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Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,692
    Revelator wrote: »
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    Has anyone read the comic Permission to Die? I’d like to read it, but can’t find a copy. Is it good? I hear it’s a sequel of sorts to From Russia with Love.

    The comic was originally issued in three issues and then collected in a paperback that has gone out of print and is very expensive. If you look online, issues 1 and 2 are very common, whereas 3 tends to score higher prices. I found someone offering all three on ebay last week and bought them--I'll let you know what I think. Grell is a Fleming fan, so I'm hoping for good things. I also acquired a lengthy interview with him about PTD that I hope to eventually post on this forum.

    Thank you for your help!
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    Posts: 815
    Matt007 wrote: »
    I listen to bond most nights as I fall asleep. flemings writing is just fantastic.

    I love octopussy and for your eyes only from the short stories.

    Currently just starting Solo


    I’ve heard various opinions about Solo. If it’s any good, let us know and I’ll check it out, eventually.
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    edited March 2020 Posts: 815
    I’ve only read one continuation novel so far, Anthony Horowitz’s Forever And A Day, and it felt pretty close to Fleming, which I suppose was the intent. I don’t think Bond continuation novels novels necessarily need to channel Fleming as much as possible, though they shouldn’t stray too far from Fleming’s Bond either. More than anything, though, the authors need to deliver a good, memorable Bond adventure that a reader would want to return to. If you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be writing Bond.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,045
    I liked Foyle's War a lot, which makes me a bit biased towards Horowitz's continuation novels.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I want a solid writer, not Fleming. Horowitz is better than most that have attempted, but he still comes across as bush league to me when I'm reading his Bond novels. I have liked his television work.

    Horowitz thoroughly turned me off from reading any more of him with Trigger Mortis, but I would like to read Solo after your recommendation. I am also curious about Benson, and may also try him out whenever I find an available book.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,298
    Most of all I want the writer to understand Bond. The chaacter, his motivations, his drive, his knowledge, his skills. I can accept the fact that there's only one Fleming, but not that Bond would do things he just wouldn't do. And THAT has been quite the challenge. Horrowits makes few mistakes, so I'm quite happy with him and Forever and a Day was pretty good imo.
    Sharky wrote: »
    I've just finished Trigger Mortis, I thought it was great. My favourite of the new continuation novels I've read so far. Loved it all but especially the Murder On Wheels chapter.

    I haven't read Forever And A Day yet, i'm going to start that soon and see how it measures up.
    IIRC that is the chapter based on Flemings' material, no?
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,692
    Just finished listening to Die Another Day on CD. The quality of writing and expansion between DAD and Tomorrow Never Dies by Raymond Benson is bad. Nothing but a straight adaptation.
  • shamanimalshamanimal
    edited March 2020 Posts: 623
    I think Benson himself said the movie tie-ins were rushed. I think they're the weakest Bond novels I've come across. Which feels a bit of a mean thing to say, because I honestly think Benson, with what he started with as a first-time novelist, did really well with the original books he did.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,692
    shamanimal wrote: »
    I think Benson himself said the movie tie-ins were rushed. I think they're the weakest Bond novels I've come across. Which feels a bit of a mean thing to say, because I honestly think Benson, with what he started with as a first-time novelist, did really well with the original books he did.

    I still quite like the TND novelization. It’s very fitting for the times we are going through now.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Did read Win, lose or Die it is certainly one of Gardners lesser 007 books with 007 doing somewhat of a Top Gun act and less of 007.
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    edited March 2020 Posts: 1,596
    Re-reading Diamonds are Forever. Whenever I return to the novels I’m always struck by how strong Fleming’s prose was, for a pulp fictionist.

    I also sort of like how different the films are. Gives us more Bond and I don’t have to necessarily always picture the film when reading. So I view them as totally different adventures.
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    Posts: 815
    I’ve heard so many negative things about Diamonds Are Forever. Calvin Dyson on YouTube did say that Tiffany Case is a highlight, though, which sounds interesting. I’d have to wade through more of Fleming’s low opinion of us Americans, though, from everything I’ve heard about the clichéd mobsters. That’s okay, I’m reading YOLT now and I’m just past a part where Tiger Tanaka bitches about us, which is understandable. I’m starting to get used to Fleming’s views on us (I had better if I want to get through LALD).
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,599
    Finished Moonraker a couple of months ago for around the eight time. :) Next up is Diamonds are Forever but not until I've read a couple of non Bond books first.

    On Amazon, according to the Mi6 article, one can buy the Flemings through Kindle in an entire bundle but I can't find where you can do this. Does anyone know? I did look when the article was first posted but I couldn't find it then either. Maybe if I click on one of them it'll give me the option for the entire bundle but I'm scared that I may end up just downloading one of them:

    https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0868BYV6R/mi6-20
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    Just finished OHMSS. I was expecting more from this one... especially from Tracy and Blofeld and I have to say that the idea of having her kidnapped in the film was exactly what the book needed to give to the final helicopter commando a real punch.
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,599
    matt_u wrote: »
    Just finished OHMSS. I was expecting more from this one... especially from Tracy and Blofeld and I have to say that the idea of having her kidnapped in the film was exactly what the book needed to give to the final helicopter commando a real punch.

