I really seem to be out of step with most here, but I didn't the same vibe others did.
I think I'm with you on this, TP. I thought the movie was a very good adaptation and modernization of the novel. Of course there are significant differences, but the vibe is there for me. After reading the book again recently for our little "book-of-the-month club", I wished in a way the ruminations between Bond and Mathis about the nature of good and evil could have been included in the movie. But upon reflection, I think such a scene might have been a bit too talky and could have interfered with the flow of the film. Also, with respect to the book, I was struck again by the distain displayed by Bond as he reflected on his feelings about women in general, and I didn't find the softening of his attitude towards Vesper to be that convincing. In fact, although the deepening relationship between Bond and Vesper in the movie wasn't fully fleshed out, I thought it seemed more authentic.
I wished in a way the ruminations between Bond and Mathis about the nature of good and evil could have been included in the movie.
I really love that part of the book, it's a wonderful insight into the mind of Bond as he is recovering. As you say though, it would be too talky for a film. It would work very well in a mini-series though, as would a lot of Fleming stuff. It's a shame that movies have to rush, in a manner of speaking, and have to cut out character moments like that out as they are completely superfluous to the narrative.
I think HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones has shown that a mini-series really is the best way to adapt a novel. I would really love to see someone do a completely faithful, period Bond series covering all the original Fleming books. Alas, it is highly unlikely
1- On Her Majesty's Secret Service 2- Casino Royale 3- Licence To Kill 4- Goldeneye 5- From Russia With Love
I really seem to be out of step with most here, but I didn't the same vibe others did.
I think I'm with you on this, TP. ... After reading the book again recently for our little "book-of-the-month club", I wished in a way the ruminations between Bond and Mathis about the nature of good and evil could have been included in the movie. But upon reflection, I think such a scene might have been a bit too talky and could have interfered with the flow of the film.
But the talky thing really could have worked in a Tarantino film...
I really seem to be out of step with most here, but I didn't the same vibe others did.
I think I'm with you on this, TP. ... After reading the book again recently for our little "book-of-the-month club", I wished in a way the ruminations between Bond and Mathis about the nature of good and evil could have been included in the movie. But upon reflection, I think such a scene might have been a bit too talky and could have interfered with the flow of the film.
But the talky thing really could have worked in a Tarantino film...
I like Tarantino but I wouldn't want him to do Bond .The problem would be that he would want to put his stamp on it and while his stamp may work for some things, I don't think his style would suit Bond at all.
1- On Her Majesty's Secret Service 2- Casino Royale 3- Licence To Kill 4- Goldeneye 5- From Russia With Love
Yeah, he does seem to be increasingly self-referential. Dunno, I love his films, to me they feel like old Bond movies, the same blend of comfort yet daring. Pulp Fiction, to me, is endlessly rewatchable, looks good, sounds great, fast turnover of classic scenes - just like an old Bond movie.
I think the Tarantino dialogue thing is starting to wear thin with me now, it was great back in the day when Sam J was rolling it out but if im honest it bored the crap out of me in Django and Inglorious Bsterds and the characters are starting to merge from film film.
With that in mind he would have had to change his formula for Bond and it would have been interesting to see what he would have pulled off
I for one love his work and would go so far as to say that he's a genius as a director. I too would have loved to see his take on Casino Royale, and think he would have taken in to account the history of the series.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I for one love his work and would go so far as to say that he's a genius as a director. I too would have loved to see his take on Casino Royale, and think he would have taken in to account the history of the series.
I'm a big Tarantino fan also, and I believe Casino Royale could have been very interesting in his hands (although I am thrilled with the Casino Royale we got).
Just to remind everyone that the Bond of the month is Live and Let Die. This is a great chance for anyone to read the Fleming novels. Infact I haven't read the books in years and this will be my first time reading them in order.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Just to remind everyone that the Bond of the month is Live and Let Die. This is a great chance for anyone to read the Fleming novels. Infact I haven't read the books in years and this will be my first time reading them in order.
Started and finished yesterday. I was about a third of the way through when this project started so I waited until Casino Royale was out of the way. I had a long journey in my van yesterday and listened to the entire audiobook. I'll collect my thoughts over the coming days and then post them
1- On Her Majesty's Secret Service 2- Casino Royale 3- Licence To Kill 4- Goldeneye 5- From Russia With Love
Casino Royale was the first Bond book that i ever read, back in 2006 to prepare myself for the film with the same name. I was then 9 years old, but the words stuck out and burned into my mind and made Bond a human. The morals from the 50's did appeal to me in a way and Flemings way of writing hooked me from the first moment. I have since re-read it once as a part of my marathon. And the following is my opinion of this book!
