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Comments
So many great moments and characters.
Really love the stuff in Saratoga Springs and Vegas. Fleming's travelogue is second to none in this story. He really has a distaste for Las Vegas!
Fleming's description of the journey along the picturesque 'Tatonic Parkway' to Saratoga intrigued me enough to look it up on Google maps streetview, and it's certainly still has beautiful scenery.
My only fault with the book is Bond’s escape from Spectreville is a bit too easy. And the fact that Spang chases them with his train all on his own.
But overall I really enjoy reading this book and I'm drawn back to it again and again.
I agree, I liked this novel too, very underrated indeed.
I don't understand those people putting it at the bottom.
Sure, I understand those complaints about the villains, though for me they're fun as Fleming's description was really crazy.
But the rest of the book is pure thriller and fun.
And Tiffany Case is one of Fleming's best Bond Girls (she's in my Top Three along with Vesper and Domino), and their romance was also the best love story Fleming ever wrote, moreso than even Vesper and Bond (which is 2nd).
The book had a great potential to be turned into a film, much better than what we've got.
Yep, would have made a cracking film. Imagine the chase along the train tracks in the desert!
I love the way the novel is bookended with the scenes in South Africa. And the way Bond makes killing Wint and Kidd look like a suicide to avoid any questions.
It's really a wise move.
This book could still be adapted along with TMWTGG and TSWLM.
Very much in agreement about the beginning and ending. Far too much time spent on the boats and islands. No pun intended, but I kept drifting off. The torture scene certainly seemed to have influenced SPECTRE.
Now on to Zero Minus Ten.
Free Kindle edition:
https://jamesbond007.net/Categorie/moneypennys-first-date-with-bond-2006/
Moneypenny's First Date With Bond is a short story from The Moneypenny Diaries series written by Samantha Weinberg (under the pen name Kate Westbrook). It was published in the UK as a supplement (The Connoisseur's Guide to James Bond) to the 11 November 2006 issue of The Spectator magazine. It was republished in the form of a free ebook in a collection of the title The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Chapters, on September 10, 2020. The news has never been officially translated into French.
The best part about GF to me is the general cat-and-mouse relationship Bond and Goldfinger have. Fleming came up with several interesting, varied encounters that are always a pleasure to read - the cheating at cards, the golf game (featuring more cheating), the bit at the house with the cat, the torture scene, and then Bond having to work for Goldfinger. It makes sense this novel was named after the villain; besides Blofeld, Fleming probably spends more time on Goldfinger than any other villain. Goldfinger isn’t even one of my favorite villains, but I still think he’s a good one, and his tense relationship with Bond is consistently fun to follow.
Other good things include Oddjob (he gets a nice, big role with lots of action), Felix (even though it’s sadly a very brief appearance), the entire gold theme and plot, the novelty of Bond having to help the villain, and of course the always-dependable suspense and action. There are plenty of highlight moments one comes to expect from a Bond adventure, my favorite being the golf sequence. However, I do have some problems with this book.
My #1 issue is the Bond girls this go around. Jill, while cool and likable when she is there, is simply not around long enough. Her death is so much more impactful in the movie when Bond sees it versus the explanation Tilly gives in the book. Speaking of which, Tilly’s character really frustrated me, as in I found her to be wasted potential. She obviously has good motivations and a fiery personality, but other than a couple witty exchanges with Bond, I felt like their relationship just never got to a very interesting point. Maybe that *was* the point with her character - a girl Bond wanted but couldn’t get close to - but I just felt so unsatisfied when she was unceremoniously killed by Oddjob in the climax, and she and Bond never seemed to connect a lot despite spending lots of time together. As for Pussy Galore, she is interesting and fun to read when she’s there, but again like Jill, underused. There’s just not enough there for me.
All the gangsters Goldfinger hires have some personality, but they also don’t really last long enough or do enough to make a big impact in my mind. I found the climax of the book to feel a bit rushed, and again much better handled in the movie version. The first two-thirds of the book were definitely the best bits; the pacing becomes questionable to me after the great torture scene. I suppose Goldfinger explaining everything about his plan was necessary, but it really felt like it dragged on, then the action at the end is all so fast.
GF is still a good Bond book. But to me, this reading pretty easily leaves it at the bottom of my list for now, allowing DAF to escape the cellar for the first time. DAF’s got one gigantic advantage over it: the Bond girl, Tiffany Case. I loved how much of that book was about her and her relationship with Bond. GF did have the better main villain, but I found DAF a more satisfying experience in my first rereads of them both. I hope this didn’t come off too strong as a GF-bashing type of post, as I still really did enjoy most of it, but I do have to take the strong stance that I think it is a step down from what came before. It does end the SMERSH saga, and I think Fleming did a wise thing going from this - his longest, traditional Bond book - to the short story collection of FYEO. It is a refreshing affair I’ll be eager to revisit.
Novel Ranking:
1. From Russia with Love
2. Dr. No
3. Moonraker
4. Casino Royale
5. Live and Let Die
6. Diamonds Are Forever
7. Goldfinger
Something I find interesting is that from Goldfinger on the physical torture and abuse of Bond himself are largely toned down from the horrific things he endures in the first half of the series. Instead his torments become increasingly psychological and emotional.
