from Russia with love

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  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    I'm in, great suggestion and no problem waiting a month or with starting with Casino Royale. Great idea TP!
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • davidelliott101davidelliott101 Posts: 165MI6 Agent
    Sounds good to me!
  • DEFIANT 74205DEFIANT 74205 Perth, AustraliaPosts: 1,881MI6 Agent
    Could I ask DEFIANT 74205, why you haven't read any of the continuing novels ?
    and do you include Col Sun.

    It's probably because I think the Fleming books are better, and everything written by Fleming is "cannonical" Bond as opposed to those written by continuation authors. I guess I'm a bit of a "Fleming purist" in that sense.

    As for suggestions for a book to review, why not start at the beginning with Casino Royale?
    "Watch the birdie, you bastard!"
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    -{ Yes, I think everyone has decided to start at the begining. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    -{ Yes, I think everyone has decided to start at the begining. :D

    I'm in! -{
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Glad your enjoying it AS. Fleming was a great writer he knew how to drive a story along. Making the film makers job a little easier. :))

    Hi TP just finished chapter 15 (background to a spy) I was looking forward to this part of the film most of all
    when JB meets KB , the words I.F uses paints a complete picture in the mind ,and takes me back to Turkey
    the smell of the spices the mint, the black coffee, and the cigarette smoke ,pure magic. I enjoyed this chapter most of all
    is the best yet to come ? I was disappointed to read that Bond did not order his coffee medium sweet as in the film
    oh well
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Don't worry always shaken, Fleming moves the story along. I think his use of
    details help ground you in the story, The train sequence is especially good. ;)
    "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
    The train sequence is especially good. ;)

    Oh yes, definitely. It's even better than the film :)
    "Watch the birdie, you bastard!"
  • PeppermillPeppermill DelftPosts: 2,860MI6 Agent
    IMHO the whole book is better than the movie. I think the plot makes a lot more sense in the novel. Even though the movie is in my top 3, the book wins hands down.
    1. Ohmss 2. Frwl 3. Op 4. Tswlm 5. Tld 6. Ge 7. Yolt 8. Lald 9. Cr 10. Ltk 11. Dn 12. Gf 13. Qos 14. Mr 15. Tmwtgg 16. Fyeo 17. Twine 18. Sf 19. Tb 20 Tnd 21. Spectre 22 Daf 23. Avtak 24. Dad
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Don't worry always shaken, Fleming moves the story along. I think his use of
    details help ground you in the story, The train sequence is especially good. ;)

    Yes,during chapter 15 (background to a spy) was supprised to read in the space of 8 paragraphs
    that Fleming uses the word rape twice to describe the goings on of his family/countrymen
    took me completely by supprise ,not that it doesn't fit in ,in fact it more than perfectly works
    it just made my chuckle to think of Fleming sitting there in Goldeneye, typewriter,cup of tea in hand
    writing about people being raped ? are there any more supprises in store
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Keep reading Fleming and there are quite a few surprises!
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    Several of the things I admire about Fleming was his ability to put the reader right in the moment of the story, no matter how long ago it was written (writers like Conan Doyle and Alistair Maclean and Raymond Chandler did this as well). His journalistic ability to describe all the senses in the environment - the smell of the air and of food, the feel of a place or an object, etc. takes me out of the present and transports me temporarily into the story just as a good film does. His reporter's sense of getting details correct (though he made mistakes sometimes as all writers do) and keeping the plot moving and the pages turning is why he is in my pantheon of fiction writers. As he said, he wasn't trying to compete with Shakespeare, he was just trying to entertain on a more commercial level. Some younger readers sometimes have problems wrestling with the geopolitics of the time because they were born post Soviet Union and are only used to terrorists, North Korea, etc.. It's another reason it takes a writer like Fleming to make it all seem present and real.
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Several of the things I admire about Fleming was his ability to put the reader right in the moment of the story, no matter how long ago it was written (writers like Conan Doyle and Alistair Maclean and Raymond Chandler did this as well). His journalistic ability to describe all the senses in the environment - the smell of the air and of food, the feel of a place or an object, etc. takes me out of the present and transports me temporarily into the story just as a good film does. His reporter's sense of getting details correct (though he made mistakes sometimes as all writers do) and keeping the plot moving and the pages turning is why he is in my pantheon of fiction writers. As he said, he wasn't trying to compete with Shakespeare, he was just trying to entertain on a more commercial level. Some younger readers sometimes have problems wrestling with the geopolitics of the time because they were born post Soviet Union and are only used to terrorists, North Korea, etc.. It's another reason it takes a writer like Fleming to make it all seem present and real.

