What do you think of the first three Bond novels?

JimmyBond0129

I like Casino Royale & Live and Let Die. The first two Bond novels were so amazing that I can't put the greatness of those books into words.

But I don't care for Moonraker. In fact the third Bond novel bored me so much that I couldn't get past the first few chapters.

chrisno1

read my reviews.... u r not alone
i dont get how everyone goes on about MR as such a gr8 piece of writing... it just doesnt do it for me

JimmyBond0129

chrisno1 wrote:

read my reviews.... u r not alone
i dont get how everyone goes on about MR as such a gr8 piece of writing... it just doesnt do it for me

I wonder if From Russia with Love has the same reputation as Moonraker. The late JFK had an affinity for FRWL but is it really as good as he thought it was?

Scribe74

This post is killing me! I absolutely love MR. Yes, CR and FRWL are brilliant reads, but I really like MR for it's overall sense of Englishness . . . if that makes any sense. Of course, to each their own. The Bond novel I find overrated is TB with a lot of big set pieces but not much action. True, MR is not action packed, but it's the story's pervasive tension that makes it a page turner!

00-Agent

chrisno1 wrote:

read my reviews.... u r not alone
i dont get how everyone goes on about MR as such a gr8 piece of writing... it just doesnt do it for me

You guys may not be alone, but I would think you are definitely in the minority. MR is a great book. It has an interesting villain with a compelling story. The section of the novel covering blades was wonderfully interesting and a great way to introduce the villain. The reader learns a little bit more about Bond. It is suspenseful. I think it was one of his best books. I've read it twice.

blofeld#1

MR was alright. CR and LALD two great reads

chrisno1

00-Agent wrote:

chrisno1 wrote:

read my reviews.... u r not alone
i dont get how everyone goes on about MR as such a gr8 piece of writing... it just doesnt do it for me

You guys may not be alone, but I would think you are definitely in the minority. MR is a great book. It has an interesting villain with a compelling story. The section of the novel covering blades was wonderfully interesting and a great way to introduce the villain. The reader learns a little bit more about Bond. It is suspenseful. I think it was one of his best books. I've read it twice.

I have no issue with the card game; Blades is described like a Victorian relic. It a hideously prejudiced upperclass establishment, the sort of place Bond is aspiring to, but doesn't really have the breeding (or money) to attain. Its very "englishness" is exactly what makes it distasteful. Drax may be cheating at cards, but Bond doesn't even think he should be member of the club! Drax just isn't sophisticated enough, he's "new money"
The villains in MR are terrible charicatures, with their moustaches and red hair (Fleming has a thing about red-haired villains i notice) and Bond does remarkably little to prevent Drax from succeeding. He is there as a nominal security chief, but when Krebbs searches his own room, he does nothing about it, merely shruggs and accepts Drax's apologies.
A cliff face explodes and he was obviously meant to have been killed, but he brushes it off
he's still not entirely convinced of Drax one way or the other and ends up chasing him through the Kent countryside when he should be getting M to stop the MR launch.
What we learn most about Bond is that he is as blinded by money and success as the next man, and its this foible that prevents him from making the very simplest of choices.
Not much happens in MR, even the "exciting stuff" (i use the term reluctantly) at the end doesn't ammount to much.
Its also a very sexist novel and its quite gratifying Bond doesn't get the girl
Sorry, it just doesn't do much for me at all.

j.blades

your not alone, i love the first 3 novels along with from russia with love and dr. no. which are unbelievbly good words cant describe it.

Maherj1

Ive only read up to FRWL so far but MR is definitely my favourite.


I love the scenes in blades...I just found all the stuff about cards riveting and the game itself was very suspenseful. I like the girl in the book and I loved the part in Draxs home...I love the way Drax is such a polar opposite to bond with his sleek german car.


I found FRLW dragged a bit at the start but its probably the most competent from a literary perspective and overrall its a good read. Casino Royale is very close to MR for me, really loved it and LALD pips FRWL because I liked the American setting.

hegottheboot

CR sets everything up and suffers a bit from being the 1st book.
LALD just moves along so quickly that you can't help but enjoy it. Still my favorite.
MR is definitely the most "English" of the books, but crammed full of little details that make it a worthwhile read: The two .38s roared simultaneously, Benzedrine in champagne, and others.

zig zag

M R is a cracking book,I've read it three times now,and will probably read it several more times in the years to come.

7289

I suspect like/dislike MR may be a cultural thing. For us Yanks, Bond is on his home turf and even though it's England of 60 years ago its fasinating!

Of course I love MR, a real change of pace for Bond. In fact I find the best Fleming thrillers are Casino Royale through Dr.No.... some of the later, more celebrated thrillers I dont find as alluring ... still plenty good reads!

Golrush007

I enjoyed all of the first 3 books, but if I had to rank them:

1 - Casino Royale
2 - Moonraker
3 - Live and Let Die

It's a tough choice, but CR is the most memorable I think. As for the original poster's dislike for Moonraker, I found that I had the opposite reaction. I really enjoyed the novel - I found I was especially drawn into the Bridge game with Drax. I really enjoy Fleming's gaming sequences - the baccarat in Casino Royale and the golf in Goldfinger are particular favourites.