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Just started Diamonds Are Forever last night after finishing Moonraker on Sunday. So far so good. I can see a few places the film borrowed from the book.
Really a shame what Moonraker we got for the 1979 film. It was a fantastic read, and would have made a great film held together with a benzedrine-and-alcohol-fueled card game followed by a car chase and ending with Bond nearly burning to death in an attempt to reroute Moonraker to kill Drax in his getaway submarine.
I blame Star Wars for it's butchering.
Yes! If they were going to transplant a Fleming novel into the modern day, it would almost have to be Moonraker.
Invent some deep-seeded hatred for America and or Britain for Elon Musk, and rename the film Falcon Heavy.
How about Operation: X Æ A-12 ?
Nope.
Just finished Goldfinger. It was quite enjoyable! If EON or a videogame company ever decided to bring back Goldfinger, there’s still a great amount of character material that could use. I do have a few more ideas I would like to use for a modern day backstory for him, with Oddjob and Pussy Galore in there as well.
Now starting For Your Eyes Only!
I think I liked the Shrublands part best, but it was also good when Felix and James were working on the case together. It felt like a proper partnership. It's the best Felix/Bond book, although Live and Let Die is also good in that respect.
I normally read a few books in between each Bond book, but I'm wanting to start OHMSS already. I might start it later.
That’s how I read as well. I don’t want to read too much James Bond so close together as I’m afraid that I will get bored of the character and his adventures. It’s the same thing with other authors and fictional characters that I truly care about as well (Batman, Superman, Sherlock Holmes, Garfield, etc).
A few things stuck out ...
Marc Ange is a terrific character. The part where Bond refuses the money at the end was really touching.
Quite a few differences to the movie, Tracy doesn't get kidnapped, Bond and Blofeld don't talk (as Bray he does, but there's no meeting as Bond).
No Gumbeld's safe or stock car race, no bullfight meeting.
The beginning, where Bond is 'spying' on Tracy makes much more sense in the book than the movie.
Bond having Xmas dinner with M, who is calling him James. Loved this bit!
And the ending, so much more suspenseful than the movie, as Bunt sees Bond from the shadows in the street, and Bond even sees them in his rear view mirror as they approach, yet doesn't know it's them - but the reader does. Great storytelling. And actually, the book leaves it vague that Tracy is actually dead. Does anyone else read it that way?
It seems to me that it's left open. Or at least, it doesn't make it obvious she's dead.
I've been re-reading the novels again since March 2020, and although I don't think OHMSS is a better piece of literature than FRWL, I think I enjoyed it even more. I'm putting it top of my recent re-read score.
1 OHMSS
2 FRWL
3 Moonraker
4 Live and Let Die
5 CR
6 TB
7 Dr No
8 GF
9 DAF
YOLT next, and that should be very interesting, as it used to be my favourite, yet a re-read about five years ago had me not so impressed. Let's see...
I am left wondering where to go next after Fleming. Do I move onto Kingley Amis' Colonel Sun and then the Gardner novels and then Benson?
Or do I move onto the novels that fit into Fleming's timeline, meaning Colonel Sun, Devil May Care, Solo, then Trigger Mortis and Forever and a Day?
I mentioned this in the general "What are you reading thread", but I am currently making my way through Casino Royale, as a few weeks ago I suddenly decided I wanted to read through every Bond novel. I tried to get through all of them a long time ago, about 10-12 years ago, and I made it pretty far (up to 'Death is Forever'), but then I fizzled out after that. I'm going to try it again though, and this time to see if I can get through the ones I missed too!
I have a few personal ideas I’d love to put into a possible Blofeld or Goldfinger story. I just need the chance! Fleming would be the best writer for it, but it won’t happen. So, I’m interested.
I want to see yours, and I want to see Horowitz tackle it as well; he did a series of Moriarty books IIRC so he has arch villain experience.
EDIT: I asked Anthony if he would do it, I’ll let you know what he says
Also, you have the chance now! Write it up!
