just gave it a re-read. In fairness it probably is one of the weaker entries. I love the Novel Scaramanga, though.

    As much as I enjoyed Christopher Lee in the film, I can't help but feel a really hard nosed and obnoxious American villain would have felt more unique. Roy Schieder would have been a fantastic Scaramanga, had they stuck more to the source.
  • Posts: 6,727
    The Spy Who Loved Me Novelisation by Christopher Wood

    Picked this up recently on a secondhand book site. And wow! Wood emulates Fleming much better than any other Bond novelist, apart from Markham (Kingsley Amis)

    He blends the Fleming Bond with the cinematic one quite seamlessly.

    This is very different from the film (No Bond on a Camel in this) especially the first few chapters which are excellent.

    Jaws is treated as completely serious and threatening. He even gets a cool backstory, as does Stromberg.

    The latter parts are more close to the finished film (Bond and Anya have been winched down to the sub) which is where i'm up to in this so far suprisingly excellent read.

    I just bought TSWLM book myself few weeks ago. Havent got around to reading it yet. Looking forward to it!
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    The Spy Who Loved Me Novelisation by Christopher Wood

    Picked this up recently on a secondhand book site. And wow! Wood emulates Fleming much better than any other Bond novelist, apart from Markham (Kingsley Amis)

    He blends the Fleming Bond with the cinematic one quite seamlessly.

    This is very different from the film (No Bond on a Camel in this) especially the first few chapters which are excellent.

    Jaws is treated as completely serious and threatening. He even gets a cool backstory, as does Stromberg.

    The latter parts are more close to the finished film (Bond and Anya have been winched down to the sub) which is where i'm up to in this so far suprisingly excellent read.

    I just bought TSWLM book myself few weeks ago. Havent got around to reading it yet. Looking forward to it!

    Hope you enjoy it as much as i have mate.

    Needless to say this would have been a much more hard edged Bond film if it was like this book!
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,250
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Always felt like TMWTGG was fairly harshly viewed in comparison to a lot of the other Fleming novels, so I just gave it a re-read. In fairness it probably is one of the weaker entries. I love the Novel Scaramanga, though.

    As much as I enjoyed Christopher Lee in the film, I can't help but feel a really hard nosed and obnoxious American villain would have felt more unique. Roy Schieder would have been a fantastic Scaramanga, had they stuck more to the source.

    I love that casting decision @Roadphill !!
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    peter wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Always felt like TMWTGG was fairly harshly viewed in comparison to a lot of the other Fleming novels, so I just gave it a re-read. In fairness it probably is one of the weaker entries. I love the Novel Scaramanga, though.

    As much as I enjoyed Christopher Lee in the film, I can't help but feel a really hard nosed and obnoxious American villain would have felt more unique. Roy Schieder would have been a fantastic Scaramanga, had they stuck more to the source.

    I love that casting decision @Roadphill !!

    Thanks @peter While I was reading Scaramanga's dialogue, I couldn't help but visualise him in my mind.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,250
    it's a terrific choice. I've just started reading the novels again (every couple of years I read them from fist to last), and when I get to this last one, I wonder if Roy will be my Scaramanga now?

    It's funny, while reading Casino Royale, at various points I see only Lazenby at the gambling table (when he takes out his cigarette case and lighter for example), at other times I see Connery; still at other times I see Craig (especially with Mathis and Vesper); I saw Dalton once, after Bond tips his chair over, and; sometimes I see a mish-mash of Connery/Craig...

    Suffice to say it's been a fun read.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    peter wrote: »
    it's a terrific choice. I've just started reading the novels again (every couple of years I read them from fist to last), and when I get to this last one, I wonder if Roy will be my Scaramanga now?

    It's funny, while reading Casino Royale, at various points I see only Lazenby at the gambling table (when he takes out his cigarette case and lighter for example), at other times I see Connery; still at other times I see Craig (especially with Mathis and Vesper); I saw Dalton once, after Bond tips his chair over, and; sometimes I see a mish-mash of Connery/Craig...

    Suffice to say it's been a fun read.

    It's strange who the mind's eye conjures up. Roger and Sean are by far my favourite Bonds, but I never see them when I read Fleming. Only ever Lazenby or Brosnan... As you mention Casino Royale, for some reason I always see Robbie Coltrane as Le Chiffre...
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,250
    @Roadphill ... not a bad image to have of Le Chiffre. I couldn’t picture him as that since I think he gives off a genuine aura of friendliness, but I can see why your mind’s eye painted the portrait (the physical nature of the two men are certainly comparable). I can’t describe who my Le Chiffre resembles, but for some odd reason, I hear Michael Lonsdale’s voice every time Le Chiffre speaks!!
  • Posts: 2,887
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Roy Schieder would have been a fantastic Scaramanga, had they stuck more to the source.

    Mankiewicz wanted Jack Palance for the role, and I think he would have been terrific--and maybe even a bit scary.

  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 754
    Jack Palance is perfect... he would have brought suitable weird scary to it
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    Revelator wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Roy Schieder would have been a fantastic Scaramanga, had they stuck more to the source.

    Mankiewicz wanted Jack Palance for the role, and I think he would have been terrific--and maybe even a bit scary.

    I did remember reading that somewhere. I think EON actually approached him, but alas he wasn't interested..
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,332
    Reading Colonel Sun. The opening chapters are fantastic, really has that Fleming feel. I have to admit the middle chapters though have been a bit dull to get through. Entering the last act of the book and hope it picks back up to a nice conclusion.

    Personally, I only enjoyed the beginning.

    I just finished Colonel Sun a couple weeks ago. I have to agree with you. The first third of the book was really solid, with the first 3-4 chapters being great. The book slowed to a crawl for me in the middle all the way until the last few chapters. It redeemed itself a bit towards the end, but was still only mildly enjoyable compared to most Fleming endings. Shame because I thought Amis really caught Fleming's style in the early part of the books.
    C+ for me overall. Enjoyable and glad I read it (first timer), but with such a banger of a premise, I thought the execution could have been much better.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    James Bond Origin Vol 2. It’s a shame that we aren’t getting a Vol 3. It ended on a cliffhanger.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,914
    Sometimes unpublished content like that become available over time, @MaxCasino. It would be great to see that.

  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    Diamonds are Forever. Boy the movie should have stuck more to the original story!
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