Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    Reading Carte Blanche now, my favorite after original IF & Moneypenny Diaries.

    Just finished Dr. No. I feel that the film is better, which is rare for me. I feel this was more racist at times than Live and Let Die! But, it was enjoyable to see how it connected to the film.

    As for Carte Blanche, it is one of my favorites, as it was the first full Bond novel that I read. I feel that it could be a great starting point for the next Bond, along with Forever and a Day. FAAD could introduce the new Bond himself, while CB could introduce his supporting cast. It does feel like a Bond and friends adventure, which I like.

    Moneypenny Diaries; do not miss them. Stunning.

    Let us know when you finish CB. I’d love to hear your opinions on it.
  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    Loved CB. As I don't know if you've read it, I won't detail specifics. But the author ties all the various angles together quite well. And I don't get the "ODG" deal- what's the point of that? Otherwise, a great read, characters are developed very well.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    edited October 2021 Posts: 5,921
    I finished YOLT about a week ago, and am glad I did. What else was a US viewer to do while avoiding all UK spoilers for 8 days?

    I hate that Eon has made the US wait for the past few films (truly sorry, Australia!). But I guess it makes sense because they need that time gap to get the main cast from London to NY/LA for promotional purposes.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    edited October 2021 Posts: 7,948
    cwl007 wrote: »
    Forum community, I need your advice please.
    I've read all of the Fleming novels over the years, some of them several times. I have my favourites.
    I do alot of driving in my work and want to start listening to the Fleming audio books. Have any of you listened to any of them and if so which one do you recommend for me start with in terms of narrator performance, enjoyment etc. (I can't afford them all at the moment so CR as a default might not be the best decision)
    Thank you

    Sorry, can't help there, as I don't do audio books. However as I understand it people who listened to the Toby Stephens' reading of Bond were quite enthousiastic.
  • cwl007cwl007 England
    Posts: 611
    Thank you, I appreciate the response. I've listened to all the Radio 4 adaptations with Toby Stephens in the past and found them enjoyable. Trouble is, as far as I can tell, they aren't for sale. So I'm going to go through the audio books instead on my Audible app.
  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    cwl007 wrote: »
    Thank you, I appreciate the response. I've listened to all the Radio 4 adaptations with Toby Stephens in the past and found them enjoyable. Trouble is, as far as I can tell, they aren't for sale. So I'm going to go through the audio books instead on my Audible app.

    download it here. https://archive.org/details/thunderball-audio

  • I'm re-reading Thunderball now, and really enjoying it. I started a big Fleming re-read last March, aiming for one book every couple of months or so. I found if I read them one after another, they tend to merge into one, so I read a few books in between and I find it works better that way.
    Here's my re-read rankings..

    From Russia With Love
    Moonraker
    Live and Let Die
    Casino Royale
    Dr No
    Goldfinger
    Diamonds are Forever

    Live and Let Die beats CR because I liked the voodoo stuff.
  • Posts: 2,887
    A recent article worth reading from The University Bookman: "On Ian Fleming as Craftsman."

    Some key paragraphs:

    "Fleming wrote forcefully and succinctly, aiming for 60,000 words per novel. His style, sharpened by his work as both a journalist and military man, is marked by precise observation, judicious use of concrete detail, and clear, unaffected diction. He excelled at description. Though Fleming’s characters, especially the villains, are often remembered for their physical deformities—shortness, baldness, protruding teeth, missing earlobes, prosthetic steel claws, a supernumerary nipple—most often they evince his eye for the telling detail, the revealing throwaway gesture, the tic. He had a corresponding knack for narrating vivid and energetic action, and his explanations and descriptions of processes, of men purposefully undertaking complicated tasks, are clear, his pacing and suspense superb.

    "He wrote not only skillfully but beautifully, something seen most clearly in his settings. His most vividly realized locations, those of the Caribbean, combine the tactile and the visual in a manner that also establishes tone. Thus, in the short story 'Octopussy,' the same reef can be a place of beauty, wonder, and comforting familiarity at the beginning and a place of inescapable horror at the end.

