How would you rank the Fleming novels?

DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
in James Bond Literature
I own all of the Fleming novels (in Dutch however), and I must say, they are a joy to read! As much of a huge Bond fan I am, I must say I haven't read all of the Fleming novels yet. So far I've read:

Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, From Russia With Love. (And Dr. No very long ago)
Currently I have started reading them all in order and I am now reading Diamonds Are Forever.

I know that there are countless members out here who have read them all, and I'm very curious to see how you guys rank the novells and would love to hear your oppinion on them! Whenever I have read them all myself, I will do a little ranking of my own. From what I gather On Her Majesty's Secret Service is often regarded the best Fleming novel, so I'm very curious about that one!

From Russia With Love was the best one I've read so far. And since I am reading them in order, I am probably going to be reading it a second time. I almost dare to say the novel was even better than the movie! The plot got explained in so much more detail. The SMERSH villians seem so much more of a threat compared to the movie versions of SPECTRE. I loved the way Grant got even more dangerous whenever a full Moon was arround. Once I read that you could pretty much guess that there was going to be a full moon when Bond was going to meet him. There were also small details that should have been in the movie. Like the explanation of why Bond took the train instead of the plane. Seems pretty minor, but I tend to notice that a lot of newbee friends that I show the movie to tend to get lost with the whole plot, and reading the book really helps you out. I do like the way the actually used Kerim Bay's underground bomb in the movie, it was only mentioned in the novel. Lots of suspense, great read!

I also really enjoyed Casino Royale and Moonraker. I think Live and Let Die wasn't as good. (Racists in some parts and never really liked the voodoo stuff in neither the movie nor the novell.)

I would love to see some oppinions and rankings from the experts out here!
Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
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Comments

  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    No expert here, but the first one I read was DR NO about a year before the movie came out. What with the setting , the Roseate Spoonbills,and general plot, I thought it was great.I still like it, and it may be my personal favorite. I do think FRWL is the best of the series, and I like Thunderball
    alot,for the same reasons as DR NO. As for LALD, yes it is racist in some parts,but that was the accepted reality at the time it was written. I do not see how Bond managed to stay alive in Goldfinger(the novel or the movie),but the idea of knocking off Ft. Knox was great,although I prefer the movie's dirty bomb to the novel's actual theft of the gold. TMWTGG is the weakest of the series, I suspect due to Fleming's declining heath. All in all , Fleming was a very good story teller; I'm not a golfer or card player,but he was able to make stuff like that interesting and part of the storyline.Even now I will occaisonally pull one of the battered Signet 50 cent paprbacks out and reread the whole thing.
    I'm also interested in hearing others' opinions.

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I agree the Man with the Golden gun is one of the weaker novels
    but still a good read. I never warmed to The Spy who loved Me.
    The same with the two books of short stories. As for the rest I think
    Moonraker, Goldfinger, OHMSS, are my favourites. Although they're
    all good really.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • DEFIANT 74205DEFIANT 74205 Perth, AustraliaPosts: 1,881MI6 Agent
    1. Moonraker
    2. Casino Royale
    3. From Russia With Love
    4. Thunderball
    5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    6. Dr No
    7. Live and Let Die
    8. Goldfinger
    9. Diamonds are Forever
    10. The Man with the Golden Gun
    11. For Your Eyes Only
    12. The Spy Who Loved Me
    13. Octopussy and The Living Daylights
    14. You Only Live Twice
    "Watch the birdie, you bastard!"
  • ixtoreixtore NYCPosts: 111MI6 Agent
    Generally, for me, the early novels are better than the later ones. A little closer to the bone. Dr. No was excellent. The torture tunnel at the end was, in the book, exactly that, with No watching Bond's progress along the way.
    I like Thunderball, but because of the McClory connection felt it was never a solo effort on Fleming's part. Good read, nonetheless.
    They all have insights into Bond's character that reveal a little more as the books progress.
    Today, I'll go with Dr. No as my favorite (the first one I read).
    The scent smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul-erosion produced by high gambling - a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension - becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it.
  • raptors_887raptors_887 CanadaPosts: 215MI6 Agent
    Tecolote wrote:
    but the first one I read was DR NO about a year before the movie came out.

