Bond in the NY Review

Hardyboy

I just received my August 14 copy of The New York Review of Books and was surprised to find an article on Fleming and Bond. Ostensibly it's a review of the exhibition at the Imperial War Museum and the accompanying book; but, ultimately, it's more a look at real espionage episodes and how Fleming's lightweight books just didn't measure up to the real thing. There are also a few nods to Devil May Care, but very little from the Fleming novels (and Rosa Klebb is misidentified as Rosa Krebs!). On the whole, a disappointing piece. Still, if you'd like to read it it's one of the articles that NYR has made available on its website. You can find it at:


http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21712

Beware, though--NYR reviewers are hired as much for their politics as their writing ability.

7289

Wheatcroft, like many critics of sucessful authors, is is crused by a serious case of p**is envy.

Tearing down Fleming's talent and demeaning IF's novels makes for a sad and bitter review. If nothing else he could have complimented Fleming on his war service, during which he contributed alot to the RN.

In all it's a drab and vulgar piece, written by an elitist fool. |)

Willie Garvin

I cannot agree with this "critic".

Sebastian Faulks's James Bond novel is not "better written" than any of the 007 adventures Ian Fleming produced.At its core,Devil May Care is an ineffective rehash of Fleming's considerably superior Moonraker novel--with a guest appearance by From Russia With Love's Darko Kerim Bey(using another name).For all of his awards and critical praise,Faulks proves with his 007 book that he doesn't have the skill to write a thriller in the Fleming tradition.Devil May Care is lightweight,awkward,all too obviously modeled on another book and immediately forgetable--it's something IFP would have rejected if Faulks had submitted it to them under an assumed name.

Loeffelholz

Willie Garvin wrote:

Sebastian Faulks's James Bond novel is not "better written" than any of the 007 adventures Ian Fleming produced.

An understatement if ever there was one. I'd put any of Fleming's Bonds comfortably ahead of DMC---including TSWLM, which at least has an ambitious desire to 'shake things up' (and a blast of a second half) going for it.

A prize winner Sebastian Faulks may well be...but he can't polish Ian Fleming's shoes if the protagonist in question is James Bond.

Scribe74

The critic is something of a fool. He says DMC is "better written" than any of Fleming's originals, then says Faulks "carefully copied" Fleming's writing style. The guy can't have it both ways.

While it's already been stated, I'll say it again: No way in hell does Faulks' writing outshine Fleming's wordcraft.

I hate literary snobs.