Anthony Horowitz's James Bond novel - Trigger Mortis

1313234363742

Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Is anyone listening to the book at bed time this week, with "Trigger Mortis" ?
    It's also available to down load from the BBC radio player. It's abridged
    obviously, but very good, I've down loaded and listened to the first two
    Readings. :) ( BBC radio 4)
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    DrGorner wrote: »
    Is anyone listening to the book at bed time this week, with "Trigger Mortis" ?
    It's also available to down load from the BBC radio player. It's abridged
    obviously, but very good, I've down loaded and listened to the first two
    Readings. :) ( BBC radio 4)

    Thanks for the update, @DrGorner!
  • Posts: 7,507
    Just got a copy today and have read through the first two chapters. Seems very promising so far. He seems to have got the style just right. At one point I thought I was reading Fleming! (Maybe I was... I don't know what is original Fleming material or not... :P )
  • Posts: 4,622
    fanbond123 wrote: »
    Finished reading it a day or so ago.

    Enjoyed it. I thought the third act was a little hard to follow:

    MAJOR SPOILERS - do not look if you've not read the novel!
    Bond's battle on the train and how he destroyed it - a little hard to follow on first reading. Also, and this is a minor thing, I didn't understand how Bond can survive the exploding train, land on the track but it's non-electrified but, conveniently, the track right next to him is electrified so he can dispatch the villain. Wouldn't all the tracks be electrified?

    Page 289:

    "... he had landed awkwardly, his ribs resting on one of the rails."

    I know nothing about trains and how the lines are powered but it was a tad convenient how Bond's rail wasn't electrified but the third rail was!

    The final encounter with the SPECTRE driver seemed a little far fetched. I sort of got the impression the guy was hideously burned - looked like a mummy, covered in bandages :D but somehow he can leave hospital (I assume in a German hospital) and travel all the way to London and find Bond!


    But overall I liked it a lot. The action scenes were done very well - the
    buried alive chapter was one of the most chilling chapters I've ever read in a fiction novel!
    and Horowitz created a detailed James Bond world. All the fine details - clothing, weapons, drink etc - all added to the Ian Fleming type vibe. James Bond's world is very dangerous and Bond is someone you don't want to mess with (!) and Horowitz captured that very well. There were many moments when you saw how Bond had to react, split second decisions which could mean life or death! Loved all of that! You really get the sense James Bond lives his life on borrowed time.

    8 out of 10.
    My thoughts on the subway rails. I believe only one rail is electrified. It is the rail.Bond knew which one it was. Even the casual eye can spot it.
    I think it runs alongside the track as opposed to being part of the the actual track.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    edited October 2015 Posts: 10,591
    timmer wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I
    The biggest treat is that this comes out of an original Ian Fleming treatment entitled MURDER ON WHEELS. That was something that I never thought I'd see! Thanks to @Mrcoggins I have the Waterstone Special Edition which reprints photocopies of Fleming's five page treatment. I will be reviewing that short teleplay in the near future on the Originals thread to wind up my Fleming literary retrospective. Those bits were the best in the book, and I really wish the germ of the story (auto racing assassins) had remained the main focus of the novel. And to think, there are four more of those unused treatments being held onto. Someday we may get to read them all.
    Yes this part was very well done. It had an authentic Fleming feel -insinuating Bond briefly into the world of F1 racing. Horowitz ups the ante and pushes boundaries similar to the way Fleming might of, in describing the dangers and intrigue of the world. Fleming liked to sex things up, without going too far off reservation.
    Fleming took us to worlds we didn't have access to, would bring us right in. He'd jazz things up for dramatic, sensationalized effect, whilst seeming to keep things real.
    He had a deft touch that way. Much the way @birdleson describes Fleming's exaggeration of Americanisms.
    I grew up in Toronto, yet when Bond came to Toronto in TSWLM, Fleming made the city more exotic and dangerous that it really is, at least I think so. Maybe Fleming caught a vibe that I never sensed, just being a reglar chump growing up in the suburbs and venturing downtown when need be, but I think the reader appreciates Flemings attempts at making Bond's travels as exotic and stimulating as can be.