Thank you for your support! I have a few James Bond (and Superman-based) ideas in mind. The Goldfinger modern day origin story is at the forefront now.
I've just finished Never Dream of Dying, Raymond Benson's fifth and penultimate Bond novel, and the last in the 'Union Trilogy', and I enjoyed it for the most part. Spoilers ahead. . .
The novel has Bond after the head of the Union organisation, a Spectre-like crime syndicate headed by a blind evil bastard called Le Gerard.
I've always approached the Benson novels as fun tributes to not just the Fleming novels but also the films. And this one was quite filmic - many scenarios you could imagine playing out on screen. In particular, two escapes felt quite Roger Moore-ish, (I know from Benson's Bedside Companion he wasn't a great fan of the light hearted Moore years). Yet the one escape in a TV studio where they're filming a dog show program has Bond inadvertently catching a pooch in his arms as the audience laughs. Another escape on a film set has the director filming Bond escaping, saying how it'll look great in the movie. Along with the female Dench M and the very flirty Moneypenny, you can see how these parts of the novel tie in with the Brosnan era. There's even mention of several Bond actresses at one point, as the action moves to Cannes film festival. I think I read somewhere that Benson was given the task of basing his novels in the Brosnan world.
But there's also plenty of Fleming nods in there too. Mathis returns, (and is blinded by the villain, which I hoped would have a happier outcome once Mathis escaped and got to an eye doctor, but we're to assume he's permanently blind at the end). Marc Ange Draco returns, and that was a pleasant surprise because I finished a re-read of OHMSS only a few weeks ago. Sadly, the great rapport and mutual respect between them both in OHMSS is ruined by Marc-Ange turning on Bond, (which is the twist at the end), and Bond shooting him in the head. Oh well.
And Bond is smoking his Turkish blend cigarettes as well. So it's a Fleming/Movie Bond hybrid we're served up I suppose.
Some of the book I found well written, other bits were clumsy and felt a little rushed. There was perhaps a little bit too much action for me. The action in the Fleming books was always secondary for me, it was the dialogue and details that I liked best in Fleming. The reflections in a double bourbon, the dinner at Blades, Shrublands etc. There's nothing as engaging or as detailed in Never Dream of Dying, but I don't think we would expect that.
One aspect that I found a little jarring was the rather explicit sex scene. Luckily, it's explicit only about the girl's anatomy, and we are spared any mention of Bond's todger. I could have done without the sex scene if I'm honest, it reminded me of the James Herbert books I read as a kid - he'd always shoehorn a bit of smut in for an extra bit of titillation.
If I never see the word clitoris again in a Bond novel, that'll suit me fine.
But as I say, I enjoyed it for the most part. Benson got the writing gig on the back of his Bond Bedside Companion, and I think he presented himself well in the five books I've read.
So yes, I'd recommend Never Dream of Dying, as long as you enter into the book with the expectation of something less involving than a Fleming (or indeed Horowitz), but a fun romp nevertheless with some welcome fan-service along the way.
I might skip to the Horowitz novels purely so I can be in on the discussion when the 3rd book comes out, which is soon.
I haven't been wowed by any of the original offerings, sadly (although one of them IMO is ripe for slight modification and adaption).
I do hope they make all the Fleming novels into graphic novels though.
Perhaps they could adapt a shortened version of this novel (they won't, though, in order to respect Ian Fleming's wish) into a 25ish minute long PTS for Bond 26? When Horror and Sluggsy open the door to find Bond #7 standing there would be an incredible introduction for our new Bond.
...
About 1/3rd of the way into On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Enjoying it so far. Loved the mention of Vesper and the callbacks to Casino Royale. They had to cut it from the movie because Vesper doesn't exist in Laz's world! A 1962 Casino Royale with Connery would have been incredible.
That's enough rambling for now...
I think it would have been better suited as a short story in FYEO, but it does have some merit. Can't blame the guy for trying something different.