Casino Royale is a real classic in the litterature world. Mostly because that the book marked the beginning of the James Bond phenomenon but also that it contains the classical good versus evil in a pure way.
All the elements are there, everything that would go on and make the Bond novels so famous is in Casino Royale. You can feel it from the first page, from the very first words. Ian Fleming uses his prose excellent and explains Bonds world brilliant. The game - Chemin dé fer is so bloody intresting even though i have no idea how to play it. But Fleming makes it work.
The characthers are all well rounded and intresting, Bond is a younger more naive soul here than he will be in the upcoming books. And it makes him more accesible for us, the readers. So this was a new experience for me, this book made me realize that James Bond is something more than the super cool, suave agent that has been portrayed on the screen. The way he falls for Vesper is brilliant and understandable, she seems so likeable. Even though she hurts Bond and betrays England. The part when Bond reads the her letter is so heart sobbing and terrible. And we get the motivations for why Bond continues on and to fight the evil (a bit transparent word in the world of Fleming, but i can't find a better expression).
Le Chiffre is the groundstone for what to come, and even though he doesen't have much time to be exposed we can still feel his large (obese) presence that almost stands behind Bonds neck and breaths. He is terrifying.
But the two stand out scenes are of course the torture scene which hurts. In the way that Le Chiffre just sits and drinks coffee while he makes Bond suffer.
The other scene is soon after Bonds recovery, when he talks with Mathis about the good and the evil. It is just a great monologue and we get to know the identity of Bond for the first time.
It is a great book, but it will be surpassed by books that are yet to come.
I give it a: 9.5/10
One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
The first 2 books I read were Thunderball and You Only Live Twice (in Dutch) when I was on holiday in Tunesia when I was 12. I remember liking Thunderball, but You Only Live Twice was a bit too dull for me.
Re-read this just a few months ago in an effort to read them all again chronologically, currently on FYEO but still want to share thoughts. Sorry if you've read my review elsewhere already.
This was my second or third third time reading the book (certainly the first time since I was a young teenager) and I was enthralled for every single spine-tingling page. Fleming may have wanted Bond to be a blunt instrument, but a real human being shows through the grim mask. It is possibly Fleming’s hidden personality, subversive tendencies, subconscious desires, and personal affiliations that come to light in his characterization of James Bond. It says a lot about Fleming when you hear Bond’s thoughts on Vesper: “she was profoundly, excitingly sensual […] the conquest of her body, because of the central privacy in her, would each time have the sweet tang of rape.” Despite this, Bond’s sadistic tendencies feel incredibly natural and instinctual, and he is aware and conditioned enough to be occasionally embarrassed by them and his innate misogyny. He is conflicted about being a spy, being a chauvinist, being in danger…being James Bond.
The last chapters of the book, Vesper and Bond’s time relaxing and recovering together, are an allegorical tale of a couple’s breakup, something I couldn’t appreciate when I last read the book. Bond knows this relationship (and romantic relationships in general) are a doomed prospect for him, and several of his internal monologues anticipate and foreshadow these chapters with crushing inevitability. The very natural and genuine peaks and valleys of passion, ennui, love, and despair are remarkably identifiable, as is his conflicted heartbreak. There is a fair amount of self-deception when Bond declares, “The bitch is dead now,” as if he has something prove about his own masculinity…as if he doesn’t actually feel heartbroken. At the end he resolves to reassume his mask, and not retire as planned. He’s too afraid to leave himself that exposed ever again, and so he remains 007. His gruff pomposity and machismo belie a wounded man, something of an infant in his surroundings, afraid to ever let his guard down again.
The rest of the book: the action, the baccarat, the espionage are all as thrilling and captivating as I remembered. Fleming’s pacing and structure are built for swift page-turnery and the chapters are a smooth and dry cocktail-sized length. Speaking of, I tried a Vesper for the first time while reading this book. Unlike Bond, I’ll be more than willing to drink it again.
Grade: A+
All reviewers welcome -{ Great review redland. I have read your others ( also good reading ) and hope you'll add your views on LALD in August.
I wish I had the ability to write as well as some other members, but hopefully in my owm misspelt, hamfisted way I can get my love for the books across.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Seems I wasn't the only person here who read the books in adolescence or even much earlier, and is now revisiting it in adulthood. How much truth rings out for you and what aspect stands out? The psychology of James Bond and his relationships with women and villains are much more the draw for me than the action or espionage. Fleming is sometimes off the mark in a lot of his outdated conceptions (his sexism and racism), but he deserves more credit for his understanding of humanity. When he's on, he is on.
The story is very good and it sets up Leiter for the novels to come. Mr Big is a very interesting villain that seems like a real threat to Bond. His death is absolutely shocking and very brutal. I wouldn’t like to be maimed by sharks when it is time for me to go.
