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Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,827
    007InVT wrote:
    I'm staggered by this: 26. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming (1956)

    I think it's a great read.
    It IS a great read; all of Fleming's are, but it's clearly not his best or most entertaining to some (me included).
  • WestonMcKayWestonMcKay
    edited June 2013 Posts: 52
    I am of the new generation and since I am young I can't buy stuff in the mouth of June (Birthday month) I have to wait till after the 23rd. and then I have enough cash to buy
    Diamonds Are Forever
    From Russia, With Love
    Dr. No
    Goldfinger
  • timmertimmer
    edited June 2013 Posts: 4,622
    WestonMcKay wrote:
    I am of the new generation and since I am young I can't buy stuff in the mouth of June (Birthday month) I have to wait till after the 23rd. and then I have enough cash to buy
    Diamonds Are Forever
    From Russia, With Love
    Dr. No
    Goldfinger
    :) This reminds me of myself. I used to scrounge up paper-route money when I was 12-13 to buy the Bond paperbacks one at a time. I didn't mange to collect them all and get them read until I was 15.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,380
    timmer wrote:
    007InVT wrote:
    I hear you both.

    I suppose I have a personal connection with this one, having been to Saratoga and am familiar with the US and London, where so much of this is set and I have lived. I also like horse racing in the same way I like Goldfinger because of the Golfing. I concede that none of this is particularly exciting in the usual Bond sense. I do enjoy Felix's humor though and it's good having him around.

    I agree with @timmer about the Bond-Case relationship.

    It's almost as if this one could have been a short story in the mold of For Your Eyes Only (also set in the US) as a sort of companion piece. I think it just belongs in a different sub-set of the Fleming oeuvre.
    I hear you loud and clear. I quite like DAF. I enjoy the Saratoga interlude, the Vegas stuff. I like all of it. I am quite good with the whole book. It's a good Fleming read. Personally I can't nit-pick the Fleming canon. There are only 14 titles. I savour them all.
    So its only comparatively speaking, that I might not find it as gripping as some of the others, but its actually quite gripping and interesting enough.
    I just always find Fleming interesting no matter what he's going on about.

    DAF reads more like a travel piece than a novel, IMHO.
  • MrDJWestMrDJWest
    Posts: 76
    That's me finally read all the Ian Fleming bond novels. Just finished the man with the golden gun. A diss appointing one to end on but the series as a whole I loved it. I really enjoyed the sense of continuity you don't get in the movies. Going to move on to colonial sun next, planning on getting through all the continuation novels as well that should fill up the rest of the year.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    MrDJWest wrote:
    That's me finally read all the Ian Fleming bond novels. Just finished the man with the golden gun. A diss appointing one to end on but the series as a whole I loved it. I really enjoyed the sense of continuity you don't get in the movies. Going to move on to colonial sun next, planning on getting through all the continuation novels as well that should fill up the rest of the year.

    I'm in the same boat. Agreed about TMWTGG, but what a final chapter, one of Fleming's best.

    Just ordered Colonel Sun and been knocking off a few Gardner novels, so far so good including:

    License Renewed
    For Special Services
    No Deals Mr. Bond
    Never Send Flowers
  • WestonMcKayWestonMcKay
    edited June 2013 Posts: 52
    got Diamonds Are Forever for my birthday, ordered From Russia, With Love and Dr. No
    Weston McKay Will Return In
    Diamonds Are Forever

    EDIT: Also ordered Goldfinger
  • WestonMcKayWestonMcKay
    edited July 2013 Posts: 52
    Finished Diamonds Are Forever. A bit of a drop in quality shown in Fleming's work but still better than DMC and CB. The villain is boring and the ending is REALLY REALLY rushed, compared to how it dragged for most of the book. But from what JFK has wrote, From Russia With Love should be a rise from the ashes of sorts.
    1. Moonraker
    2. Casino Royale
    3. Live and Let Die
    4. **Diamonds Are Forever**
    5. Carte Blanche
    6. Devil May Care
    Weston McKay Will Return In
    FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    That's Role Of Honour finished. Another mission, another gun, this time it's the ASP 9mm. It's first book without the ol' girl, and i'm already missing the Silver Beast.
    And is it just me, or is the training sequence in the House, one of the most violent sequences in the books up to this point? After Bond dispatches one of the men with a glaser round of his ASP, to the head, he even comments that he didn't know there was that much blood in a man. And there's that poor chap, the one whom has his crotch burned by the flash grenade that Bond tosses down the staircase.