    LOL am I reading this right?
    1: Casino Royale 2: Goldeneye 3: Skyfall 4: Octopussy 5: Goldfinger 6: Tomorrow Never Dies 7: The World Is Not Enough 8: The Living Daylights 9: From Russia With Love 10: The Spy Who Loved Me
  • davidelliott101davidelliott101 Posts: 165MI6 Agent
    Well, if he was alive and able to read in 1961, I would say yeah, you're reading that right!
  • Colonel PinstripeColonel Pinstripe UKPosts: 52MI6 Agent
    davidelliott101 wrote:
    Well, if he was alive and able to read in 1961, I would say yeah, you're reading that right!

    Indeed.
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    Since you started reading the novels, you may or may not be aware that Fleming actually was beginning to grow tired of Bond by the time he wrote FRWL and due to it and his health problems he had decided to kill him off at the end of the
    novel. He changed his mind when the book was so well received and also because his publisher and friends like Noel Coward reminded him that he now had
    a son and the books were a good source of extra income. The possibility they might be produced for television or films in the future providing even more income probably made him realize he needed to keep Bond alive.
  • Polar Bear 0007Polar Bear 0007 CanadaPosts: 129MI6 Agent
    For me, Dr. no is in a class by itself. The next 4-5 in my rankings are excellent. I read it least 5 a year, usually on vacation. I really like MWTGG, although most don't!!

    1. Dr. No
    2. Live and Let Die
    3. Man with the Golden Gun
    4. Moonraker
    5. Goldfinger
    6. Thunderball
    7. You Only Live Twice
    8. Diamonds Are Forever
    9. Casino Royale
    10. On her majesty's secret service
    11. The spy who loved me
    12. Octopussy and the living daylights
    13. For your eyes only
    14. From russia with love

    Yes, From Russia with Love, last!! In my opinion not a Bond novel and highly overrated!!
    This is where we leave you Mr. Bond. (Pilot, Apollo Airlines)
  • Sir James MoloneySir James Moloney LondonPosts: 139MI6 Agent
    I have just read them all in order and finished TMWTGG yesterday. I'd rank them as follows:

    1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    2. From Russia, With Love
    3. Moonraker
    4. Casino Royale
    5. Live and Let Die
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Thunderball
    8. You Only Live Twice
    9. The Spy Who Loved Me
    10. Dr. No
    11. Diamonds are Forever
    12. The Man with the Golden Gun
    1- CR. 2- OHMSS. 3- FRWL. 4- GF. 5- DN. 6- TLD. 7- SF. 8- TSWLM. 9- GE. 10- LTK.
    11- TB. 12- OP. 13- LALD. 14- TMWTGG. 15- FYEO. 16- YOLT. 17- TND. 18- QoS.
    19- TWINE. 20- AVTAK. 21- MR. 22- DAF. 23- DAD.
  • JuraquagmireJuraquagmire CanadaPosts: 49MI6 Agent
    edited April 2014
    Novel:
    Live and Let Die
    Moonraker
    From Russia with Love
    Casino Royale
    Diamonds Are Forever
    The Man with the Golden Gun
    Dr. No
    The Spy Who Loved Me
    Goldfinger
    You Only Live Twice
    Thunderball
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service

    Shorts:
    Quantum of Solace
    Risico
    The Living Daylights
    The Hildebrand Rarity
    Octopussy
    For Your Eyes Only
    From a View to a Kill
    007 in New York
    The Property of a Lady
    Dalton is the Bond! Lazenby is the other fella.
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia, PAPosts: 754MI6 Agent
    Have only read first four so far. I'll continue to update my rankings as I read them:

    1.) Live and Let Die
    2.) Moonraker
    3.) Casino Royals
    4.) Diamonds are Forever
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Tough question can't rate them all but my top Five would be :

    1, OHMSS
    2, Moonraker
    3, Thunderball
    4, Dr No
    5, Diamonds are Forever

    Although they are ALL worth reading. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,865Chief of Staff
    Tecolote wrote:
    No expert here, but the first one I read was DR NO about a year before the movie came out.

    Hey, Tecolote, Blackleiter and I are used to being the oldest ones here! Not fair!!! :))
  • JamesBondBlogJamesBondBlog USAPosts: 34MI6 Agent
    Hmmm. Tough one.