    A fellow Torontonian ;)

    I'm thinking of giving the book a read.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,266
    3/4 through the book, and indeed I like it more then I did CB or TDMC, but those books were badly written. I still have to come to terms with the fact that nobody can emulate Fleming. This book comes closer then the ones I've read, but still he doesn't 'get' Bond fully in my opinion.
    Another issue I have is with the story telling. Fleming would tell everything Bond does the moment he does it, in a way that made every move dangerous and exciting. Horowitz sometimes hints about 'hopes'Bond has, only to explain later what he actually did. It spoils the tension for me. It's a McGuiveresque way of solving problems.
    i.e.
    When Bond is about to be buried alive we only understand he's got a knive with him when he's underground. Fleming would've told us the exact moment of passing the knife, giving us the surprise of beeing the knife given by Jeopardy, and also the tension of not letting the guards find out he has a knife.

    In minor details, Bond would most definately act more gentlemanlike to a lady. He isn't as obvious as he is in this novel.

    I do like the references to both the books and films though. That was nicely done. And it reads fairly well. The race-part is very exciting. As I've got the normal version I don't know what part of that was Fleming's, but it's a very intense read.
  • DariusDarius UK
    edited November 2015 Posts: 354
    @CommanderRoss

    No, there will never be another Fleming. Like it or not, inheritance authors will never completely get it right, no matter how familiar they are with Fleming's work. It's a bit like a tribute band in many ways -- they can play the original's notes pitch perfect and sounding as close to the original's as possible, but the song will never be exactly the same because there is an indefinable quality to artistic expression that is exactly like a fingerprint and can therefore never be reproduced.

    But, for those that like Fleming's books, Trigger Mortis and Colonel Sun are about as close as it gets. Just cut these authors some slack because they are individuals themselves, with their own personalities, and a bit of that is bound to seep through.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Darius wrote: »
    @CommanderRoss

    No, there will never be another Fleming. Like it or not, inheritance authors will never completely get it right, no matter how familiar they are with Fleming's work. It's a bit like a tribute band in many ways -- they can play the original's notes pitch perfect and sounding as close to the original's as possible, but the song will never be exactly the same because there is an indefinable quality to artistic expression that is exactly like a fingerprint and can therefore never be reproduced.

    But, for those that like Fleming's books, Trigger Mortis and Colonel Sun are about as close as it gets. Just cut these authors some slack because they are individuals themselves, with their own personalities, and a bit of that is bound to seep through.

    I agree with every word of this post.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,266
    Darius wrote: »
    @CommanderRoss

    No, there will never be another Fleming. Like it or not, inheritance authors will never completely get it right, no matter how familiar they are with Fleming's work. It's a bit like a tribute band in many ways -- they can play the original's notes pitch perfect and sounding as close to the original's as possible, but the song will never be exactly the same because there is an indefinable quality to artistic expression that is exactly like a fingerprint and can therefore never be reproduced.

    But, for those that like Fleming's books, Trigger Mortis and Colonel Sun are about as close as it gets. Just cut these authors some slack because they are individuals themselves, with their own personalities, and a bit of that is bound to seep through.

    Fair's fair. But he is slacking at the end of the book. And, as I said, the 'backward going' in which he later explains Bond has done something that helps him now, instead of telling it 'as it happens' is something that truly irritates me. Still, thisw is one way of finding out why Fleming was such a fantastic writer.

    I must say, though, that I don't completely agree on your stance that it is impossible. Eoin Culfer got extremely close to Douglas Adams's way of storytelling in '...and another thing', part 6 of the trilogy. (For those who don't know: Douglas wrote five parts of the trilogy himself. And for those who's sense of math is strong: that's the point).
  • DariusDarius UK
    edited November 2015 Posts: 354
    @CommanderRoss

    I have to admit that I haven't read any of Eoin Culfer's work, so I have to defer to your superior knowledge here. What I do know is what any ghost-writer will confirm, and that is: you can never really get inside the head of another person, let alone another writer, no matter how close you are to them. I think M made this point in QoS.

