Sebastian Faulks - Devil May Care, anyone read it? any views?

Quantum of Daisy

Sorry if there is already this topic out there, i had a look and couldn't find it. could anyone link me to it if there is?

I recently read Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks and i was wondering if anyone else read it and wasn't quite sure what to make of it? It seemed a good idea for Roger Moore but generally seemed to lack all of the other qualities needed for Bond. overall i wasn't that impressed by it and wondered if anyone else felt similar or greatly opposed?

Asp9mm

I've read it a few times. Still not too sure what to make of it. It all seems too forced and unnatural. It's not a good Bond novel and the plot is just awful, as are the characters.

ixtore

The selling line was "In the style of Ian Fleming" (or words to that effect). I thought, oh boy, this should be fun. But little if none of Fleming was present.

Quantum of Daisy

i felt the end of the book seemed more les miserables less james bond, i mean what villian commits suicide? and the whole plot seemed to end with Bond falling in love.

who would you guys say the best bond continuation writer is?

Barbel

Kingsley Amis (aka Robert Markham)

Thunderpussy

+1 and C Wood would be my second choice.

Quantum of Daisy

i tried colonel sun, and after only being able to find it as a audio book i just couldn't get into it. what about the Gardener books any views on them?

Barbel

They vary: the worst are towards the end of his tenure, generally. My favourite was "Nobody Lives Forever".

Thunderpussy

IMHO, Gardner's Novels are great fun. Although I do agree the quality
does drop off towards the end. My favourite is For Special Services

chrisisall

Quantum of Daisy wrote:

who would you guys say the best bond continuation writer is?

Personally, I thought Amis' Colonel Sun was excellent, but pretty adult & brutal. I can see why some might not like it. Christopher Wood's The Spy Who Loved Me was phenomenal IMO. The first few chapters of Gardner's first novel feel different than Fleming to me, but not in a bad way. Gardner's a really good writer.

Charmed & Dangerous

chrisisall wrote:

Quantum of Daisy wrote:

who would you guys say the best bond continuation writer is?

Personally, I thought Amis' Colonel Sun was excellent, but pretty adult & brutal. I can see why some might not like it. Christopher Wood's The Spy Who Loved Me was phenomenal IMO. The first few chapters of Gardner's first novel feel different than Fleming to me, but not in a bad way. Gardner's a really good writer.

+1.

That's a great summary, Chrisisall. IMO Colonel Sun is the best of all the continuation novels but Christopher Wood and the first couple of Gardner's novels were highly enjoyable too.

Napoleon Plural

Faulks has damned himself, saying in interviews that Bond has no inner life, no introspection at all or anything to reflect about, so he said, okay I'll put in another explosion. No fan reading Fleming's books would think that, Bond usually has an angle on something or someone, otherwise the prose becomes literary sublime (if that's a genre, you know describing nature unfold in large paragraphs, then man - in the form of a killer - appears and intrudes on the scene).

Peppermill

I started the book twice before finally finishing it the third time I picked it up. I think Bond should be a contemporary character because most period pieces do not work as good. That is not to say that I like CB better, haven’t finished that either.

chrisisall

I just got DMC in the post today. I'm a notoriously slow reader, and it can sometimes take me a couple of weeks to finish a book once I start. But Wood's TSWLM grabbed me and I made short work of it. Either way it goes, I'll put up my review. -{

Thunderpussy

After reading Solo. DMC in my opinion isn't looking too bad now. )

chrisisall

Thunderpussy wrote:

After reading Solo. DMC in my opinion isn't looking too bad now. )

I'm not expecting to be amazed, so maybe I'll like it.

chrisisall

Just finished the tennis match (chapter 5). So far, it reads like the well novelised script of a pretty good 60's Bond movie with some Flemingesque influence, rather than an outright Fleming novel.
Not that that's a BAD thing... so far... I am enjoying it. -{

David Schofield

Thunderpussy wrote:

After reading Solo. DMC in my opinion isn't looking too bad now. )

Spot on.

The whole DMC/SOLO vibe I get is a couple of writers with real highbrow opinions of their own literary skills, and conversely low opinions of Fleming, taking the very well paid piss out of the pearls-and-twin-set lasses at IFP by dashing off some hastily written tat. X-(

Muston

David Schofield wrote:

Thunderpussy wrote:

After reading Solo. DMC in my opinion isn't looking too bad now. )

Spot on.

The whole DMC/SOLO vibe I get is a couple of writers with real highbrow opinions of their own literary skills, and conversely low opinions of Fleming, taking the very well paid piss out of the pearls-and-twin-set lasses at IFP by dashing off some hastily written tat. X-(

Disagree with the idea that both Faulks and Boyd's Bond novels are tat. Even though Faulks wasn't a Bond fan and took the challenge on because he thought it would be interesting, I think it's plain to see Boyd is very much a Bond fan and he's given us a decent, if different take on Bond. Both are fine authors and that cannot be denied. I also can't see why you think that Boyd has a low opinion of Fleming? When he is clearly a fan (and even wrote Fleming into his novel Any Human Heart.)

David Schofield

Muston wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

Thunderpussy wrote:

After reading Solo. DMC in my opinion isn't looking too bad now. )

Spot on.

The whole DMC/SOLO vibe I get is a couple of writers with real highbrow opinions of their own literary skills, and conversely low opinions of Fleming, taking the very well paid piss out of the pearls-and-twin-set lasses at IFP by dashing off some hastily written tat. X-(

Disagree with the idea that both Faulks and Boyd's Bond novels are tat. Even though Faulks wasn't a Bond fan and took the challenge on because he thought it would be interesting, I think it's plain to see Boyd is very much a Bond fan and he's given us a decent, if different take on Bond. Both are fine authors and that cannot be denied. I also can't see why you think that Boyd has a low opinion of Fleming? When he is clearly a fan (and even wrote Fleming into his novel Any Human Heart.)