    1) Dr No
    1a) OHMSS
    1b) From Russia With Love
    1c) Moonraker
    1d) Thunderball
    1e) Diamonds Are Forever
    1f) Live and Let Die
    1g) For Your Eyes Only
    1h) The Man With The Golden Gun
    1i) Casino Royale
    1j) Octopussy and The Living Daylights
    1k) Goldfinger
    1l) You Only Live Twice
    1m)The Spy Who Loved Me
    http://flemingsbond.com

    Twitter: @FlemingsBond
  • James007SweeneyJames007Sweeney Posts: 54MI6 Agent
    OHMSS for me is excellent, It still annoys me to this day that it probably ended up being the worst film as it has great locations, a great story.
    You only live twice: Once when you are born. And once when you look death in the face.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,754Chief of Staff
    James007Sweeney wrote:
    OHMSS for me is excellent, It still annoys me to this day that it probably ended up being the worst film as it has great locations, a great story.

    You are in the minority there though...OHMSS regularly comes out top in fan lists of best Bond film...
    YNWA 97
  • TecoloteTecolote Mississippi,USAPosts: 121MI6 Agent
    Barbel,us old folks are not known to be fair :) .
    DR NO, in the form of the old Signet paperback edition, was left by a family friend, mainly for my father to read. I found it and read it one night. I thought after reading the chapter "Choice of Weapons" that Fleming really knew his musketry; of course in due time I learned just how much he fouled that up...

    Regards,

    Tecolote
  • welshboy78welshboy78 Posts: 10,320MI6 Agent
    I ashamed to say I still have not read them all - I have been trying to go through them in order but got stuck on The Spy Who Loved Me and never went back!!!!

    The highlights for me so far though was prob: Moonraker / FRWL and Casino Royale. Did not enjoy LALD that much
    Instagram - bondclothes007
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Stick with it welshie - they get MUCH better after TSWLM, especially Thunderball, OHMSS and YOLT -{
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Tecolote wrote:
    Barbel,us old folks are not known to be fair :) .
    DR NO, in the form of the old Signet paperback edition, was left by a family friend, mainly for my father to read. I found it and read it one night. I thought after reading the chapter "Choice of Weapons" that Fleming really knew his musketry; of course in due time I learned just how much he fouled that up...

    Regards,

    Tecolote

    You're stealing our thunder as the "Elder Statesmen" of AJB, Tecolote! But you're right, we senior citizens are too old to worry about fairness! :))
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • welshboy78welshboy78 Posts: 10,320MI6 Agent
    Charmed & Dangerous wrote:
    Stick with it welshie - they get MUCH better after TSWLM, especially Thunderball, OHMSS and YOLT -{

    Ive done Thunderball - did I read one in the wrong order?

    Yeah maybe try again this weekend - looking forward to reaching OHMSS!
    Instagram - bondclothes007
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Oops my bad, you're right. I should be excommunicated for getting the novels in the wrong order :#
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • welshboy78welshboy78 Posts: 10,320MI6 Agent
    Charmed & Dangerous wrote:
    Oops my bad, you're right. I should be excommunicated for getting the novels in the wrong order :#

    Your punishment - watch Never Say Never Again!
    Instagram - bondclothes007
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    :)) :)) :))
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • richbondrichbond Posts: 36MI6 Agent
    It's been a while since I've read them, but I remember being most impressed with From Russia with love. (Great cover on my pan paperback with those movie-reel cut-outs down the edge of the cover. B-) ) On her Majestie's secret service, Goldfinger, Dr No, Casino Royale and Thunderball were also terrific. The spy who loved me was my least fave. Well written, but Bond himself having a backseat weakened this one for me. The early ones were definitely better. Just started reading them all again in order. Currently halfway through Live and let die. Brilliant, and so ahead of it's time. 1954! Incredible. B-) Rich.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Yeah, TSWLM just drags on for Pages at a Time. I'm glad Fleming ditched this Idea shortly after -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • lueth2048lueth2048 Posts: 120MI6 Agent
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Moonraker
    Doctor No
    Thunderball
    From Russia, With Love
    Live and Let Die
    You Only Live Twice
    Casino Royale
    Diamonds Are Forever
    The Man With the Golden Gun
    Goldfinger
    The Spy Who Loved Me
  • Mr_OsatoMr_Osato Posts: 398MI6 Agent
    1. On her Majesty's secret service
    2. From Russia with love
    3. Dr No
    4. Moonraker
    5. Thunderball
    6. Goldfinger
    OHMSS, FRWL, DN, GF, CR, GE, SP, YOLT, TB, TSWLM, LALD, TLD, TND, FYEO, SF, MR, TMWTGG, TWINE, OP, AVTAK, DAF, LTK, QOS, DAD

    1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Moore
  • Woody74Woody74 Posts: 3MI6 Agent
    I think Moonraker and OHMSS are my personal favourites - I always try to read one of them in the run-up to Christmas -{
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