The Gardner Novels

13

Comments

  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    edited June 2013 Posts: 893
    timmer wrote:
    I like all the Gardner books, but one that I found particularly nasty was No Deals Mr. Bond.Bond was quite dangerous in this thriller, especially towards the end as he engages the villains.

    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.

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    007InVT wrote:
    Yes, I feel like some of our members could (and have) written better attempts at least in passages.

    What do y'all make of this:

    http://teeritz.blogspot.com/2013/03/bond-fan-fiction-no-7.html

    Well, as a Gardner fan I wouldn't say that at all! Heresy, heresy, I say!
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    I regret that statement I made.

    I'm a Gardner convert!
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    007InVT wrote:
    I regret that statement I made.

    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.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Got hold of NSF and NLF. Taking them with me on vacation.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    007InVT wrote:
    Got hold of NSF and NLF. Taking them with me on vacation.

    Now NSF. The love of my life, literally. So much that I'm writing a monograph on it!
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Up next.

    Your take on NLF?
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Dragonpol wrote:
    007InVT wrote:
    Got hold of NSF and NLF. Taking them with me on vacation.

    Now NSF. The love of my life, literally. So much that I'm writing a monograph on it!

    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.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    Dragonpol wrote:
    007InVT wrote:
    Got hold of NSF and NLF. Taking them with me on vacation.

    Now NSF. The love of my life, literally. So much that I'm writing a monograph on it!

    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!
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    I'll heed the warning!

    Both novels now have high expectations for me.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    007InVT wrote:
    I'll heed the warning!

    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.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Apparently in the novelisation of GE John Gardner mentions the DB5 is Bond's personal car, but I cannot find that in the Kindle version. Is it only in the actual copy?

    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."
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    I found nothing in the American version of the book.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    So do you know if it's in the UK version?
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    I don't know.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited March 2015 Posts: 13,978
    I am a big supporter of the Gardner and Benson books. My top 5 are all Fleming, but from 6 on, the continuation authors start to appear in my literary Bond ranking.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    As a John Gardner supporter it's great to be reminded that this thread exists. I was thinking of starting a thread like this a while back but now I don't need to. :)
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,583
    I want to read more of his novels. I have a few on my shelf. The only one I've read is Seafire
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    @Dragonpol You've no doubt read GoldenEye's novelisation, then. Can you be of any help to my question above about the DB5?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    @Dragonpol You've no doubt read GoldenEye's novelisation, then. Can you be of any help to my question above about the DB5?

    I'll have a look through it and get back to you.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited March 2015 Posts: 18,269
    It's confirmed in the Tomorrow Never Dies novelisation by Raymond Benson:

    "[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).
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    @Dragonpol Thank you much. Someone should update the wiki.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,269
    @Dragonpol Thank you much. Someone should update the wiki.

    Yes, that'd be an idea. :)
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Now I see that I don't need to give the Benson novels a look. That is some piss poor, expository writing. Weak.

    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.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Now I see that I don't need to give the Benson novels a look. That is some piss poor, expository writing. Weak.

    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?"
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Now I see that I don't need to give the Benson novels a look. That is some piss poor, expository writing. Weak.

    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.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    License to Kill is good. But I hate how Gardener has 007 driving a Saab in his original novels. Awful.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    suavejmf wrote: »
    License to Kill is good. But I hate how Gardener has 007 driving a Saab in his original novels. Awful.

    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.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited March 2015 Posts: 18,269
    suavejmf wrote: »
    License to Kill is good. But I hate how Gardener has 007 driving a Saab in his original novels. Awful.

    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.
  • Posts: 1,407
    I read the majority of the Gardner books when I was fairly young. A big mistake as the writing was not kind to me. I've since re-read a lot of them.

    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.
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