    "Fleming’s talents extended to another crucial element of the thriller—plot structure. Fifty years of moviegoers have become familiar with the 'Bond formula,' a reliable but predictable and easily parodied form. Fleming’s novels are much more varied. He plays with structure to create tension and construct surprises, such as killing the villain two-thirds of the way through, as in Casino Royale; delaying the start of the action with a seemingly unrelated low-stakes adventure, as in Moonraker, Thunderball, or Goldfinger; or shifting between tones and genres—detective story, survival story, travelogue, horror—as in Dr. No or You Only Live Twice..."
  • One of my series favorites...
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  • cwl007 wrote: »
    Forum community, I need your advice please.
    I've read all of the Fleming novels over the years, some of them several times. I have my favourites.
    I do alot of driving in my work and want to start listening to the Fleming audio books. Have any of you listened to any of them and if so which one do you recommend for me start with in terms of narrator performance, enjoyment etc. (I can't afford them all at the moment so CR as a default might not be the best decision)
    Thank you

    Sorry, can't help there, as I don't do audio books. However as I understand it people who listened to the Toby Stephens' reading of Bond were quite enthousiastic.

    They're radio dramas rather than straight audiobooks, but yes, Toby Stephens is quite good as Bond. A lot of other talent in those too: Ian McKellen as Goldfinger, Alfred Molina as Blofeld in OHMSS...
  • Dr. No was the first Bond novel I read and it was such a thrill as a kid. Rereading it in sequence I was pleased to discover it’s just as much of a thrill to this day, absolutely one of my favorites in the series. It’s such a good, and unique, blend of Bond. The first half is pretty straight up what you would expect, and want, out of a Bond novel, and then it goes into overdrive once it gets to Crab Key. I love how it shifts from a survivalist story pitting Bond against the elements behind enemy lines to a pulp adventure/horror story once he’s in No’s clutches. Just a wonderfully paced thriller.
  • I'm about 1/3 of the way through Casino Royale now. First time I've read it in 15 years. I am enjoying it so far, and I love the movie, but I don't see how anyone can argue that the film is all that faithful to the book. It's just so different.
  • Posts: 1,314
    cwl007 wrote: »
    Thank you, I appreciate the response. I've listened to all the Radio 4 adaptations with Toby Stephens in the past and found them enjoyable. Trouble is, as far as I can tell, they aren't for sale. So I'm going to go through the audio books instead on my Audible app.

    I fall asleep listening to them every night. They’re excellent the audiobooks from audible

    I’m not such a fan of moonraker by Bill Nighy.

    David tenant is excellent - OHMSS - as is octopussy

    Highly recommended
  • I'm about to start Moonraker. Looking forward to it after finishing CR and LALD.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    I'm about to start Moonraker. Looking forward to it after finishing CR and LALD.

    It is considered the best by many fans, including me. The perfect 007 novel.
  • Birdleson wrote: »
    I'm about to start Moonraker. Looking forward to it after finishing CR and LALD.

    It is considered the best by many fans, including me. The perfect 007 novel.

    So far so good after Chapter 1. It's cool hearing more of the day-to-day of Bond's job.

    I don't know why it took me so long to read them again.
  • Posts: 526
    Carte Blanche. Just started.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,727
    cwl007 wrote: »
    Thank you, I appreciate the response. I've listened to all the Radio 4 adaptations with Toby Stephens in the past and found them enjoyable. Trouble is, as far as I can tell, they aren't for sale. So I'm going to go through the audio books instead on my Audible app.

    I've listened to most of them. Some that I'd recommend off the top of my head:

    MR - Bill Nighy
    OP & TLD - Tom Hiddleston (best voice narrator of Bond I have ever heard)
    For Your Eyes Only and Other Stories - Samuel West
    Dr. NO - Hugh Quashie
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    Goldfinger (1959). With these Bond Universe possibly starting in the books, I would like to write my own story on Goldfinger’s background. I know it sounds silly but I enjoy the writing process.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    Goldfinger (1959). With these Bond Universe possibly starting in the books, I would like to write my own story on Goldfinger’s background. I know it sounds silly but I enjoy the writing process.