    01. Moonraker - Ian Fleming (1955)
    02. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Ian Fleming (1963)
    03. From Russia With Love - Ian Fleming (1957)
    04. You Only Live Twice - Ian Fleming (1964)
    05. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (1953)
    06. For Special Services - John Gardner (1982)
    07. Licence Renewed - John Gardner (1981)
    08. Icebreaker - John Gardner (1983)
    09. The Living Daylights - Ian Fleming (1966)
    *****10. Role Of Honour - John Gardner (1984)*****
    11. The Spy Who Loved Me - Christopher Wood (1977)
    12. For Your Eyes Only - Ian Fleming (1960)
    13. Thunderball - Ian Fleming (1961)
    14. Quantum Of Solace - Ian Fleming (1960)
    15. Live And Let Die - Ian Fleming (1954)
    16. From A View To A Kill - Ian Fleming (1960)
    17. Risico - Ian Fleming (1960)
    18. Moonraker - Christopher Wood (1979)
    19. Colonel Sun - Robert Markham (1968)
    20. The Property Of A Lady - Ian Fleming (1966)
    21. The Hilderbrand Rarity - Ian Fleming (1960)
    22. Dr No - Ian Fleming (1958)
    23. The Spy Who Loved Me - Ian Fleming (1962)
    24. Octopussy - Ian Fleming (1966)
    25. The Man With The Golden Gun - Ian Fleming (1965)
    26. Goldfinger - Ian Fleming (1959)
    27. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming (1956)
    28. 007 In New York - Ian Fleming (1966)

    Next up: Nobody Lives Forever
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,827
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    That's Role Of Honour finished.
    *****10. Role Of Honour - John Gardner (1984)*****
    I like that you find Gardner's work so worthy.
    :)>-
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    Fleming will always be #1 (though that doesn't extend to all his books). But yes, I have enjoyed most of the Gardner books that I've read.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited June 2013 Posts: 17,827
    Curious, when you read Fleming or Gardner, do you see a specific Bond in your mind's eye? Connery or another actor, or a unique visage in either case?
  • timmertimmer
    edited June 2013 Posts: 4,622
    Re above question, my response is that when I view Bond cinema, I wish I was seeing Connery in every film. ;) (some day the complete series, all Connery CGI'd image, film-set will be released)
    However when reading the Bond novels, by any author, I picture the classic Bond image of tall dark and handsome, with a Roger Moore visage. But a more dangerous, crueler looking Moore - a nastier Moore, who can also be both suave and flip, when the mood strikes.
    The closest visual I can conjure up is the Moore animated poster likeness from both LALD and TMWTGG.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,827
    timmer wrote:
    The closest visual I can conjure up is the Moore animated poster likeness from both LALD and TMWTGG.
    THAT'S interesting, because I always loved BOTH of those interpretations of Moore's likeness, and felt they were VERY 'Bond'.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    chrisisall wrote:
    Curious, when you read Fleming or Gardner, do you see a specific Bond in your mind's eye? Connery or another actor, or a unique visage in either case?

    I visualise Dalton from TLD. It doesn't matter what book, and what actor was Bond in the film adaptation, I still visualise Dalton.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    'You're a damned walking arsenal, man. You Should be careful. Terrorists might be tempted to break into you.' - Bond to Steve Quinn

    Yep, it could only be Nobody Lives Forever. I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as I have with Gardner's previous Bond. That's not to say that the book didn't have it's moments (Bond's discovery of Der Haken's body, Bond's fixing of Rahani's bed and the chaos that ensues), but overall it's not quite up to LR, FSS, IB & ROH.

    And either I read it wrong, or did Bond actually sneak out of the hotel while dressed in his scuba gear? That, to me, felt too comical for Bond?


