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Muston
Huncote, Leicestershire Posts: 228MI6 Agent
Well I'm two books down in the Gardner series and have to say that I really struggled to finish this one. 
The story starts off well, Bond taking out the terrorists on the plane, then the shock return of SPECTRE gave the novel an interesting start. But again I found a novel where the villains all give out evil chuckles, the women almost instantly fall in love with Bond (more of the "Oh darling James") and thrown into the mix was a grand prix (though this was a better chapter than the wrestling one in LR,) and SPECTRE using ice cream as part of their diabolical plan. I'll keep on going until I've read all of Gardner's, but I feel it's going to be a struggle. At least I now have both of Christopher Wood's to read first to help break things up.
The story starts off well, Bond taking out the terrorists on the plane, then the shock return of SPECTRE gave the novel an interesting start. But again I found a novel where the villains all give out evil chuckles, the women almost instantly fall in love with Bond (more of the "Oh darling James") and thrown into the mix was a grand prix (though this was a better chapter than the wrestling one in LR,) and SPECTRE using ice cream as part of their diabolical plan. I'll keep on going until I've read all of Gardner's, but I feel it's going to be a struggle. At least I now have both of Christopher Wood's to read first to help break things up.
"Thank you very much. I was just out walking my RAT and seem to have lost my way... "
Comments
is My favourite Gardner Bond novel.
I love the scale of the villain's plot, reminded me of one of the
Thunderball/ Goldfinger Fleming novels.
And, of course, SPECTRE need the legendary James Bond to pretend to be a general to complete their plot.... which is almost as ludicrous as needing an airship pilot in ROLE OF HONOUR - and having to get.... James Bond to fly it!
Not sure Gardner always thought his plots through, unlike Ian Fleming. I suspect that it might have had something to do with Gardner's view of the seriousness of the Bond stories, and the fact that in his Boysie Oakes stories logic was never an important ingredient.
That's a good one, though the whole mystery plot element stats with that one with numerous characters not being what they at first seem and double and triple crosses that get ever more confusing and complex.
I suppose you could say that of most of Gardner's efforts and I'm a fan.
The Barbarossa story was gritty and more real (I also don't remember the villains chuckling loads like in his first two books.) I'm sure I'll warm to Gardner's Bond, it's just taking some time.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Yes, I am bad like that.