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MI6 Community Novel Bondathon - Reborn!

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  • RevelatorRevelator
    Posts: 2,918
    Solitaire is probably Fleming's weakest female character, alas. Starting with DAF he began writing interesting heroines with personalities, but the first three novels are not strong in female characterization (though Gala is certainly an improvement over her predecessors).
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I must be really dumb, but I don't think I understand the term weak.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    ;)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    I'm a little over halfway through MR, and I know @PropertyOfALady finished his copy some time ago, though I don't believe he pressed on after. I've been taking my time with it, didn't want to get too ahead of everyone or treat it like a race.

    I think it's just us three currently.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,807
    I'm in, and I have time to catch up the next couple days.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    Good. Seems we're all a bit behind then, aside from PoaL. I'll be sure to finish MR this weekend, share some thoughts and praise and move on to DAF. Can't wait.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I love the ending car chase through the streets of London. I've wanted to see if I could map it on Google Earth for a while now. Just so great and tense and "I couldn't put it down"-ish.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,636
    Sorry everyone, I've been reading Some Kind of Hero. I've enjoyed it greatly, more so than William Boyd's Solo. It will be awhile before I get to Ian Fleming and Colonel Sun. On the plus side, I've read other great James Bond related material. More on that later!
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    Oh, is it MR time? I'll read it this weekend (have a feeling I'm going to spend most of the weekend nursing a cold, so Bond and whisky it is).
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    Posts: 1,889
    Unaware of this thread I have been reading through LALD and MR in-line with your 'bondathon' here. Although I don't think I will be taking part, because I don't plan to read DAF for some time yet. Will be interested in reading your thoughts, however.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    That's pretty cool! A crazy coincidence. Or are you stalking us? Because if you are, I'm afraid we'll have to piranha you.
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    Posts: 1,889
    Just a coincidence... ;)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited January 2019 Posts: 40,976
    How's it going on MR, folks? I wrapped it up yesterday evening, those last few chapters ooze with tension; one of my favorites in the series for sure, but hell, they're all fantastic at this stage. Now time for DAF, which I also really enjoy.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Barely cracked it, but it will go fast. MR is perfect! One of my favorite novels of all time.

    It’s one of my favourites as well, and sits as my number one Bond novel (followed by FRWL, CR and OHMSS, with a real tender and soft spot for TMWTGG).
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited January 2019 Posts: 40,976
    Me three, it really is incredible. Drax sounds so larger than life with quite the personality in the novel, yet in the film adaptation he's quite stoic and monotone, which is a shame. I know there's not many comparisons to be made between the novel and film, but still.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    That rockfall is something!
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I still can't get over that chase.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Yeah, the one where Bond tails Drax through London.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited January 2019 Posts: 4,636
    Here's hoping Dynamite Comics gets Van Jensen and Dennis Carleo to adapt Moonraker for us! We couldn't have asked for a better duo for Bond!
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,636
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I have loved comic books my whole life, as well as Bond, but for some reason the two combined don't interest me. I've tried.

    One of the jewels of my first comic book collection (which was destroyed in a flood) was the '60s DC SHOWCASE adaptation of DR. NO. I had picked it up at a comic book convention in NYC in the '70s. It would have been worth far more now.

    Dynamite Comics has the best quality for James Bond as of now. I recommend giving them a shot.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    When did the flood happen? That really sucks!
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    Posts: 3,566
    Speaking as somebody who's worked in the comics industry, I think Bond is WAY hard to do in comics form, especially given the modern "decompressed" style that most current creators work with. Consider all the elements a proper Bond story requires: villain (with imaginative plot) and henchmen; lots of action (both in hand-to-hand combat and vehicle chases)...at least a few women, mostly of the exceptionally beautiful variety... at least one martini (shaken not stirred)....time with both M and Q....and Moneypenny. Now fit all that into 20 pages of no more than 6 panels per page. Pretty hard to do in a monthly comics format. Dynamite's Fleming adaptations are very good and deserve our support!

    That stated, would somebody please try to convince me that Moonraker the novel isn't one of Fleming's weaker offerings? I have a hard time with two aspects of this storyline: (1) The first third of the novel is....a very nice meal, followed by a card game. Not a punch is thrown, not a babe is bedded... yes, it introduces an interesting villain, but structurally, it just falls flat for me. And (2) why in the world does Bond go through most of a novel filled with Germans -- obviously ex-Nazis, less than a decade after these guys were actively trying to bomb London into rubble -- giving them all the benefit of several doubts, over and over again. C'mon, James, they're Nazis! Bad guys, case closed! But no, he keeps on trying to find reasons NOT to believe that they mean England harm. Again. It just doesn't work for me, and as compelling as much of this novel is, I just can't get behind it the way many of you can. What am I missing here?
  • shamanimalshamanimal
    edited January 2019 Posts: 623
    I'm reading You Only Live Twice now, and I can't get my head round the fact that the villain's evil plot appears to be luring suicidal people and helping them on their way!
    Is that it?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    Moonraker is my personal favourite too. It probably helps that it was the first Bond novel I read in the Summer of 1997.