    01. Moonraker - Ian Fleming (1955)
    02. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Ian Fleming (1963)
    03. From Russia With Love - Ian Fleming (1957)
    04. You Only Live Twice - Ian Fleming (1964)
    05. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (1953)
    06. For Special Services - John Gardner (1982)
    07. Licence Renewed - John Gardner (1981)
    08. Icebreaker - John Gardner (1983)
    09. The Living Daylights - Ian Fleming (1966)
    10. Role Of Honour - John Gardner (1984)
    11. The Spy Who Loved Me - Christopher Wood (1977)
    12. For Your Eyes Only - Ian Fleming (1960)
    13. Thunderball - Ian Fleming (1961)
    14. Quantum Of Solace - Ian Fleming (1960)
    *****15. Nobody Lives For Ever - John Gardner (1986)*****
    16. Live And Let Die - Ian Fleming (1954)
    17. From A View To A Kill - Ian Fleming (1960)
    18. Risico - Ian Fleming (1960)
    19. Moonraker - Christopher Wood (1979)
    20. Colonel Sun - Robert Markham (1968)
    21. The Property Of A Lady - Ian Fleming (1966)
    22. The Hilderbrand Rarity - Ian Fleming (1960)
    23. Dr No - Ian Fleming (1958)
    24. The Spy Who Loved Me - Ian Fleming (1962)
    25. Octopussy - Ian Fleming (1966)
    26. The Man With The Golden Gun - Ian Fleming (1965)
    27. Goldfinger - Ian Fleming (1959)
    28. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming (1956)
    29. 007 In New York - Ian Fleming (1966)

    Next up: No Deals, Mr Bond
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited July 2013 Posts: 17,827
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    Nobody Lives Forever. I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as I have with Gardner's previous Bond.
    Still, at #15, that's a pretty respectable ranking IMO. :)>-
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    echo wrote:
    I just finished rereading Doctor No, the novel that led to the famous "sex, sadism, and snobbery" critique.

    It contains some of Fleming's most beautiful passages, such as the chapter where Bond arrives in Jamaica. Honey is much more interesting in the book than in the movie. Doctor No and his backstory are fascinating, as is his demise.

    But I feel that both Fleming, and the filmmakers, botched the "human endurance obstacle course." In the book, Bond is closely watched by No's underlings...why then would they not see it through to make sure he died at the hands of the squid? And in the movie, it doesn't come across as an obstacle course at all, just as an escape tunnel, which takes away an interesting aspect of No's character (and arguably, the reason why Fleming made him a doctor in the first place). Maybe it was too much of 1962 movie audiences to accept, although it seemed to be fine by 1958 reading audiences.

    Would you be able to quote the passage you referred to in Dr. No?
  • Dr_YesDr_Yes
    Posts: 169
    Re-reading From Russia With Love. So far, so excellent!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,827
    A quarter way through Christopher Wood's Moonraker and I like it a lot so far. It's basically the same story as the movie, but with things left out & added in to make it seem like a totally serious Bond novel. Not *quite* as successful as his TSWLM, but given the basic material, I didn't expect it to be. More than anything, it's just a really fun read.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987
    chrisisall wrote:
    A quarter way through Christopher Wood's Moonraker and I like it a lot so far. It's basically the same story as the movie, but with things left out & added in to make it seem like a totally serious Bond novel. Not *quite* as successful as his TSWLM, but given the basic material, I didn't expect it to be. More than anything, it's just a really fun read.

    Yes it's an interesting read, it's always been generally assumed that Christopher Wood with his background in the confession sex comedy films, was largely responsible for the silly slapstick moments in both TSWLM and MR, though his two Bond books would suggest otherwise and he obviously has a great respect and understanding of Fleming's work, a trait sadly not always shared by the official continuation authors.

  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited July 2013 Posts: 13,999
    I finished No Deals, Mr Bond earlier this evening. This is the 2nd consecutive book where Bond has driven a Saab 900. If this is Gardner's way of telling us he missed the silver beast (as I do), why didn't he ditch the Bentley, and put Bond back in the Saab?

    Personally, I found this one a hard book to settle into. It wasn't until the story moved to Hong Kong, that I started to enjoy No Deals, Mr Bond. Unfortunately, by that stage, 3/4 of the book had already passed...