Well, whether you consider Boyd's writing to be tat depends on whether you rate SOLO. You do. I don't.

Also, you may recall from 2008, Faulks made all the right noises about being a Fleming fan which Boyd is copying now.

Personally, I think in both cases it's just guff to get them the gig (and the well paid commission).

Asp9mm

No, Boyd really is a huge literary Bond fan of vast proportions. That is one thing you can't take away from him.

Thunderpussy

I too am a big literary Bond fan , I might knock one out this weekend. I might
give writing a Bond novel a go as well. )

David Schofield

Asp9mm wrote:

No, Boyd really is a huge literary Bond fan of vast proportions. That is one thing you can't take away from him.

Then I'll take your word for it. Personally, I was not aware of that prior to the SOLO publicity.

Doesn't make much difference to what he wrote, though, nor the fact that he was making the most of the IFP offer.

Best reaction to an IFP offer? Lee Child, who didn't doff the forlock, not come out as a huge, closet Fleming fan. Simply said he couldn't write the way the project demanded. Nor add anything new to it.

Then again, Child is a hugely successful best-selling writer on his own merits.

Muston

David Schofield wrote:

Muston wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

Spot on.

The whole DMC/SOLO vibe I get is a couple of writers with real highbrow opinions of their own literary skills, and conversely low opinions of Fleming, taking the very well paid piss out of the pearls-and-twin-set lasses at IFP by dashing off some hastily written tat. X-(

Disagree with the idea that both Faulks and Boyd's Bond novels are tat. Even though Faulks wasn't a Bond fan and took the challenge on because he thought it would be interesting, I think it's plain to see Boyd is very much a Bond fan and he's given us a decent, if different take on Bond. Both are fine authors and that cannot be denied. I also can't see why you think that Boyd has a low opinion of Fleming? When he is clearly a fan (and even wrote Fleming into his novel Any Human Heart.)

Well, whether you consider Boyd's writing to be tat depends on whether you rate SOLO. You do. I don't.

Also, you may recall from 2008, Faulks made all the right noises about being a Fleming fan which Boyd is copying now.

Personally, I think in both cases it's just guff to get them the gig (and the well paid commission).

The Fleming people approached Faulks to write a novel, which at first he turned down. He wasn't out to try and get the gig. And what's the problem with the 'well paid commission' you keep on about? I say good luck to any author who takes on a very difficult job. And if you're waiting for someone to come out with an Ian Fleming Bond you'll be waiting a very long time.

David Schofield

Doesn't matter how much Faulks protested. He took the gig.

The fact that he and Boyd took a commission for money reflects poorly on them, IMHO: their end product was lousy. I get the idea you rate them, particularly Boyd. I don't.

The one with the clearest conscience is, oddly, the most financially successful. The one who turned IFP down regardless of the number of offers, Child. And no, I am not a Reacher/Child fan.

And, if you've read my posts on the literature thread recently, you'll know I'm not waiting for Fleming's Bond..As I've stated, the continiutions are pointless.

I just don't admire Bond being milked for dubious profit.

Muston

But if you see them as pointless, why read them and give profit to the people you think are milking Bond?

Thunderpussy

Sadly you do have to buy the book to read it and come up with an opinion. )
lucky for me I have enjoyed all the non Fleming novels, some more than others.
None are as good as Fleming but still fun.

David Schofield

Muston wrote:

But if you see them as pointless, why read them and give profit to the people you think are milking Bond?

What Thunderpussy said = can't criticise without reading them 8-)

When you've had a chance to read more of the continuations , then perhaps you'll agree with my view that the overall quality tends to suggest the project is futile

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

The one with the clearest conscience is, oddly, the most financially successful. The one who turned IFP down regardless of the number of offers, Child. And no, I am not a Reacher/Child fan.

Really ? You think IFP offer THAT much money ? They don't....simple as. If the money was right....he would write it.

This is where Child has serious form...he made a pledge that Cruise WOULD NEVER get his hands on the Reacher novels, no matter how much money he offered...who made and starred in Jack Reacher ? Oh yea...Cruise...guess the money was enough

David Schofield

Sir Miles wrote:

David Schofield wrote:

The one with the clearest conscience is, oddly, the most financially successful. The one who turned IFP down regardless of the number of offers, Child. And no, I am not a Reacher/Child fan.

Really ? You think IFP offer THAT much money ? They don't....simple as. If the money was right....he would write it.

This is where Child has serious form...he made a pledge that Cruise WOULD NEVER get his hands on the Reacher novels, no matter how much money he offered...who made and starred in Jack Reacher ? Oh yea...Cruise...guess the money was enough

You believe ALL that, Sir Miles? Internet speculation on all those points doesn't equal hard facts.

Don't know a thing about the background to movie Reacher and web-rumours, but I think it's undisputed Child turned down IFP and, oddly, he's the continuation novelist who has an established best-seller career and as to how you are sure "if the money was right...he would write it..."? Inside knowledge? Otherwise it's pure speculation.

Sir Miles

David Schofield wrote:

You believe ALL that, Sir Miles? Internet speculation on all those points doesn't equal hard facts.

Believe all what ? I'm lost as to what you are refering ? ?:)

IFP don't offer LOTS of money - fact, not internet rumour.

Child DID say that he would sell Reacher to Cruise...again fact, not internet rumour.