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I downloaded the American kindle edition of Trigger Mortis back in 2015 as it was either cheaper than the British edition or maybe there wasn't a British Kindle edition at the time, I don't remember. I remember someone mentioning that some of the words/spelling is changed in the American editions...
‘Devil May Care’ benefited from being the first Bond book from IFP (the other continuations came from Gildrose) and was the first adult Bond novel for six years. It was timed to coincide with Fleming’s centenary and was the first from a supposed “celebrity “ author.
The marketing, for once, was well done and as a result it was Penguin's biggest seller that year and was the fastest selling fiction release since 'Harry Potter'.
That said, The Pussy, doesn't think it made it to No.1 on the ST hardback best seller list but he may be wrong.
Certainly what lay between the covers divided fans. PussyNoMore thought it started well but then went down hill like a bob slay on the Cresta run.
It didn´t feel exactly like Fleming, which is a good thing in my book. While reading TM, I thought that the book was best when Horowitz didn´t try to emulate Fleming. And at least the first pages of FAAD suggest that Horowitz got even better blending Fleming´s style with his own.
Pussy knows it was bad but nobody could ever beat Benson when it comes to the unreadable !
Actually, PussyNoMore thought the initial pages were quite good and then it just dropped off the edge of a cliff.
Pussy has two theories about this :
Either, Faulks went down the pub and all his literati mates had a huge belly laugh at his expense because he was writing a Bond book. He couldn't hack it so he raced home and sabotaged the manuscript.
Or, the IFP contract stipulates that they have to see the outline and the first 40 pages. He focused on that and then took the wonga and ran. He then got one of his children to do the rest.
Must have been it. This is the man who said asking him to write Bond was like asking someone who writes complex symphonic music if they would like to write a three-minute pop song - which led me, for one, to read his offering in a less generous mood than I might otherwise have done.
(Birdsong doesn't deserve all the plaudits it got either, IMHO.)
Have a copy of Devil May Care, but haven't read it yet. Will be interesting to read it having read this quote now!
I don't know about that. For me, Birdsong was an excellent book. Devil May Care was a load of garbage.
Well, it turns out that I can't download the Kindle edition of FAAD until November, from Amazon.com. In terms of Amazon.co.uk, the kindle edition is only available for UK customers. Can't imagine why that is. This is fine though as I can savour the excitement for longer and seeing an adult Bond book is only released every three years, I think it's good to prolong things.
Arrogance and self-awareness seldom go hand in hand. The proof is in Faulks' pudding i guess.
The only one I've read is Birdsong and I didn't go a bundle on it; I've read plenty of novels about the First World War that grabbed me or moved me much more. But maybe I'm being harsh and should have persisted with some others?
Very nice indeed.
It is amusing how such a genius marketing idea can turn so sour and make so much money in the process.
After the sabotage inflicted by Benson our hero was truly on life support and IFP came up with the idea of using Fleming’s centenary to do a literary transplant and save him.
Unfortunately, with Faulks, they got a donor that wasn’t a match and Bond wasn’t revived.
All of this didn’t matter because us addicts went out in our droves, bought DMC and wept into our vespers whilst reading.
IFP laughed all the way to the bank and thought good game, let’s do it again.
And they did, this time with Hank the Yank. This one was such a cultural misfit that even IFP must have known that the chances of success were about as good as PussyNoMore beating Usain Bolt over 100 metres. They didn’t care because with Deaver on the cover it would sell a ton and hey, the US is the biggest market in the world after all !
Deaver proved to be another mismatch, he delivered a complete turkey and Bond remained close to death.
All of this didn’t matter too much because most of us addicts bought CB and just put a little more gin into our vesper to stop our tears diluting it.
IFP giggled all the way to the bank but with less wonga this time. They thought good game, let’s do it again but we better try and get it right this time.
And they did, this time with the dream ticket , a member of the literati who had actually written successful spy novels. Never had PussyNoMore’s hopes been higher. Boyd was a perfect match for Bond. He would make him well again. Our hero would be resuscitated with a stroke of his pen.
Unfortunately, our hero was turned into a miserable drunk staggering around a jungle in Africa. Bond started to flatline.
This time the fans were found under London Bridge with a bottle of meths. They had tears rolling down their faces.
IFP smirked all the way to the bank but with much less wonga this time. They thought it’s been a good game but those damn fans aren’t as stupid as thought. They can actually read. We’ve got less filthy lucre this time. We’ll do it again but we may actually have to try and get it right. 007 is all but brain dead.
And they did it again but, this time they took the advice of the ghosts that haunt this hallowed cyber hall, and got that nice Mr. Horowitz who had resuscitated that Mr. Holmes.
Horowitz has proved to be a perfect match and in no time at all our hero was back in rude health. Sir James Moloney has signed him fit for work. He's back on sixty a day, his spirit consumption is where it should be. We are two adventures in and all we need is a little frisson adding to the mix and the right car and we've cracked it.
IFP are rolling in the wonga but this time with a clear conscience and the fans are drinking Vespers around the globe to celebrate.
Now, IFP if you are doing this again and PussyNoMore suspects you might, please stick with that nice Mr.Horowitz !
Well done shamamimal. The Pussy's also arrived. He got 280/750.
Wonder who got 007/750 ?
What an absoloute bellend. Haven't read DMC and after reading that I don't think I'm going to.
Think I'll pick up the new one tomorrow. I thought Trigger Mortis was great so I've got high hopes for this one.
That sounds like it'll bug me as well. It's the sort of forced origin story stuff that I never thought Bond needed.
That's one of the things I like about the CR film. I always thought the reboot/origin story angle was unnecessary but they did it in the best possible way. Bond is still Bond, fully formed. He never has to learn how to be the suave sophisticated man we know. It's the same guy, just earlier in his career.
It is but you’ve got some Benson on it.
Free that space up immediately!
I liked the stuff I read of his, more than the stuff I read of Gardner, if I'm honest. But if you want prose, Bond is Fleming, Amis, Horowitz.
It’s interesting to reflect on things after taking some distance from it and ultimately PussyNoMore thinks that the desire/need/instruction to please the film fans gets in the way.
It’s like it moves at two different speeds and two different tones.
In terms of speed it’s a case of Fleming speed then, OK we better do something for the film buffs so let’s hit the accelerator.
In terms of tones it’s ‘R’ to ‘PG’. Some chapters are Fleming noir and then it’s as with he’s concerned that he won’t get it past the censor (probably IFP) so he moves into ‘boy’s own’ action mode.
What do you think?
All said though, a great effort and the best since Colonel Sun.
Shamanimal. PussyNoMore is liking that original copy of Colonel Sun on your shelf but is concerned it might catch something from those Bensons.
You are right that he hadn’t written a novel before. The Pussy thinks he should have kept it that way !
Only joking, Pussy is sure Benson is a very nice guy who did his absolute best and ultimately PussyNoMore blames Gildrose. They should just never have been published.
There is a certain over emphasis on her strength and parity with Bond to counter the #metoo thing but the character is well drawn and interesting. PussyNoMore just thought the relationship lacked frisson. Fleming was quite an erotic writer. Fleming dimmed the bedroom lights. Horowitz tends to turn them off.
I got this edition too, shipped to Canada; hope it arrives soon!
Additionally my order of the audio book was delayed by a price change, I green-lighted that a second time.