Kingsley Amis, in his James Bond Dossier, postulated that after the controvery and charges of sadism in the reviews Doctor No, Fleming toned down the torture scenes in his subsequent books, to avoid getting hammered again by critics. This wouldn't be the last time Fleming changed track after a book's critical response. OHMSS was clearly intended as a "return to form" after the negative reception of TSWLM.
It's the book where the parts are greater than the whole kind of thing, there are some parts in the book that's really worked for me, like Bond investigating Goldfinger, the scenes of Bond and Tilly (when Tilly was killed, and Bond felt the anger need for revenge, I've felt it too as a reader, I think it's missing in the film when Tilly was killed in there, I don't feel anything).
If there are things that took me out of the book, it's mainly the prejudices, stereotypes, and the ending (like I'm rooting for Tilly Masterton to be with Bond at the end, but then it's Pussy, and for me who should've stayed as a villain and escaped, would've been better), that's why I'm not a fan of Trigger Mortis, I know what Horowitz was trying to do, but I just don't liked how that book focused on Pussy Galore's relationship with Bond, and even ending her up as a damsel.
I liked this book (except for the didn't aged well phrases).
I heavily prefer this to the later ones (post-TSWLM), where there are no tension, no realism and just outlandish.
If there's one book that I liked from the later ones, it might be Thunderball, but the rest, I'm not a fan of them.
Goldfinger for me is tied with the movie at least, some parts in the book worked better in the film and the vice versa.
What I think worked in the book was more scenes of Tilly, Bond doing a lot more things, and Bond working for Goldfinger as a secretary while doing undercover work.
I've wished the film did that more instead of having Bond be a damsel in distress for most of the film's third act.
I respect the difference of opinion and it’s good to hear a different perspective. Not trying to steer the conversation too far into politics, but you brought up the prejudice point, and I do have to just say that the one paragraph towards the end of Chapter 19: Secret Appendix about “sex equality” particularly disturbed me in the sense it all looked like it was drawn up as something a right-winger would say or write today, word for word. I never let the “product of the time” stuff bother me too much in these books or any other fiction, but this one stood out in particular to me regarding how so many people still say and believe the specifics that were made there about “women becoming less feminine while men become more” and whatnot.
Things get off to a solid start with From a View to a Kill. Other than Paris, of course, there's nothing in common with the movie that even changes the title a little. The opening of this story with the motorcycle assassination is PTS perfection, so to speak, and the ensuing investigation from Bond is also very cool with him hiding in the tree and ending up in the showdown at the end. I loved the gimmick of a motorcycle-riding bad guy. The action and exposition were well-balanced. The bit of lore about Bond having a life-changing experience at 16 in Paris was an interesting inclusion. Though I think this story gets topped several times by following ones, there's still not much negative I can say about it - a very enjoyable, first short story for James Bond!
Then we get the headliner of the lot, For Your Eyes Only. Opens with the super tense and chilling murder of the Havelocks. Then there's the great scene with M and Bond, particularly the cool detail of Bond wordlessly taking the FYEO stuff with him after deciding the criminals should be executed. The journey and action from there is all very well done - great descriptions of the setting and characters that come into play. Judy's involvement adds the necessary spice to set the story apart, and her and Bond together were the most enjoyable parts for me to read. Definitely one of the best Bond short stories - an instant classic with all the right ingredients.
Quantum of Solace is the least great short story in this collection, but don't think for a moment that means I don't enjoy it! Though Bond's involvement here is merely listening to a story, Fleming crafts a very engaging story about new characters who go through much pain and tragedy. The Masters couple are consistently interesting to read about, and the title of the short story itself is very well-implemented. Though again, like FAVTAK, this one has practically nothing in common with the movie, it's a plenty worthwhile on its own, even without Bond as the star. That simple fact, though, admittedly keeps it from climbing above the others for me.
On the other hand, Risico is my favorite Bond short story, narrowly edging out FYEO. I like how both were used as inspiration for the FYEO movie, which, in my opinion, did a great job pulling from them while adding its own original beats. Anyways, Risico is my favorite because it has a fantastic set of characters, most of all Columbo, one of my favorite Bond allies in both the literary and film world. The twist of who the real villain is is cool to me, even though I knew it was coming from having seen the movie first. The chase sequence is very suspenseful, and the action sequence at the warehouse at the end is a contender for the best action scene in any Fleming Bond story. If one is badly pressed for time and can only read one piece of literary Bond for any reason, make it Risico - it's the complete package.
Then we end with The Hildebrand Rarity, a very different but still very captivating story. Fleming has created some truly despicable characters through these stories, but I don't think any surpass Milton Krest for sheer unlikability. It's so satisfying when and how he meets his end in this story - and equally exciting how Fleming leaves the killer ambiguous (for anyone who cares, this reader prefers to think of Mrs. Krest having had enough abuse and being the culprit). This is a really depressing story overall though, from Krest's abhorrent behavior towards everyone to the killing of the Hildebrand Rarity. I'd consider it the darkest of this bunch, but also extremely fascinating and page-turning.