  • RevelatorRevelator
    edited January 2019 Posts: 2,918
    shamanimal wrote: »
    I'm reading You Only Live Twice now, and I can't get my head round the fact that the villain's evil plot appears to be luring suicidal people and helping them on their way!
    Is that it?

    Yes, but isn't tempting people to commit suicide still an awful, despicable crime? Small-scale perhaps in comparison to nuclear blackmail, but still profoundly evil. And the idea of creating an entire suicide garden, lovingly created with specially researched deadly plants, takes that evil to a twisted extreme.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Dr Kevorkian.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,636
    BeatlesSansEarmuffs wrote: »
    Speaking as somebody who's worked in the comics industry, I think Bond is WAY hard to do in comics form, especially given the modern "decompressed" style that most current creators work with. Consider all the elements a proper Bond story requires: villain (with imaginative plot) and henchmen; lots of action (both in hand-to-hand combat and vehicle chases)...at least a few women, mostly of the exceptionally beautiful variety... at least one martini (shaken not stirred)....time with both M and Q....and Moneypenny. Now fit all that into 20 pages of no more than 6 panels per page. Pretty hard to do in a monthly comics format. Dynamite's Fleming adaptations are very good and deserve our support!

    That stated, would somebody please try to convince me that Moonraker the novel isn't one of Fleming's weaker offerings? I have a hard time with two aspects of this storyline: (1) The first third of the novel is....a very nice meal, followed by a card game. Not a punch is thrown, not a babe is bedded... yes, it introduces an interesting villain, but structurally, it just falls flat for me. And (2) why in the world does Bond go through most of a novel filled with Germans -- obviously ex-Nazis, less than a decade after these guys were actively trying to bomb London into rubble -- giving them all the benefit of several doubts, over and over again. C'mon, James, they're Nazis! Bad guys, case closed! But no, he keeps on trying to find reasons NOT to believe that they mean England harm. Again. It just doesn't work for me, and as compelling as much of this novel is, I just can't get behind it the way many of you can. What am I missing here?

    First, it's called character development, as we haven't really seen Bond's personal life in Casino Royale and Live And Let Die. Second, Bond knows he's in with the bad guys, it's called building the suspense. I hope this helps you.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Kevorkian was a kind humanitarian that eased the death of those in constant pain or were terminally ill. Not a villain.

    Oh. I've just always heard him referred to as Dr Death. My bad.
  • shamanimalshamanimal
    edited January 2019 Posts: 623
    I think because it's Blofeld, and it's his third villainous plot in the series, then I suppose you can overlook the, erm, daftness of it.
    It did strike me as how close the Craig-era Bond is to this novel though. At the start he's not the super-human spy of the Moore era. He screwing up missions, lost his mojo. He's almost on the scrap heap.
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    Posts: 3,566
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    BeatlesSansEarmuffs wrote: »
    Speaking as somebody who's worked in the comics industry, I think Bond is WAY hard to do in comics form, especially given the modern "decompressed" style that most current creators work with. Consider all the elements a proper Bond story requires: villain (with imaginative plot) and henchmen; lots of action (both in hand-to-hand combat and vehicle chases)...at least a few women, mostly of the exceptionally beautiful variety... at least one martini (shaken not stirred)....time with both M and Q....and Moneypenny. Now fit all that into 20 pages of no more than 6 panels per page. Pretty hard to do in a monthly comics format. Dynamite's Fleming adaptations are very good and deserve our support!

    That stated, would somebody please try to convince me that Moonraker the novel isn't one of Fleming's weaker offerings? I have a hard time with two aspects of this storyline: (1) The first third of the novel is....a very nice meal, followed by a card game. Not a punch is thrown, not a babe is bedded... yes, it introduces an interesting villain, but structurally, it just falls flat for me. And (2) why in the world does Bond go through most of a novel filled with Germans -- obviously ex-Nazis, less than a decade after these guys were actively trying to bomb London into rubble -- giving them all the benefit of several doubts, over and over again. C'mon, James, they're Nazis! Bad guys, case closed! But no, he keeps on trying to find reasons NOT to believe that they mean England harm. Again. It just doesn't work for me, and as compelling as much of this novel is, I just can't get behind it the way many of you can. What am I missing here?

    First, it's called character development, as we haven't really seen Bond's personal life in Casino Royale and Live And Let Die. Second, Bond knows he's in with the bad guys, it's called building the suspense. I hope this helps you.

    Have you READ the book? Bond is continually IGNORING the fact that they're bad guys. He's inventing reasons to believe that they're NOT bad guys. That's my objection!
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