Advice on how to read a Fleming novel

Villiers53

007InVT wrote:

Villiers53 wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Right @timmer!

I'm booking a flight to Nassau with those 3 in tow.

@007InVT, if you are going to Nassau, you must take 'Thunderball' and make sure you visit 'The One And Only Oceon Club' on Paradise Island. It was the hotel used at the beginning of 'Casino Royale' (the DC movie not the book) and its a great spot. I've stayed there a couple of times and I loved it. There is also a tour of the 'Thunderball' location spots.

Oh, I'd love to. How much is it to stay per night?

Not cheap I'm afraid - about $900 per night but well worth it.

007InVT

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

Perdogg

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

007InVT

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

Of course, I'll revisit those.

retrokitty

This is a great thread. Many great comments.

To the point that one should read the books in a day or a couple of sittings and not over time, I have to add that I've only read the first four novels so far and it's usually been in a short period of time. Though I did read Moonraker aloud to my husband one chapter each night on the phone before bed for the month before he moved to Canada to live with me. And that totally did not take away anything from the book.

As for this comment:

Quarrel wrote:

Anyone who is quick to condemn Fleming (and others) for lacking the awareness of, or inability to transcend, the attitudes of their times should remember that history will be judging them as well.

Who really knows what future generations will think of our current attitudes, beliefs and political policies? Whether it be our turning a blind eye toward the daily horrors and abject poverty in Africa, to our destruction of the environment, to our stubborn refusal to wean ourselves off our oil addiction, to religious fanaticism, there's plenty to condemn already. And if history teaches us anything, its that there will be plenty more things that seem normal to us that will seem odd and downright wrong to future generations. We are of our time, as was Fleming.

I cannot agree enough. It seems to me that Fleming was ahead of his time in many ways but to those discovering him 50 years on and not looking deeply at his life, he doesn't seem enlightened at all.

I do imagine that those people reading about 2010 in 2060, whether it be in history books or novels written today, will think that we are backwards and wonder how we didn't see our wrongs. And that gives me pause when I feel myself get into that judgy state when reading about and from life decades ago.

Perdogg

007InVT wrote:

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

Of course, I'll revisit those.

@007InVT Also get a hold of Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation. Second Chapter in Part 2 called "Earth-Mothers and Living Dolls".

Dragonpol

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

Of course, I'll revisit those.

@007InVT Also get a hold of Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation. Second Chapter in Part 2 called "Earth-Mothers and Living Dolls".

That actually sounds quite interesting, @Perdogg. Do you have an author for that book title? I have an article for the blog entitled 'Ian Fleming’s Devil Women and Femme Fatales' to continue the Cliff Richard theme!

Perdogg

Dragonpol wrote:

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

Of course, I'll revisit those.

@007InVT Also get a hold of Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation. Second Chapter in Part 2 called "Earth-Mothers and Living Dolls".

That actually sounds quite interesting, @Perdogg. Do you have an author for that book title? I have an article for the blog entitled 'Ian Fleming’s Devil Women and Femme Fatales' to continue the Cliff Richard theme!

here is a list of booksellers

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=ian+"fleming+s"+incredible+creation

Dragonpol

Perdogg wrote:

Dragonpol wrote:

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

Of course, I'll revisit those.

@007InVT Also get a hold of Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation. Second Chapter in Part 2 called "Earth-Mothers and Living Dolls".

That actually sounds quite interesting, @Perdogg. Do you have an author for that book title? I have an article for the blog entitled 'Ian Fleming’s Devil Women and Femme Fatales' to continue the Cliff Richard theme!

here is a list of booksellers

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=ian+"fleming+s"+incredible+creation

Thanks so much for that, @Perdogg!

007InVT

Here it is. No reviews on Amazon. Amazing how these books turn up out of the woodwork from the 60s.

007InVT

Perdogg wrote:

007InVT wrote:

Can anyone recommend some good intellectual articles on the perceived sexism in Fleming's novels?

There is a chapter on it "The James Bond Dossier" and "The James Bond Bedside Companion".

O.F. Snelling sidesteps it a bit in his book. A cracking (and funny) read though.