Moonraker

Muston

After re-reading three of Fleming's novels recently, I've decided that Moonraker is probably his best of all the novels (followed close by Casino Royale). What's others thoughts on Moonraker? Is it such a great novel or have I been blinded by reading it again?

DEFIANT 74205

It's also my favourite Bond novel. This was a masterpiece by Fleming.

Charmed & Dangerous

IMHO, I enjoyed some of the early scenes - the scene in Blades is finely drawn- but I thought it lacked the 'Fleming Sweep' of the later novels, such as the more exotic locations and equally exotic heroines. Bond felt a bit more like a policeman or investigator than a secret agent.

The novels either side of it - LALD and the later DAF and FRWL - i felt moved a bit more briskly and were more gripping.

Which elements did you enjoy most about it?

Thunderpussy

Moonraker is a Great read. -{ One of Fleming's Best.

Charmed & Dangerous

Thunderpussy wrote:

Moonraker is a Great read.

They're all great reads. No-one except maybe Kingley Amis inColonel Sun, has come close.

Thunderpussy

I'd hate to disagree, but I've only read The Spy who Loved Me. Once
and Once was More than Enough. )

Charmed & Dangerous

Thunderpussy wrote:

. Once
and Once was More than Enough. )

Sounds like a good title for a Bond film(or novel) )

Have you read Thunderball, OHMSS, FRWL or Dr No?

They're brilliant. First novel I read was Thunderball, was at school at the time and had only seen one or two of the films, and the book is just awesome. I've re-read it about 4-5 times since an it just gets better IMO.

Thunderpussy

I've read them all ( several times ) except for "Spy"
( Although a long time ago, must read then again)
along with all the continuing novels. Gardner,Benson etc.
I guess since he was a Journalist, Fleming has a great
storytelling ability, the storys are fast paced and very
entertaining, with Brilliant chacters.
I have read that for " The Spy" novel he was trying to do
it in a Somerset Mourn style. But for my Taste The story
only gets going for the last third of the book.
Like yourself I started reading them at School. -{
Even Stephen Fry says that's the Best time to start your
Bond reading.

DEFIANT 74205

Charmed & Dangerous wrote:

Which elements did you enjoy most about it?

The only thing I didn't like about Moonraker was the slightly long game of Bridge. I liked the rest of the book, even without the exotic locales, and even if, as you say, Bond seemed to be a "policeman" as opposed to a secret agent. I thought it was very well written, and to use an already overused cliche, "gripping".

Thunderpussy wrote:

I'd hate to disagree, but I've only read The Spy who Loved Me. Once
and Once was More than Enough. )

I enjoyed The Spy Who Loved Me. Yes, it was different, but I don't see why others say it isn't one of Fleming's finest moments. I enjoyed the book more than the film of the same name (which I don't rate highly at all).

davidelliott101

Any book that can keep me riveted through an entire chapter just about what Bond and M eat for dinner at Blades does it for me!

Even though I feel OHMSS is Fleming's masterpiece, Moonraker ranks up there, too!

James Suzuki

First one I read, not the best, but a very good, different read. I love how it's all in England, brings a new twist.

Firemass

*spoiler alert*

I just finished reading Moonraker. It had more in common with the film version that I expected. Bond snooping around Drax's study while being a guest. Dr. Goodhead being someone similar to Gala Brand, ie placed with Drax as an employee while also working for the CIA. Attempting to kill Bond on site of Drax's property while making it look like an accident. And then Bond and Brand being held captive in the exhaust bay of the shuttle where they can be assured of warmth. (and their escape in the ventilator shaft) Several other parts of the novel have been used elsewhere in the Bond films which gave the book a cool overall feeling of being the a goldmine for source material. For example:

-"Spend the money quickly Mr. Bond" was used in Octopussy.

-Drax sending Krebs out onto the hood of his speeding car reminded me of Kamal Kahn sending Gobdina out onto the airplane wing in Octopussy.

-Krebs cutting the ropes and causing the newsprint rolls to fall out of the truck reminded me of the warehouse fight in FYEO where Bond shoots the ropes and causes the giant canisters to roll forward and crush the badguys.

- Changing the coordinates of the warhead to hit the submarine was used in The Spy Who Loved Me.

- Inspecting Drax for cheating at bridge also reminds me of Goldfinger and A View to a Kill.

As a whole I found Moonraker to be kind of a so-so experience. A top-secret nuclear warhead project run completely of Germans? Hmm very, VERY suspicious. In fact it was no surprise whatsoever they turned out to be anti-England. Especially so soon after WWII. The shaved heads and mustaches was silly. They were afraid someone would recognize them from the war? I can only imagine how comical that would look on film.

The double murder was a bit unlikely. Why not create a work related injury and not have to sacrifice one of their best employees in the process? Like push him off a ladder or something.

What were the secret coordinates on the map that Bond found in the dead man's room? Was that ever resolved?

As for Gala Brand I found her a bit irritating. She swiped Drax's secret black notebook and raced into the hotel to inspect it and estimated the Moonraker might actually be aimed at France. Ok!!! Next step: Call the police. Call Bond. Call the PM. Do anything except hop back into the car with Drax!!! She almost went to the grave with that little tidbit of information. And why wasn't Bond following them? I thought he was supposed to be tailing Drax on his way to London. That ditsy moment by Gala reminded me of Mary Goodnight or Tiffany Case type scenario. Of course Krebs is going to see her from the backseat!

When Drax and Krebs are being tailed by Bond at night and manage to smash Bond's car in what appears to be a freak accident they should have just left it at that. Instead they do a U-turn and go back to the crime scene, kidnap Bond, remove his license plates and escape despite several witnesses pouring down towards the crash. That was unbelievable!

