How important is it to read to book in order?

yoyoyojo

Greetings fellow Bond fans! I just started to read my first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Not sure what took me so long ;-)

To make a long story short ...

I am wondering if it will be a problem to read the Ian Flemming novels out of order. I get the sense that Flemming didn't really write each novel as part of a longer over arching story. It seems, from what I gather, that each novel sort of stands on it's own.

After CR I want to skip to Diamonds are Forever.

Napoleon Plural

I'd suggest you read Live and Let Die, as Felix Leiter is in that one and he pops up in DAF, and you may want to know the backstory regarding him, as he is a significent role in that book.

Live and Let Die is the 2nd Bond book, so it makes sense.

But otherwise, yes, you could skip to DAF and miss no massive continuity I think. Not sure DAF is really one of the better novels, but it is quite readable nonetheless.

Otherwise, you should read From Russia with Love before Dr No,
then it should go Thunderball, OHMSS, You Only Live Twice and The Man With the Golden Gun as these do have some chronology.

Books like Moonraker, Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, don't.

Loeffelholz

You can read them in any order and not really 'miss' anything. In fact, On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the first one I ever read, and it's near the end of the series. My next was Moonraker...and then at some point I accumulated all the volumes and read them in order.

My own preference is to read them in order, and every few years I start with CR and do just that.

Thunderpussy

When I first got into Bond, I had to buy the books from Used book shops/markets etc.
so I didn't read them in order and don't think it spoilt my enjoyment of reading them.

mpoplawski

Granted you can read the Fleming novels in whatever order you want, but, I strongly, strongly recommend reading them in strict order. They do have chronological threads running through them and refer back or build on each other. Bond's Beretta being replaced with PPK in Dr. No is a good example of this.

The Domino Effect

I read the odd one here and there and then eventually sat down and read the whole lot in order and I think it does make a difference. The story lines don't necessarily continue on - although there are references to previously missions in some books - but there most definitely is character development that you miss if dipping in and out. If you're planning on reading most or all, I highly recommend reading them in order.

Peppermill

Since you started with Casino Royale I would advise you to read them in order, but as said before, you could read them in random order as well. The first novel I read was YOLT (in Dutch), to be honest I was too young to really get it.

chrisno1

"How important isw it to read the book in order?"

Very important. Please read them in order.