    01. Moonraker - Ian Fleming (1955)
    02. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Ian Fleming (1963)
    03. From Russia With Love - Ian Fleming (1957)
    04. You Only Live Twice - Ian Fleming (1964)
    05. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (1953)
    06. For Special Services - John Gardner (1982)
    07. Licence Renewed - John Gardner (1981)
    08. Icebreaker - John Gardner (1983)
    09. The Living Daylights - Ian Fleming (1966)
    10. Role Of Honour - John Gardner (1984)
    11. The Spy Who Loved Me - Christopher Wood (1977)
    12. For Your Eyes Only - Ian Fleming (1960)
    13. Thunderball - Ian Fleming (1961)
    14. Quantum Of Solace - Ian Fleming (1960)
    15. Nobody Lives For Ever - John Gardner (1986)
    16. Live And Let Die - Ian Fleming (1954)
    17. From A View To A Kill - Ian Fleming (1960)
    18. Risico - Ian Fleming (1960)
    *****19. No Deals, Mr Bond - John Gardner (1987)*****
    20. Moonraker - Christopher Wood (1979)
    21. Colonel Sun - Robert Markham (1968)
    22. The Property Of A Lady - Ian Fleming (1966)
    23. The Hilderbrand Rarity - Ian Fleming (1960)
    24. Dr No - Ian Fleming (1958)
    25. The Spy Who Loved Me - Ian Fleming (1962)
    26. Octopussy - Ian Fleming (1966)
    27. The Man With The Golden Gun - Ian Fleming (1965)
    28. Goldfinger - Ian Fleming (1959)
    29. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming (1956)
    30. 007 In New York - Ian Fleming (1966)

    Next up: Scorpius
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,827
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    Next up: Scorpius
    Best of luck!
  • BounineBounine
    edited July 2013 Posts: 2,599
    I think I'll read Moonraker again after I've finished reading Jack Reacher.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    Just finished Scorpius, and I enjoyed it. I especially liked the foreshadowing of Scorpius death, and satisfying it was. It was also uncanny that early on we find Bond undergoing a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons with the SAS, when only a day or so before I started Scorpius, the news broke that 2 squaddies had died on the Beacons while taking part in the SAS' famed selection process.

    01. Moonraker - Ian Fleming (1955)
    02. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Ian Fleming (1963)
    03. From Russia With Love - Ian Fleming (1957)
    04. You Only Live Twice - Ian Fleming (1964)
    05. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (1953)
    06. For Special Services - John Gardner (1982)
    07. Licence Renewed - John Gardner (1981)
    08. Icebreaker - John Gardner (1983)
    09. The Living Daylights - Ian Fleming (1966)
    10. Role Of Honour - John Gardner (1984)
    *****11. Scorpius - John Gardner (1988)*****
    12. The Spy Who Loved Me - Christopher Wood (1977)
    13. For Your Eyes Only - Ian Fleming (1960)
    14. Thunderball - Ian Fleming (1961)
    15. Quantum Of Solace - Ian Fleming (1960)
    16. Nobody Lives For Ever - John Gardner (1986)
    17. Live And Let Die - Ian Fleming (1954)
    18. From A View To A Kill - Ian Fleming (1960)
    19. Risico - Ian Fleming (1960)
    20. No Deals, Mr Bond - John Gardner (1987)
    21. Moonraker - Christopher Wood (1979)
    22. Colonel Sun - Robert Markham (1968)
    23. The Property Of A Lady - Ian Fleming (1966)
    24. The Hilderbrand Rarity - Ian Fleming (1960)
    25. Dr No - Ian Fleming (1958)
    26. The Spy Who Loved Me - Ian Fleming (1962)
    27. Octopussy - Ian Fleming (1966)
    28. The Man With The Golden Gun - Ian Fleming (1965)
    29. Goldfinger - Ian Fleming (1959)
    30. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming (1956)
    31. 007 In New York - Ian Fleming (1966)

    Next up: Win, Lose Or Die
  • sirrogersirroger
    Posts: 17
    Carte Blanche...but for some reason, I just can't get into it.

  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    sirroger wrote:
    Carte Blanche...but for some reason, I just can't get into it.

    Me neither. I preferred DMC in fact for all it's failings if we're to compare the two.


  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Every time I see this my heart sinks @MajorDSmythe

    29. Goldfinger - Ian Fleming (1959)
    30. Diamonds Are Forever - Ian Fleming (1956)
  • WestonMcKayWestonMcKay
    Posts: 52
    The Defense Is Ready!
    It's been a while since I had last been on this forum so it's time to reveal my thoughts
    of From Russia With Love. I love this book, the cast of villains were great, Kerim Bay is just as likeable as in the film. I also truly believe this is defiantly a Connery Bond book. I would remember scenes from the film as it did a good job of adapting this novel.
    1. ** From Russia With Love **
    2. Moonraker
    3. Casino Royale
    4. Live and Let Die
    5. Diamonds Are Forever
    6. Carte Blanche
    7. Devil May Care
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    What?!

    "6. Carte Blanche
    7. Devil May Care"
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