fleming collection- my bible

j.blades

do any of you treat the 14 novels by ian fleming as your bible? the catholics have the old and the new testements, the jewish people have their torah, and we have the bond books, living within the bond code wwjbd, what would james bond do? :007)

not really being a religiouse person myself i thought since i subconciously keep this in mind why not talk about it with my fellow bond fans.

Scribe74

I have multiple editions of Fleming's classics (including seven Jonathan Cape first editions). I treat all of them as if they were sacred text. Not only do I love Fleming's writing; I love the lifestyle he describes in his books . . . the food, the drink, the cars, the women. I've always enjoyed the ritual of smoking and drinking (yes, I know, bad for your health), and I think Fleming captures it wonderfully.

7289

I have a set of the FEL Editions, still unwrapped. Around here that is as sacred as it gets when it comes to literature.

I still have my original Signet paperbacks for reading though. Unfortunately the paperbacks are getting pretty yellow, and some are falling apart .... like me!!

superado

I personally think that JB's basic character traits are admirable, in that he's not an egotist though he is very particular about his likes, preferences and taste. Maybe when I was a bit younger, I consciously (and sometimes subconsiously) would look at my own situations whether a larger task was at hand or even more mundane issues such as encounters with people at school, the workplace, within social and family circles, etc., and apply on these the WWJBD paradigm according to how I translated them from the Fleming narratives. Now that I'm older, though, the Bond vices and relatively nihilist regard for himself do not appeal to me, which I then filter out in the present day as I do continue to enjoy the original and continuation novels. I think that is the reason why I enjoy the young Bond series so much, because it portrays the character's "purest" essence, e.g., his levelled idealism, sense of duty and firm handle of right and wrong, all before he would eventually adopt his more hedonistic habits in adulthood.

hegottheboot

These are the holy texts. My reading copies are the 60's Signet paperbacks with the red trim-all are turning yellow but still have a distinctive smell. No one writes like Fleming-he's like the fast paced British cousin of Chandler.

Scribe74

hegottheboot wrote:

These are the holy texts. My reading copies are the 60's Signet paperbacks with the red trim-all are turning yellow but still have a distinctive smell. No one writes like Fleming-he's like the fast paced British cousin of Chandler.

Wow . . . what a great way to describe Fleming (Chandler being one of my other favorite authors).

Loeffelholz

Nothing smells as good to me as a classic Signet paperback...I love the smell of a good old book.

j.blades

couldnt agree more. {[]

blofeld#1

Nothing better than the sweet smell of an old book