    I also know that Anthony Horowitz was working to a pretty stiff deadline on this book, so I think he can be forgiven for not polishing as much as he could. I daresay that even if he could have been given the extra time, he probably wouldn't have chosen to change much. I say this because a retrospective narrative style is often used, if nothing else, to give variety to prose. Fleming didn't do this much (one example of when he did was the second chapter of You Only Live Twice, which is a flashback), so maybe if he had done it more often it might have added a bit more pizazz to his books.

    My over-riding point is that no one's perfect and maybe that's just as well because I think it's nice to see something that's "Fleming-esque", but it's also nice to see some of the real writer's personality shine through too. But that's just my opinion. Those who expect nothing less than a pitch-perfect replica of Fleming's style may have to wait a very long time indeed.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    suavejmf wrote: »
    Darius wrote: »
    @CommanderRoss

    No, there will never be another Fleming. Like it or not, inheritance authors will never completely get it right, no matter how familiar they are with Fleming's work. It's a bit like a tribute band in many ways -- they can play the original's notes pitch perfect and sounding as close to the original's as possible, but the song will never be exactly the same because there is an indefinable quality to artistic expression that is exactly like a fingerprint and can therefore never be reproduced.

    But, for those that like Fleming's books, Trigger Mortis and Colonel Sun are about as close as it gets. Just cut these authors some slack because they are individuals themselves, with their own personalities, and a bit of that is bound to seep through.

    I agree with every word of this post.

    Me too. Well said, @Darius! :)
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,266
    allright, allright, I never said it was easy...



    Maybe I'm a bit too harsh on him, nad the time limit would explain the finish which, in my view of course, could've been done better. I'll stop complaining...
  • Posts: 632
    After coming home from seeing Spectre for the second time yesterday, I FINALLY found my copy of the Waterstones edition had arrived! Only took almost two months! I'm looking forward to starting it once I get home tonight!
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,341
    There is a life-chat going on with AH right now:
    theguardian.com/books/live/2015/nov/06/anthony-horowitz-webchat-trigger-mortis-dinner-with-saddam#block-563b27c1e4b08eefa4b96fed
    He's keen on doing a second Bond book, but has not been asked so far.
  • Posts: 2,599
    zebrafish wrote: »
    There is a life-chat going on with AH right now:
    theguardian.com/books/live/2015/nov/06/anthony-horowitz-webchat-trigger-mortis-dinner-with-saddam#block-563b27c1e4b08eefa4b96fed
    He's keen on doing a second Bond book, but has not been asked so far.

    They haven't asked him? Damn, not the best sign. I won't be surprised if IFP shoot themselves in the foot and just ask someone else. Well, I suppose it's still early days...
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    edited November 2015 Posts: 4,341
    More tidbits from the Q&A with Anthony Horowitz:

    Q: Was it difficult thinking up the title for the Bond novel without resorting to overused words such as “gold”, “die”, “kill”, “never”, etc?

    A: You're certainly right about those words - to be avoided! I found a short story that Ian Fleming had written but not published - it was called Trigger Finger. I stole the first word, and then, knowing that IF liked puns, I came up with Mortis. I've always said that actually the title is the most difficult part of a James Bond novel. And for what it's worth, I thought Carte Blanche was the best title yet.
  • DariusDarius UK
    Posts: 354
    zebrafish wrote: »
    ...And for what it's worth, I thought Carte Blanche was the best title yet.

    It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its title.

    Unfortunately, IFP long ago announced their intention of using a different author for each successive Bond novel, so it's not likely we're going to see Anthony Horowitz making a second or even a third Bond outing, but you never know... never say never...