    Totally agree , for me (being old enough (damm) ) I remember the old soviet union , and all its goings on
    my dad worked in Moscow in the 70s in the exhibition game and remembers being shall we say watched
    by men in big coats also myself ,have been lucky enough to have visited a lot of Bond locations
    so to read/watch Bond is easier to relate to what the master is trying to portray ,cant wait to finish the book
    any suggestions on wich one I should by next (this should be interesting Sir Miles :) )
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    It may sound strange and though logically it would make sense to read Dr. No next, I actually think you should get Casino Royale and then the others leading up to FRWL. It will put you more in line with the sequence of Bond's life and his missions. Even though the stories are independent of each other, they are placed around the year they are written and sometimes Fleming references something that may have happened in the previous book or what's happening in the real world at that time.
  • mrbondmrbond Posts: 296MI6 Agent
    Loved this one. Was a little disappointed it didn't end similarly to the film, but Donovan Grant is terrifying. Apparently it could be argued Fleming created the first serial killer in fiction. I don't know what is more scary, Grant or the idea of Rosa Klebb in skimpy clothing. Equally nightmarish! I did let out a little "eek!" at the day Kerim treats women but I wonder if Fleming shared that view-point. Great novel anyway.

    You're reading Dr. No next? Loved that one too. :)
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Sun was out today so buggered off out of Canary wharf to catch some rays
    pint of ice cold Magners,sun lounger and of course FRWL ,ive now read it yippee
    excellent writing ,the master puts you right there ,the smells,the sounds,the tastes
    Rosa Klebbs massive knickers, no please missus,(what was he thinking)
    but the ending the last page,obviousley our hero doesn't die,but now im strung out
    does Bond end up in hospital? who long is he out for ,the mind is racing
    as to Bonds well being which book do I get now, my brain says Goldfinger
    but my heart says DR NO ,I want to relive Jamaica and Dunns river falls
    in my minds eye ,please help :D
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • PeppermillPeppermill DelftPosts: 2,860MI6 Agent
    Dr No, hands down! It is a great continuation from FRWL. You might even learn some things about why Bond carries a PPK...
    1. Ohmss 2. Frwl 3. Op 4. Tswlm 5. Tld 6. Ge 7. Yolt 8. Lald 9. Cr 10. Ltk 11. Dn 12. Gf 13. Qos 14. Mr 15. Tmwtgg 16. Fyeo 17. Twine 18. Sf 19. Tb 20 Tnd 21. Spectre 22 Daf 23. Avtak 24. Dad
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Peppermill wrote:
    Dr No, hands down! It is a great continuation from FRWL. You might even learn some things about why Bond carries a PPK...
    Now im confused ,as a non Bond Book reader FRWL was my first attempt
    (I know im 53 and that's no excuse houses kids work ect)
    but in my Bond world DR no was before FRWL (film wise )now I find book wise DR no is after FRWL
    DOH so indeed I will get DR NO , as for the PPK that's not a big issue for me ,but will gladly learn why
    not being a gun fan as such, I can see why Bond is issued (film wise with the PPK)
    I would have gone for a Mauser Hsc myself, but im sure ASP9mm will put me right :)
    so off to waterstones to get DR NO then
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,859Chief of Staff
    edited July 2013
    Re: films in different order from books.

    Eon had planned to start the film series with TB (Richard Maibaum had already started work on the screenplay) but the well-known legal problems with that story were just beginning. They didn't have the rights to CR, since Fleming had sold them years previously.
    Shooting in Jamaica had major financial advantages at that time (I think this was called the Eady subsidy) so DN was a logical pick to be filmed first. Picking FRWL next was also a logical choice- the book had recieved a big publicity boost after being cited by JFK as a favourite.
  • always shakenalways shaken LondonPosts: 6,287MI6 Agent
    Wow I didn't know that FRWL was a favourite of President Kennedy,
    By the way, did I tell you, I was "Mad"?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,859Chief of Staff
    It was named in a list of his ten favourite books. Some say it was included for populist value, but it certainly pleased Fleming and his publishers!
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