Bond and Gala tied up in their office chairs seemed a bit of a cliche. Reminded me of that funny scene in The Man Who Knew Too Little where Bill Murray manages to knock out both guards while being tied to his chair.

The ending was a disappointment where we find out Gala is engaged to another man. I would rather have Bond be attempting re-entry while circling the world in a space shuttle.

And what's up with launching nuclear missiles into the ocean? Hardly a safe alternative!!!

superado

Firemass wrote:

-Krebs cutting the ropes and causing the newsprint rolls to fall out of the truck reminded me of the warehouse fight in FYEO where Bond shoots the ropes and causes the giant canisters to roll forward and crush the badguys.

Interestingly, the appearance of the giant newsprint rolls was also in FYEO, the short story and it seems Fleming was intrigued with these huge things that he probably saw from time to time at the newspapers he worked for...though, you are correct that the cutting of the retraining ropes in MR, the novel seemed to have inspired that scene in FYEO the movie.

I also liked MR because of its purity in form, pretty much like CR but more polished, yet without the need for overseas travel (though those pretty much make the other books very interesting). What I like the most about MR is the authenticity of Drax's Nazi origins that was rooted in Otto Skorzeny's Werewolf commandos and how a German like Drax was able to reinvent himself through the passage of time to complete what I guess what must have been the general duty of a loyal German during WWII, to avenge the Fatherland with the destruction of London.

Silhouette Man

superado wrote:

Firemass wrote:

-Krebs cutting the ropes and causing the newsprint rolls to fall out of the truck reminded me of the warehouse fight in FYEO where Bond shoots the ropes and causes the giant canisters to roll forward and crush the badguys.

Interestingly, the appearance of the giant newsprint rolls was also in FYEO, the short story and it seems Fleming was intrigued with these huge things that he probably saw from time to time at the newspapers he worked for...though, you are correct that the cutting of the retraining ropes in MR, the novel seemed to have inspired that scene in FYEO the movie.

I also liked MR because of its purity in form, pretty much like CR but more polished, yet without the need for overseas travel (though those pretty much make the other books very interesting). What I like the most about MR is the authenticity of Drax's Nazi origins that was rooted in Otto Skorzeny's Werewolf commandos and how a German like Drax was able to reinvent himself through the passage of time to complete what I guess what must have been the general duty of a loyal German during WWII, to avenge the Fatherland with the destruction of London.

For more on influences between MR and FYEO the film see this article here on my The Bondologist Blog, "Kingsley Amis, Drax's Gambit and the Reform of the Action Sequences in the James Bond Films":

http://thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/kingsley-amis-draxs-gambit-and-reform.html

Firemass

Superado,

I did find Drax's WWII background story quite fascinating! and then being strafed by a german fighter while in disguise was an interesting twist of fate. Reminded me of Sanchez finding Dalton strapped to the table and giving him a new start at life.


SM, I'm gonna hold off on reading your blog for another couple days while I finish reading the For Your Eyes Only short stories collection. (to avoid spoilers)

chrisisall

davidelliott101 wrote:

Even though I feel OHMSS is Fleming's masterpiece, Moonraker ranks up there, too!

In my memory, MR & OHMSS were the two best novels, with TB next. I really need to read them ALL again!

Firemass

Miranda Frost reminded me of Gala Brand, except Frost was a double agent whereas Brand was simply ineffective.

Bond in the ventilator shaft overhearing Drax and co speaking fluent German reminded me of the original Die Hard movie.

Peppermill

Firemass wrote:

*spoiler alert*

...
What were the secret coordinates on the map that Bond found in the dead man's room? Was that ever resolved?
...

*spoiler alert*

If I remember correctly Drax was receiving supplies from the Russians by submarine and Tallon saw it happen and was curious.

Firemass

Peppermill wrote:

Firemass wrote:

*spoiler alert*

...
What were the secret coordinates on the map that Bond found in the dead man's room? Was that ever resolved?
...

*spoiler alert*

If I remember correctly Drax was receiving supplies from the Russians by submarine and Tallon saw it happen and was curious.

Thanks Peppermill. That part kind of confused me. I didn't understand why the Russians would be collaborating with Nazi radicals after WWII. Especially Russians with submarines. That could have kicked off WWIII right there.

Funny how Drax kidnapped Bond, brought him to his lair, and told him his entire evil scheme. Classic!

Silhouette Man

Firemass wrote:

Peppermill wrote:

Firemass wrote:

*spoiler alert*

...
What were the secret coordinates on the map that Bond found in the dead man's room? Was that ever resolved?
...

*spoiler alert*

If I remember correctly Drax was receiving supplies from the Russians by submarine and Tallon saw it happen and was curious.

Thanks Peppermill. That part kind of confused me. I didn't understand why the Russians would be collaborating with Nazi radicals after WWII. Especially Russians with submarines. That could have kicked off WWIII right there.

Funny how Drax kidnapped Bond, brought him to his lair, and told him his entire evil scheme. Classic!

Yes, Drax got his Nazi revenge, the Russians got the destruction of the capital city of a key Western power - everyone was happy. It was sort of a new version of the August 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact, if you like.

Plus, revealing the villain's plan is an old trope of the thriller - Raymond Benson has the villain Guy Thackeray refer to it in his debut James Bond continuation novel Zero Minus Ten (1997), in quite a tongue-in-cheek fashion.

chrisisall

Silhouette Man wrote:

Yes, Drax got his Nazi revenge, the Russians got the destruction of the capital city of a key Western power - everyone was happy.

Man that was a great book.
I need a vintage Hardcover of that one, surely. -{

Firemass

if I was Drax I would have more ill-feelings towards the the Russians than England. Let's not forget who most recently invaded Berlin and basically raped and pillaged the place. I would have sent the Moonraker to destroy Moscow and thus start a war between Russia and England.