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Just finished this today. It is nasty, especially when Bond kills Heather. It's very well written though in terms of pacing, but lacks any Fleming-esque detail.
Well, as a Gardner fan I wouldn't say that at all! Heresy, heresy, I say!
I'm a Gardner convert!
Good. Preaching to the converted, then. I'm Gardner's biggest defender on here! I have some interesting things to say about him and his Bond novels on my blog.
Now NSF. The love of my life, literally. So much that I'm writing a monograph on it!
Your take on NLF?
Hope you arent going to be disappointed by NSF being bigged up so much 007InVT. You should be aware Dragonpol is a confirmed NSFophile.
I called Operation Yewtree but they weren't interested even though if you ask me its a worse deviancy than anything Jimmy Savile ever did. It really is shocking Draggers is still allowed to walk the streets grooming impressionable people into reading NSF. Hes a monster.
Plod through the lacklustre NSF if you must and then taste the difference with NLF - one of Gardners very best.
Now then, now then, @TheWizardOfIce you never fail to make me laugh!
Both novels now have high expectations for me.
And I agree that NLF is indeed an excellent thriller with Bond the target for destruction a la FRWL by Old Ian.
See http://jamesbond.wikia.com/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5
"Although its origins are not mentioned on screen, the novelization of GoldenEye states that Bond purchased this DB5 as his own personal vehicle."
I'll have a look through it and get back to you.
"[Bond] knew it was probably a bad idea to take such a classic car out onto the motorway, but everyone who owned such a car did so and he still loved to drive it. It had belonged to the Service for years. When Q Branch decided to work work with BMW and other car manufacturers, some of the company Aston Martins were sold. Bond had outbid Bill Tanner for the car by five thousand pounds. His personal mechanic, Melvin Heckman, kept it in superb shape and also allowed Bond to store it in a private garage." (Chapter 4, pp. 44-45, Coronet pb edition).
Yes, that'd be an idea. :)
His main problem is that he forgets things. In one book of his (non-Bond), the main character picks up and then does not use an assault rifle three times throughout the book.
"Oh, I'll definitely use this gun." *3 hours later* "Oh, dear. Why am I carrying a gun?"
In several scenes, he lists off his equipment and none of the three assault rifles are mentioned.
That never bothered me, much the opposite actually. I liked the Saab 900 Turbo (AKA 'The Silver Beast'). Bond in a BMW, now that was awful.
Agreed, though Gardner did sensibly put James Bond in a Bentley Mulsanne Turbo from Role of Honour on.
Many are good, but still very complex. For Special Services and No Deals, Mr. Bond are probably my favorites.
That being said, Brokenclaw and Cold Fall (I think it's just COLD in the UK) are pretty terrible.
Benson gets a lot of slack (I personally really enjoy his books. I also have met him several times so maybe I'm biased) but his worst doesn't come close to the level of bad that Gardner's does. But Gardner's best is terrific. I also enjoyed the LTK novel, although Felix once again being eaten by a shark was just kind of funny. I have to get my hands on the Goldeneye novel one of these days.