    ...where have I heard that before?

  • DesmondBoothroydDesmondBoothroyd New England, USA
    Posts: 16
    timmer wrote:
    My thoughts on the subway rails. I believe only one rail is electrified. It is the rail.Bond knew which one it was. Even the casual eye can spot it.
    I think it runs alongside the track as opposed to being part of the the actual track.

    You're right - the third rail runs outside the two rails on which the wheels ride, and is covered with wood, held in place by spaced brackets, so even the casual eye can see that it's different. The third rail is electrified, and the train has a contact shoe that rides along the top of it to provide power to the train.

  • Posts: 2,599
    Darius wrote: »
    zebrafish wrote: »
    ...And for what it's worth, I thought Carte Blanche was the best title yet.

    It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its title.

    Unfortunately, IFP long ago announced their intention of using a different author for each successive Bond novel, so it's not likely we're going to see Anthony Horowitz making a second or even a third Bond outing, but you never know... never say never...

    ...where have I heard that before?

    A pity because I can't help but think that we'll just go back to getting lacklustre Bond novels again.
  • Posts: 9,847
    my hope is we get a good bond novel set in present day.
  • Faulks, Deaver, Boyd ... the continuation novels have been getting progressively better and better, in my opinion. And Horowitz' TRIGGER MORTIS is the best of the bunch. Good enough where I've been pulled out of the book every so often to marvel at how well done it is. I am so far extremely happy with this installment (though I have 100 pages left to go). Please convince Horowitz to come back -- he understands the character, he appreciates the Fleming style and sweep, and really has a knack for this.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    There hasn't been an arc of continuity since Raymond Benson left the series thirteen years ago. One novel per author doesn't really do the reputation of the literary 007 justice. Like the Young Bond novels, there should be an outline for a series of books by one author.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Why IFP are opposed to using the same writers and actually instilling a sense of continuity to the Bond series is beyond me. As many have said, I feel they purposely spoil their own parade. Why else would they do such things?
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    edited November 2015 Posts: 4,116
    Maybe IFP is holding back on an immediate decision because of Horowitz's remarks about Elba and Craig's films.

    I'm sure they would liked one of their novels filmed or at least a title used.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    Maybe IFP is holding back on an immediate decision because of Horowitz's remarks about Elba and Craig's films.

    I'm sure they would liked one of their novels filmed or at least a title used.
    Yes, the audacity of the man to have opinions. Burn him at the stake, I say!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    Maybe IFP is holding back on an immediate decision because of Horowitz's remarks about Elba and Craig's films.

    I'm sure they would liked one of their novels filmed or at least a title used.
    Yes, the audacity of the man to have opinions. Burn him at the stake, I say!

    Consider it done.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    Maybe IFP is holding back on an immediate decision because of Horowitz's remarks about Elba and Craig's films.

    I'm sure they would liked one of their novels filmed or at least a title used.
    Yes, the audacity of the man to have opinions. Burn him at the stake, I say!

    Opinions usually come at a price if in the public eye.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    Maybe IFP is holding back on an immediate decision because of Horowitz's remarks about Elba and Craig's films.

    I'm sure they would liked one of their novels filmed or at least a title used.
    Yes, the audacity of the man to have opinions. Burn him at the stake, I say!

    Opinions usually come at a price if in the public eye.

    Anywhere really, now. Gone are the days when honesty and openness was respected, and in its place publicity suicide and mass apologies on the airwaves, TV and social networks for speaking what was in your heart, no matter how unoffensive it was. Just another fine example as to why all these so-called "advancements in technology" have hampered, not expanded our ability and desire to effectively communicate with each other.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Well said.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    I would wait till the year's sales are in. I'm sure if TM made a lot of money then AH would be back in the running.

    There's also very few authors that have the star-power, cross-over appeal, PR ability (despite Elba etc), knowledge of literary Bond, enthusiasm and to some degree irreverence.
Sign In or Register to comment.