Overall, FYEO is a fantastic collection of short stories. It's incredibly difficult to rank among the traditional novels, and though I did my best to try, I must say if anything I probably lowballed it. Fleming is at least as good at the short story stuff on average, and it's awesome to have the option to read brief Bond stories when you don't want to invest as much time. This was a fun turnaround from GF for me, and one of many big highlights the Fleming Bond canon holds.
Novel Ranking:
1. From Russia with Love
2. Dr. No
3. Moonraker
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. Casino Royale
6. Live and Let Die
7. Diamonds Are Forever
8. Goldfinger
Short Story Ranking:
1. Risico
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. The Hildebrand Rarity
4. From a View to a Kill
5. Quantum of Solace
Yes, it's a pity that the Mankiewicz chose to water down one of Fleming's finest villains in that way when he came to write the LALD script. By replacing Mr Big with Dr Kananga we sadly didn't get to see a great Fleming villain brought to the screen in the same way that previous greats Dr No, Goldfinger or Blofeld (especially in OHMSS) were brought to the screen prior to this. That is a real shame and a curious creative decision from Mankiewicz who seemingly didn't want to risk bringing Fleming's Mr Big to the screen properly. He took the easy option of creating a completely new character to replace him in the form of Dr Kananga with Mr Big being merely a ten a penny stereotypical American gangster cover identity.
I couldn't help but picture Dalton when reading this. He nailed that coiled spring tension Bond has in this story, espicially the way he resents being a 00.
Another area TB did well in is the Bond girl, Domino. The dialogue she has with Bond is consistently entertaining, and I love that it is she who gets to kill Largo for revenge. Bond and Leiter's friendship is always fun to read too, and there's plenty of "buddy" content in TB for those who enjoy that kind of thing. The tropical setting and action scenes are nice and flavorful, too. My main issue with TB is that while I feel like the beginning chapters and later chapters are very good, the pacing in the middle was not always the best. There was a lot of focus on Bond and Felix's frustration of not being able to make headway, and I was antsy for quicker progress myself. I think the film version did a nice job by adding Fiona Volpe for extra action and intrigue in between the investigating.
Another small complaint I have is that despite the first and last chapters sharing the same name, the beginning and later parts of the book are largely disjointed. Unless I glossed over something, it felt like Bond's trip to Shrublands, besides of course his specific run-in with Count Lippe, was very disconnected in tone and theme with what comes later. It was still mostly enjoyable to read, but the style of it combined with what happens later did feel like two separate stories to me.
TB is still a good Bond novel, though I feel like it could have been better. The basic plot and action are fine as they are, but I would have liked some improvement primarily with the progression of Bond and Leiter's investigation. The novel is most important for setting up Blofeld and SPECTRE, and things only get juicier with them moving forward. But before that, the unique TSWLM is up next!
Novel Ranking:
1. From Russia with Love
2. Dr. No
3. Moonraker
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. Casino Royale
6. Live and Let Die
7. Thunderball
8. Diamonds Are Forever
9. Goldfinger
Short Story Ranking:
1. Risico
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. The Hildebrand Rarity
4. From a View to a Kill
5. Quantum of Solace
Great review of TB. I agree with you on your opinions of Blofeld. I still would love to have a spinoff book of Blofeld and Irma Bunt set in modern day. I enjoy the book version of TB better than the movie.
I really liked the Miami scenes, for me, it's much better for me than the one in the film.
Because the tension and excitement was more felt, because I've got to know the man who's playing against Goldfinger in the cards, it's Du Pont, so as I know him and his connection to Bond, especially given a more better reason to led Bond there was because this guy was asking a help from Bond to watch him and Goldfinger play cards, it's a tense scene and Du Pont was quite a fun character, it's a shame he's not in the Casino Royale film.
In the film, although the Miami Scenes are fine, but not much excitement, because I have no idea about the man who's playing against Goldfinger, there's no Du Pont (the character I'm starting to like).
There's a deep connection in the book because Du Pont already knew Bond since he was in Casino Royale, and it happened naturally that Bond went to the Hotel was because of Du Pont, who's the owner of the hotel (Fountainebleu).
And Bond already knew beforehand that Goldfinger was a cheater, because Du Pont was actually a skilled card player but he always got lost at Goldfinger, so Bond thought he's being cheated, but there's a thought at Bond's mind that Du Pont may not actually be a great player as he assumed he was, so there's a confusion in Bond's mind, until he made his own investigation, it created a better effect, because we're going to find out how Goldfinger did what he did or that Du Pont wasn't exactly a great player.
I liked how the events in Miami played out in the book moreso than the film.
Now, there are already two things that I prefer in the book than the film: The Miami Sequence, and the third act (along with Bond posing as Goldfinger's secretary).
I think the only thing where the film improved upon the book was the plot (which was the monopolization of Gold), but everything else was much more better in the book (I'm yet to reread the golf scenes to see if the film's would be better).