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Comments
To me, Vivienne, by the end of book had seen that not all men could break her heart, disappoint her. Bond had proved that to her. So she ends the novel hitting the road again, with a new perspective on men. I like to think that perhaps she would eventually find someone who wouldn't let her down, who could be good to her, and she would belong in his world and him in hers, unlike Bond's world.
Fair enough. I don't mind her optimism, but I think just in terms of execution Vivian comes across as a bit too naive about Bond and what she's been through. It reads less like she's come through on the other side after this incident with a new perspective on things more than she's actively ignoring the Policeman's words of warning. I always got the sense that she could just as easily fall into the same problems with men she had before. It's a bit strange considering Fleming himself seemingly wrote this book to counteract some readers who idealised Bond and he was great at writing those reflective passages. I guess it was due to him wanting to end the book on that optimistic final note and in a succinct way.
But like I said, I think it's a cool book otherwise. I can easily imagine a future Bond film being built around the premise of Viv having gone through that type of ordeal, the villains returning to get her months/years later, and her having to seek out Bond again. If Fleming's wises would allow for such an adaptation.
Also, I've just started reading License Renewed. This is a first time read, for John Gardener Bond in general.
And that cliffhanger has me on tenterhooks. I want to read book 3 so badly but I don't want this series to end.
Spoilers please. Namely, classic characters that appear.
Thank you!
Thank you both!
I must say that I vastly prefer the arrogant, dangerous Scaramanga of the book over the film version of him.
Anyway, that's it for the novels. Only Octopussy and The Living Daylights is left. As I don't own the Pan print of it with the Raymond Hawkey cover like the others I have (or, indeed, any copy of the book), I've no picture this time. I managed to find PDFs of all four stories in that collection and will get to reading them shortly. And then I'll have finally read all of Fleming's Bond books! I'll post my ranking of them when I'm done. Might just read Colonel Sun next if I can get my hands on a copy.
I’d definitely give Colonel Sun a read. Been a long time since I read it but it’s worthy of sitting alongside Fleming I think (and Amis genuinely seemed to like Fleming/Bond as a character and understood the stories which is great). It’s arguably better than TMWTGG.
Have you read Horowitz's With a Mind to Kill? If not, I'd like to seriously recommend reading it with TMWTGG fresh in your mind, because it follows directly on from that mission, and - for me - corrected a little of what was wrong with Golden Gun, especially with regards the brain-washing Bond had, which I felt was glossed over/rushed in TMWTGG. Plus, it's a great read, (and dare I say it, I found it a better book than TMWTGG when I read them both in succession).
The only non-Fleming Bond novel I've read is Horowitz's Forever And A Day, and I enjoyed it. I've wanted to read Trigger Mortis and With A Mind To Kill for awhile now. I'll definitely get to them, but I think Colonel Sun will be first.
It’s such a great and bizarre creation…
Agreed, Red Grant was a serial killer in fiction long before that became fashionable. He was also the main serial killer in the literary Bond until David Dragonpol came along years later. :)
Peter takes a side-glance @Dragonpol and inches away…. (Heart rate is up, perspiration dotting temples and dripping down from armpits….)………………..
Not sure how I would like to rank the novel though. It's hard to compete with a lot of the other novels. I think I might prefer Live and Let Die and Thunderball to OHMSS.
It's okay, but I got to a point and diverted to Gardner's Brokenclaw and it's much more engaging for me, I'm enjoying it.
There's nothing to be frightened of. You're on the safe list. >:)
…but for how long? 😳
For life. 8-X
… gulp… and the “after”?
I'm there too. I should know. I've always been here.
All strong entries. I have to admit that the only two Bond films I consider "better" than their source novels are GF and OHMSS. The film of the latter made two crucial improvements: giving Tracy more scenes (including the one where Bond has to prove he cares for her, after Draco has revealed the lead to Blofeld), and having Tracy get captured by Blofeld, which ties together the book's two plots and gives Bond further motivation to destroy Piz Gloria and Blofeld.
Having Bond and Blofeld meet face to face before Bond's escape from Piz Gloria was also a good idea, since it increased the antagonism between the two and allowed Blofeld to reveal his scheme afterward (instead of the much later reveal in the book, which would have slowed the film's pace). But it also meant eliminating the incredible suspense that follows Campbell's capture in the book, when Bond is preparing to escape on borrowed time.