BOND POLLS 2017: 007 Literature Contest, TOP 10 Fleming's Best [RESULTS, WINNER & RUNNER-UP, page 8]

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  • edited August 2017 Posts: 11,119
    15th place and 14th place:

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  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    So TSWLM lost out to two of the short stories. Any other novels did that?
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    So TSWLM lost out to two of the short stories. Any other novels did that?

    And a bloody good thing too.

    I'd have had preferred to see it below FAVTAK, OP, Risico, THR and TPOAL also.
  • Posts: 11,119
    So TSWLM lost out to two of the short stories. Any other novels did that?

    And a bloody good thing too.

    I'd have had preferred to see it below FAVTAK, OP, Risico, THR and TPOAL also.

    I can understand that Ian Fleming didn't like the novel himself, but I think it was a worthy experiment to experience a story from the point of view of a woman. Actually, this novel could be a great inspiration source for one spin-off film. And I know the Fleming estate wouldn't like it, but hell we could prove the late Ian Fleming in hindsight that it was quite a nice novel. I liked it anyway.
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 11,119
    13th placed story/novel now:

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  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    That answers it, then.
  • Posts: 11,119
    That answers it, then.

    TMWTGG......to me isn't a very good book. Still, would be great to see a villain shooting at animals the way the novelized Scaramanga did :-P.
  • I'm looking forward to revisiting The Spy Who Loved Me. It's interesting to read Fleming in experimental mode, if nothing else, and Spy, with its atypical narrator and strangely smaller scale story, is about as experimental as you could expect for a Bond novel.
  • Posts: 7,429
    I have a soft spot for the novel TMWTGG!
    And liked the Scaramanga character, and Bond
    going undercover infiltrating a crime unit! LTK showed how that can be effectively used!
    Flemings done far better but it is a novel I've read quite a few times more than some of the classics!
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 11,119
    12th anddd 11th place. We're nearing the TOP 10!

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  • Posts: 11,119
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I'll predict that the Top Four (in any order) are CR, MR, FRWL and OHMSS. With YOLT taking the fifth spot.

    no no no, there a quite some big points differences between the 4th placed book and 1st placed book ;-). So you HAVE to predict the exact TOP 5 hehehe. @Birdleson
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I'll predict that the Top Four (in any order) are CR, MR, FRWL and OHMSS. With YOLT taking the fifth spot.

    no no no, there a quite some big points differences between the 4th placed book and 1st placed book ;-). So you HAVE to predict the exact TOP 5 hehehe. @Birdleson

    I'll plump for:
    FRWL
    OHMSS
    MR
    CR
    YOLT
  • I can't remember where I voted it but I really like TMWTGG so I think it's a shame it isn't higher. I think the main problem with it is Scaramanga's scheme. I get that it was Fleming writing about what he knew because he was too ill to do much research but if Bond is going up against the worlds deadliest assassin then the main threat should surely be some sort of high stakes assassination plot rather than a dull gangster scheme involving the sugar industry? I read an idea on here which I quite liked despite being a bit OTT: the Queen is visiting Jamaica and Bond has to kill Scaramanga before he kills her. That would have been a nice big finale to the novels and the knighthood offer at the end would have made more sense (it was a great moment where he explains why he turned it down but if this was ever a possibility then why now rather than say, the time he saved London from being blown up by a nazi).
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 11,119
    And we enter the TOP 10, with the only short story "The Living Daylights" reaching this all time high!

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  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    I'm looking forward to revisiting The Spy Who Loved Me. It's interesting to read Fleming in experimental mode, if nothing else, and Spy, with its atypical narrator and strangely smaller scale story, is about as experimental as you could expect for a Bond novel.

    I'm looking forward to it too. I tried to defend TSWLM to a friend the other night and he just laughed in my face, so maybe I'll find a more sympathetic audience here...
  • Agent_99 wrote: »
    I'm looking forward to revisiting The Spy Who Loved Me. It's interesting to read Fleming in experimental mode, if nothing else, and Spy, with its atypical narrator and strangely smaller scale story, is about as experimental as you could expect for a Bond novel.

    I'm looking forward to it too. I tried to defend TSWLM to a friend the other night and he just laughed in my face, so maybe I'll find a more sympathetic audience here...

    I've only read it once, maybe twice. I was prepared for it going in, but still found it kind of startling as a Bond story. I didn't necessarily dislike it though.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    To be fair, I haven't read it for a while. Maybe this time round I'll be horrified that I ever thought there was anything to like about it!
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    I love it @Agent_99
  • Posts: 11,119
    Anyway? What do we think of TLD's 10th place out of 21?
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    Anyway? What do we think of TLD's 10th place out of 21?

    I'm pleased! I threw it a vote; it's my second-favourite of the short stories.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Agent_99 wrote: »
    I'm looking forward to revisiting The Spy Who Loved Me. It's interesting to read Fleming in experimental mode, if nothing else, and Spy, with its atypical narrator and strangely smaller scale story, is about as experimental as you could expect for a Bond novel.

    I'm looking forward to it too. I tried to defend TSWLM to a friend the other night and he just laughed in my face, so maybe I'll find a more sympathetic audience here...

    No I think he got it about right.

    Women's magazine melodrama, recycled cheesy pulp gangsters from GF and just a few moments of action to improve things near the end.
    Anyway? What do we think of TLD's 10th place out of 21?

    More than happy with that. Wouldn't mind seeing it a bit higher as it has the lot - classic Cold War plot and location, moral ambiguity over killing, a beautiful Russian, Bond amusingly wandering round Berlin and pissing off Sender, some tense action, a nice little twist and then Bond showing utter disdain for his job. Top notch.
  • Posts: 7,429
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I certainly love TSWLM novel. I'd love to see a film centered around a small scale Bond adventure such as that.

    Me too! But i doubt we get for Bond 25!
  • Posts: 7,429
    Sorry. more like nightmare imho!
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Well if you didn't like the story that goes without saying. For those of us who do it would be great.

    I assumed he was talking about Brosnan's involvement, but I could be wrong.
  • Posts: 7,429
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Well if you didn't like the story that goes without saying. For those of us who do it would be great.

    I assumed he was talking about Brosnan's involvement, but I could be wrong.

    You were right!!
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 11,119
    Time for 9th place. And remember, this novel will become a Dynamite comic book early next year ;-)!

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  • Posts: 11,119
    :D Happy with this result?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I rank GF above both CR and TB.
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 11,119
    Well done @Birdleson . 8th place goes to Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger" :-D

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  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    I rank GF above both CR and TB.

    Sadly the lacklustre TB looks like it's coming in at least 7th though (it might scrape ahead of DN but surely it cant beat CR, MR, FRWL,OHMSS and YOLT can it?)
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