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Worst Fleming Bond Novel?

chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
edited January 2013 in Literary 007 Posts: 17,835
Is there one that you don't look forward to reading again? Or one you plough through with reluctance?
If memory serves (it's been 20 years since I read them all in a marathon), DAF was kinda *meh* for me, and LALD was a tad underwhelming.
Thoughts?
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Comments

  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,236
    The Spy Who Loved Me really did nothing for me.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2013 Posts: 17,835
    CraigMooreOHMSS wrote:
    The Spy Who Loved Me really did nothing for me.

    Y'know, I kinda liked that one for its totally different take & execution. Fleming was trying something, and while not 100% successful IMO, it was not entirely dull for me.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    The first 2/3 of DAF really dragged for me, but the ending is picking up nicely. It's the worst over the three that came before it, which is all I've read.
  • bondbat007bondbat007
    Posts: 1,407
    I know a lot of people dislike TMWTGG but I actually enjoy it. Of course not as good as the Blofeld trilogy that preceded it. I'd have to say I never really cared for DAF. Drags on a little bit.

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,835
    bondbat007 wrote:
    I know a lot of people dislike TMWTGG but I actually enjoy it.
    I liked it as well, and after I read it I went on a pre-internet rampage to find Colonel Sun at used bookstores, and was pretty satisfied with that as a final Bond book...
    Sorry, off topic in my own thread! :O
  • Aziz_FekkeshAziz_Fekkesh Royale-les-Eaux
    Posts: 403
    OHMSS. Never really a big fan of the book.
  • bondbat007bondbat007
    Posts: 1,407
    Aziz_Fekkesh wrote:
    OHMSS. Never really a big fan of the book.

    Really? Can you go into detail because that's my favorite book (along with FRWL)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,835
    Aziz_Fekkesh wrote:
    OHMSS. Never really a big fan of the book.
    While the ending was a definite downer, I felt it had a lot of heart & detail... still, I can see why you'd be of that opinion.
  • MaxRebo120MaxRebo120
    Posts: 136
    I actually liked DAF quite a lot. I've read all of them up until OHMSS (Which I am currently reading) and I liked them all in different ways. But my leats favorite, or at the very least one I probably won't read again, was THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Not horrible, but just....odd.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,835
    MaxRebo120 wrote:
    I actually liked DAF quite a lot.
    While I love Fleming's writing style, I remember it being a bit pedestrian in terms of plot...
  • Agent005Agent005
    Posts: 562
    I'm going to catch hell for this one, but I have to say that I have a difficult time getting through FRWL... I'm not really sure what it is, but it bores me.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,835
    Agent005 wrote:
    I'm going to catch hell for this one, but I have to say that I have a difficult time getting through FRWL... I'm not really sure what it is, but it bores me.
    Well, the movie bores me a bit, the novel less so, but I get what it might be...
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    I recently re-read all the Flemings (and Colonel Sun) and there weren't any that I wasn't looking forward to reading. Really, the only one that was a problem was LALD - "cringe-worthy" is an apt description, although it got less embarrassing after the location shifted away from NYC.
  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    I didn't really care much for Moonraker. And LALD is also pretty boring until the end.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    DB5 wrote:
    I didn't really care much for Moonraker..

    Uh.. does not compute. ;)
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    Posts: 2,722
    LALD is all sorts of racist but in terms of least entertaining probably TSWLM. That middle section of FRWL, DN, GF and TB is my favourite Fleming run.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,393
    Maybe it's because of the umpteen film versions but I always find TB boring.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,265
    To be fair, there isn't a single Fleming novel I dislike. I suppose my least favourite would be YOLT - though I still enjoy it very much being the Bond fan that I am - because of all the exposition about Japan, the flowers and such. Sure, I'm a Japanophile, I like to read stuff like that, but it doesn't quite help to propell the story. That said, the climax is brilliant!
  • LotusEspritLotusEsprit
    Posts: 160
    I yet have to read them all. I am in the middle of Goldfinger and the ones missing are: For your eyes only, Thunderball, The Spy who loved me.

    My judgement as such is premature but the only one that I didn't really like was DAF. It was a drag for me and with the exception of Ms. Case had nothing worthwhile for me.

    TMWTGG was actually pretty enjoyable. It feels unfinished (of course) but it was a good read.
    The others are good til great til fantastic!
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited January 2013 Posts: 14,003
    Having finished FRWL in my literary Bondathon yesterday, so far my least favourite is DAF. I just could not maintain my interest and was glad to finish it, to be honest.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    Diamonds Are Forever and Goldfinger are the only weak spots for me.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited January 2013 Posts: 11,189
    I'm listening to OHMSS on audiobook at the moment and for some reason I'm not enjoying it quite as much as MR or FRWL (both of which I also have on audiobook). I just love the flamboyance of those two.

    I certainly don't consider OHMSS Flemings weakest book though - that's DAF.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited January 2013 Posts: 12,837
    From the books I've read CR is my least favourite. Just didn't seem as ambitious as some of the others, which are OTT but also feel grounded in reality, which I like.

    CR isn't a bad book though, out of what I've read I wouldn't call any of the Bond novels bad. But I haven't properly read DAF or LALD yet and I haven't heard great things about those.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    From the books I've read CR is my least favourite. Just didn't seem as ambitious as some of the others, which are OTT but also feel grounded in reality, which I like.

    CR isn't a bad book though, out of what I've read I wouldn't call any of the Bond novels bad. But I haven't properly read DAF or LALD yet and I haven't heard great things about those.

    LALD is great, just outdated in its societal remarks. DAF picks up just past the halfway mark, but is rather boring getting there.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    I've read a lot about DAF being boring till the climax, but I find it to be the other way round; great 2/3 thirds and a weak climax. I think the problems are down to the Spang brothers.
  • Aziz_FekkeshAziz_Fekkesh Royale-les-Eaux
    Posts: 403
    DAF catches lots of flack but I love Fleiming's descriptions and prose and Wint & Kidd are great henchman. I've elaborated on my cold reception to OHMSS before, suffice to say that I find Fleming's plotting odd, Blofeld is a non-entity in the story, and the love story never really reconciles with the evil scheme, which I also find underwhelming. Most importantly, the prose is pretty weak; the only real highlights I can see are the ski chase and Bond snooping around Piz Gloria.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    The worst book by Fleming is TMWTGG, not because of the story but as I read each page I know the end of Flemings books is nearing fast. I usually wait some time reading the last chapter savoring the last taste of Ian Fleming's James Bond before it is over.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    I have not read all the books and I cannot comment on many. I must say that of the ones I read, I was not intrigued with TMWTGG
    Uninspired, boring story.
  • jetsetwillyjetsetwilly
    Posts: 3,327
    I don't know why TMWTGG gets such stick. It's actually one of my favourites.

    For me the worst novel is TB. It drags on way too much, and I find it fairly hard-going to read. After that its probably DAF, although I do like the book once Bond gets to Vegas.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited January 2013 Posts: 12,837
    @jetsetwilly Funny, TB is actually my favourite Bond novel (I've read CR, MR, GF, TB, OHMSS and YOLT).

    I'm reading TMWTGG now and I'm really enjoying it. I love the whole brainwashing idea.

    I have a question for all of you who have read all the books: are any of the continuation novels worth reading once I've finished the Fleming books?
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