    Personally, I'm not sure about the kidnap thing. I like how the book didn't have yet another personal angle. This is something we get too much of in the films.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,356
    But we hadn't, in 1969. I agree with @matt_u in that it was an ingenious scripting move and a strangely unheralded improvement on Fleming, as good as having GF irradiate the gold.
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,531
    Just reread The Living Daylights! Great little short story, and so well adapted for the opening of the movie!
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    echo wrote: »
    But we hadn't, in 1969. I agree with @matt_u in that it was an ingenious scripting move and a strangely unheralded improvement on Fleming, as good as having GF irradiate the gold.

    Exactly. Both were pretty good improvements.
  • RevelatorRevelator
    Posts: 2,919
    I consider the films of GF and OHMSS the only ones better than their source novels. And since OHMSS was one of Fleming's best, that makes the film even more impressive.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,356
    Revelator wrote: »
    I consider the films of GF and OHMSS the only ones better than their source novels. And since OHMSS was one of Fleming's best, that makes the film even more impressive.

    Diana Rigg reading that poem, and realizing that her father is coming to rescue her, is a clear highlight of the film for me.
  • RevelatorRevelator
    edited April 2020 Posts: 2,919
    echo wrote: »
    Diana Rigg reading that poem, and realizing that her father is coming to rescue her, is a clear highlight of the film for me.

    There's a good little article on the Mi6 website about Simon Raven's adaptation of James Elroy Flecker's Hassan.

    Raven himself was a Fleming fan of long standing. He reviewed Casino Royale when it first came out, defended Doctor No against its critics, and reviewed DN, YOLT, TMWTGG, Amis's The Bond Dossier, and Pearson's Fleming biography.

    Going back to the film, for me the prize moment in the scene you mention is the cut from "For thee the poet of beguilement sings" to Bond silhouetted against the alps, holding his machine gun. A magnificent shot that bridges visual poetry with verbal.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 755
    Revelator wrote: »
    I consider the films of GF and OHMSS the only ones better than their source novels. And since OHMSS was one of Fleming's best, that makes the film even more impressive.

    They improved the last act of GF by tweaking it to be sure... so I would give the nod to the movie, but I think the first two thirds are as good if not better in the book than the film.

    I think OHMSS is the other most vibrant adaptation, but I wouldn’t put the movie over the book, ever. The book’s just too good.
  • BounineBounine
    edited April 2020 Posts: 2,599
    Aside for Goldfinger’s plan for Fort Knox, which was more realistic in the film than in the novel, I just can’t outrank any of Fleming’s books with the films. All of the books are superior to me.

    I thought that the year of 69 would be brought up and maybe the kidnapping thing was something new for the time but I still read the OHMSS book today so not having a kidnapping still feels more fresh to me in comparison with all the overly personal angles in today’s films. :) If it were 1969 now, maybe I’d feel differently...I’m not sure. There was quite a personal angle in the book already what with Bond falling in love with the daughter of a man who became his ally and then marrying her, followed by her death so I may have always felt that the kidnapping was just a bit too much.
  • DoctorNoDoctorNo USA-Maryland
    Posts: 755
    Yeah that’s possibly true being too much in OHMSS... though I think the book would be helped by more of Tracey... like the night in the barn and than another escape would give them more time to spend together because the book is a little slight there.

    And I imagine if Fleming had written GF with the fight inside Fort Knox we might all prefer the book. And if he did that and kept it a heist, we might think the atomic bomb bit being a bit too much in the movie.
  • Agent_47Agent_47 Canada
    Posts: 330
    Just started reading Forever And A Day, only two chapters in and so far so good.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited April 2020 Posts: 13,997
    Like what I said in the Last Movie Watched thread, i'm keeping my mind occupied on as much things as possible. i have also decided to re-read the whole Bond cannon, starting with Forever And A Day, and finishing with Carte Blanche. I am also going to include Per Fine Ounce, which I never finished reading, on my first attempt.

    Read the first 3 chapters earlier.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,997
    To be honest, I don’t remember anything about it. But I wanted to mix this Bondathon up by including it, and also starting with Forever And A Day, rather than Casino Royale.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,692
    MajorDSmythe wrote: »
    To be honest, I don’t remember anything about it. But I wanted to mix this Bondathon up by including it, and also starting with Forever And A Day, rather than Casino Royale.

    I’d like to know what your opinions are when you are done, please.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,997
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    MajorDSmythe wrote: »
    To be honest, I don’t remember anything about it. But I wanted to mix this Bondathon up by including it, and also starting with Forever And A Day, rather than Casino Royale.

    I’d like to know what your opinions are when you are done, please.

    I'll keep this thread updated as I work my way through.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,045
    MajorDSmythe wrote: »
    Like what I said in the Last Movie Watched thread, i'm keeping my mind occupied on as much things as possible. i have also decided to re-read the whole Bond cannon, starting with Forever And A Day, and finishing with Carte Blanche. I am also going to include Per Fine Ounce, which I never finished reading, on my first attempt.

    Read the first 3 chapters earlier.

    Was Per Fine Ounce published?
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