    That sounds awesome! I love the idea of writing, wish I did more of it. Share it here when you have something, if you want!
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,050
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    Goldfinger (1959). With these Bond Universe possibly starting in the books, I would like to write my own story on Goldfinger’s background. I know it sounds silly but I enjoy the writing process.

    That sounds awesome! I love the idea of writing, wish I did more of it. Share it here when you have something, if you want!

    Thank you for the support! I do have a few ideas down. Most of all I would love to set in the modern day.
  • Posts: 526
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.

    You made it further than I did. But I still enjoyed what I did read more than DEVIL MAY CARE, which I actually completed. The only Bond novel from that era that I can recommend (really the only one post Amis, aside from the two Wood adaptations) is SOLO.
  • Posts: 526
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.

    You made it further than I did. But I still enjoyed what I did read more than DEVIL MAY CARE, which I actually completed. The only Bond novel from that era that I can recommend (really the only one post Amis, aside from the two Wood adaptations) is SOLO.

    Well, I’m glad I’m not alone : )
    I think I will try Solo. @birdlesom where would you rate it from 1-10, and would you care to give me a little preview as to what it’s about? Thanks
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.

    You made it further than I did. But I still enjoyed what I did read more than DEVIL MAY CARE, which I actually completed. The only Bond novel from that era that I can recommend (really the only one post Amis, aside from the two Wood adaptations) is SOLO.

    Didn’t like the Horowitz novels?
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,727
    Colonel Sun

    I like the middle part where Bond is snooping around Athens, Amis' prose is closest to Fleming out of all the other authors, but it still falls short of novels like CR, MR, FRWL, imo.

    What strikes me most when reading this is how silly the female character are written - "...oh, much better now that you are here, James..." X_X
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.

    You made it further than I did. But I still enjoyed what I did read more than DEVIL MAY CARE, which I actually completed. The only Bond novel from that era that I can recommend (really the only one post Amis, aside from the two Wood adaptations) is SOLO.

    Didn’t like the Horowitz novels?


    They were more entertaining than most of the continuation novels, and worth a look (particularly for the unused Fleming), but his basic pros leave me somewhat cold. His action scenes read like someone trying to explain how cool something he's seeing is, rather than placing me there. And some of his character choices don't work for me either.

    @sworddevil1 I don't really know how to rate it on a 1 to 10 scale, but I enjoy SOLO for it's terseness and descriptive passages. It feels like Bond to me. And it's a bare bones mission. Some find it boring. Not me.
  • Posts: 526
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.

    You made it further than I did. But I still enjoyed what I did read more than DEVIL MAY CARE, which I actually completed. The only Bond novel from that era that I can recommend (really the only one post Amis, aside from the two Wood adaptations) is SOLO.

    Didn’t like the Horowitz novels?


    They were more entertaining than most of the continuation novels, and worth a look (particularly for the unused Fleming), but his basic pros leave me somewhat cold. His action scenes read like someone trying to explain how cool something he's seeing is, rather than placing me there. And some of his character choices don't work for me either.

    @sworddevil1 I don't really know how to rate it on a 1 to 10 scale, but I enjoy SOLO for it's terseness and descriptive passages. It feels like Bond to me. And it's a bare bones mission. Some find it boring. Not me.

    Sounds good to me. That’s more my style. I will check it out. Thanks!
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Guys I have to say, Carte Blanche is not really holding my attention. It’s ok, but not great. About half through.

    You made it further than I did. But I still enjoyed what I did read more than DEVIL MAY CARE, which I actually completed. The only Bond novel from that era that I can recommend (really the only one post Amis, aside from the two Wood adaptations) is SOLO.

    Didn’t like the Horowitz novels?


    They were more entertaining than most of the continuation novels, and worth a look (particularly for the unused Fleming), but his basic pros leave me somewhat cold. His action scenes read like someone trying to explain how cool something he's seeing is, rather than placing me there. And some of his character choices don't work for me either.

    @sworddevil1 I don't really know how to rate it on a 1 to 10 scale, but I enjoy SOLO for it's terseness and descriptive passages. It feels like Bond to me. And it's a bare bones mission. Some find it boring. Not me.

    Makes sense, thanks for your notes. I'm going to have to revisit SOLO again soon!
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