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Have You Read The 'Young Bond' Books? Are They Worth Reading As An Adult?

BMWTREKPSEBMWTREKPSE Colorado
in Literary 007 Posts: 105
Which was your favorite and why?

Comments

  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I really enjoyed Double or Die. It had a very Bondian feel. I would definitely read them. I'm 21, and I enjoy them much!
  • BMWTREKPSEBMWTREKPSE Colorado
    Posts: 105
    PropertyOfALady wrote: »
    I really enjoyed Double or Die. It had a very Bondian feel. I would definitely read them. I'm 21, and I enjoy them much!

    Good to know. Thanks. I'm thinking about starting with Silverfin and going through all of the. Amazon has them for CHEAP right now.

  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I would definitely snap those up!
  • KronsteenKronsteen Stockholm
    Posts: 783
    Try them out, it's definitely worth a shot! I was very sceptical at first, and was still after finishing Silverfin, but after Bloodfever I was sold. My favourites are probably Double or Die and Hurricane Gold, but I'll have to reread them. Haven't read them since publication.

    Steve Cole is doing a good job as well, especially Heads You Die was a good read.
  • BMWTREKPSEBMWTREKPSE Colorado
    Posts: 105
    Thanks for the feedback! I've heard from a few people the DoD is great. I'm looking forward to it!
  • PussyNoMorePussyNoMore
    Posts: 520
    Definitely.
    They appeal to all ages and Higson did a fabulous job. He is up there with Kingsley Amis and Horowitz when it comes to Bond novels and created a great narrative. I liked all of them in common with other posters rated DOD as his FRWL.
    I'm much less sold on Cole. I find him 'Higson Lite' - he just lacks the depth.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    I whined at first when Higson did do the Young Bonds but having read them I was pretty well impressed, they were well written and fun. And did have their Flemingesque moments.
    Have not read the Cole novels, have yet to hear one positive remark about them. But then the average 007 literary fan is somewhat of a snob. [which is fair enough when it comes to Fleming]
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    I enjoyed them way more then Gardner's, although admittedly I have read only two books of both.
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,599
    SaintMark wrote: »
    I whined at first when Higson did do the Young Bonds but having read them I was pretty well impressed, they were well written and fun. And did have their Flemingesque moments.
    Have not read the Cole novels, have yet to hear one positive remark about them. But then the average 007 literary fan is somewhat of a snob. [which is fair enough when it comes to Fleming]

    The Cole books are very good. Better than a couple of Higson's books. I'm just loving them. Cole is doing a great job. I'm halfway through the latest, 'Strike Lightning'. Looking forward to 'Red Nemesis'! https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/young-bond-red-nemesis-preview?id=04191

    @BMWTREKPSE

    Definitely worth reading! Read them in order too. :)
  • valentinzukovskyvalentinzukovsky
    Posts: 503
    Reading Hurricane Gold right now ,one more to go before i start on the Steve Cole books
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Bounine wrote: »

    Definitely worth reading! Read them in order too. :)

    In that case I might consider them, funny story I did order the first one in Hardcover but the order got cancelled due to non-availability and I never did try to re-order the book.

  • timmertimmer
    edited December 2016 Posts: 4,622
    The Higson Young Bonds are quite readable. All 5 of them. Hurricane Gold is probably my favourite.
    I very much like the the two Cole offerings that have been published. Looking forward to the next two.
    Cole is growing the Young Bond up. I am encouraged that the young Bond is now very much on the Secret Service radar. Cole's young Bond has developed a sense of his destiny - of his calling.
    Now if we could just accelerate the process.
    But in the meantime, I will read what's served up

    The last Cole, Heads You Die, set in Cuba, was real good. Young Bond was getting a nice little edge about him, and getting respect from the villains as formidable adversary.
    He is now tangling with Soviet operatives.
    Smersh, I would think after this adventure would have opened a file on Bond.
  • BounineBounine
    edited December 2016 Posts: 2,599
    "...and getting respect from the villains as formidable adversary."

    @Timmer I remember the villains calling him Bond (although they were his enemies) and saying that he wasn't a child. It did feel like he was treated more as an adult if not entirely, unlike in Higson's books but Bond was younger in the latter of course.

    The first Cole book was good but Heads You Die was definitely better. Great stuff. My only criticism, which goes for Trigger Mortis too, is that there isn't quite as much description of locations as I think there should be.

    I don't like Hurricane Gold as much. I think there's too much action in it. It definitely feels different to Higson's other four. Double or Die is a fun read but I don't think it's up there with Higson's other three.
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,695


    Possible Bond announcement? I doubt it, but we’ll see.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited March 2023 Posts: 18,344
    MaxCasino wrote: »


    Possible Bond announcement? I doubt it, but we’ll see.

    You were correct, @MaxCasino!

    https://www.ianfleming.com/higson-returns-with-brand-new-adventure/

    This exciting news is currently being discussed here:

    https://www.mi6community.com/discussion/21417/on-his-majestys-secret-service-by-charlie-higson-2023
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,490
    This is great. I love his Young Bond novels.
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 2,027
    Do the young Bond novels anticipate Fleming's Bond? Or they just another Bond in another life in another timeline?
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 6,022
    They anticipate Fleming. For example, we see exactly what trouble Bond got in when he was involved with that maid, at age 12.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited April 2023 Posts: 16,607
    They get the style and approach right too; moreso than any other continuation author. They’re a slightly different genre perhaps, maybe more adventure novels than spy ones, but they have Fleming’s sensibility for the twisted and bizarre.
  • 007HallY007HallY
    Posts: 4,303
    I think it's up to the reader whether they think the series is a genuine precursor to Fleming's novels or just Bond in another timeline. Personally, I never got the sense that the character from the Young Bond series would have grown up into Fleming's character. I suspect the literary Bond would have had a dull, even slightly sad childhood between the ages of 11-17 (which would explain him doing things like running off with a maid at Eton, joining the navy at a young age, and indeed the character's bouts of boredom if he isn't on some sort of dangerous mission). I suspect if a child had been through as much as Higson's Bond they'd desire to have an ordinary, even boring life, regardless of any innate sense of adventure.

    But maybe I'm thinking about it too much. They're entertaining and well written, and I know people who have become fans of Bond because of them.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,607
    Yes I don't think it makes much sense to think that the Bond in Fleming's books had all of these crazy adventures, but I never worry too much about continuity.
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