Still reading it at the moment But I did Laugh last night ( I'm at Bond in training in Jamaica ). When
Bond had a nightmare about several sea creatures and One was " A Giant Squid" ) ,
Was this a nightmare of did Bond develop some special powers from Solitaire of seeing the Future. )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Just finished Live and Let Die, and have to say I enjoyed it More than Casino Royale. It's more
of an action adventure. Firstly I have to say as it was written in the 50's some of the language used
wouldn't be accepted today, then again America in the 50's still had an "Apartheid" in operation.
I love how Mr Big is on to Bond as soon as he arrives in the USA. Fleming makes him an interesting
and intelligent villain. His death is equally nasty, As always the cast of henchmen is varied each having
a personality of their own. Quarrel is treated as Bonds equal, willing to work with Bond but not as a servant.
Bonds swim to Mr Big's boat is very atmospheric, with Fleming cranking up the tension for the Keel hauling
chapter. Once again Bond is Not a "Superman" but has to survive on his skills and wits, counting down minutes
in his head trying to work out a percentage of surviving.
I did remember the exotic Dancer in Mr Big's club, from my first time reading ( about 12) her act left a big impression
on a young Thunderpussy.
A great read and I'd recommend it to any Bond fan. -{
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
It's great reading LALD after CR, which was great but very linear and straightforward. By contrast Live and Let Die is much richer and I enjoyed the passages about the treasure coins and the jazz music. Fleming seems to be taking more time to develop the plot and is enjoying himself more, his writing style is more relaxed. Solitaire is a very appealing Bond girl too. Just a pity about the awful racism.
LALD doesen't live up to it's perfect predecessor. Actually it's lacking some pace around the time when Bond and Felix are walking around in Harlem. It was quite unintresting and lacking in the sense of dialouges that CR had.
Another great problem with LALD is that there is a lot's of characters but none of them get's really fleshed out. Neither Solitarie or Mr. Big has prominent roles in the story. They do not come to live to me in the way Le Chiffre or Vesper did in CR.
The book does have some good parts, like the train trip down to Florida, when Bond are sneaking around in the warehouse and Bonds inner thoughts.
I do not have the time to write something more at the moment, but needless to say LALD is not one of my favourites. But it isn't the "worst" (i don't like to use that word in the same sentence as a Bond book).
5/10
One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Comments
I think I'm with you on this, TP. I thought the movie was a very good adaptation and modernization of the novel. Of course there are significant differences, but the vibe is there for me. After reading the book again recently for our little "book-of-the-month club", I wished in a way the ruminations between Bond and Mathis about the nature of good and evil could have been included in the movie. But upon reflection, I think such a scene might have been a bit too talky and could have interfered with the flow of the film. Also, with respect to the book, I was struck again by the distain displayed by Bond as he reflected on his feelings about women in general, and I didn't find the softening of his attitude towards Vesper to be that convincing. In fact, although the deepening relationship between Bond and Vesper in the movie wasn't fully fleshed out, I thought it seemed more authentic.
I really love that part of the book, it's a wonderful insight into the mind of Bond as he is recovering. As you say though, it would be too talky for a film. It would work very well in a mini-series though, as would a lot of Fleming stuff. It's a shame that movies have to rush, in a manner of speaking, and have to cut out character moments like that out as they are completely superfluous to the narrative.
I think HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones has shown that a mini-series really is the best way to adapt a novel. I would really love to see someone do a completely faithful, period Bond series covering all the original Fleming books. Alas, it is highly unlikely
But the talky thing really could have worked in a Tarantino film...
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I like Tarantino but I wouldn't want him to do Bond .The problem would be that he would want to put his stamp on it and while his stamp may work for some things, I don't think his style would suit Bond at all.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
With that in mind he would have had to change his formula for Bond and it would have been interesting to see what he would have pulled off
I'm a big Tarantino fan also, and I believe Casino Royale could have been very interesting in his hands (although I am thrilled with the Casino Royale we got).
Then you're in for a treat, TP, and I envy you. Enjoy!
M: "Jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors . . . the list is endless."
M: "Jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors . . . the list is endless."
Started and finished yesterday. I was about a third of the way through when this project started so I waited until Casino Royale was out of the way. I had a long journey in my van yesterday and listened to the entire audiobook. I'll collect my thoughts over the coming days and then post them
Casino Royale is a real classic in the litterature world. Mostly because that the book marked the beginning of the James Bond phenomenon but also that it contains the classical good versus evil in a pure way.
All the elements are there, everything that would go on and make the Bond novels so famous is in Casino Royale. You can feel it from the first page, from the very first words. Ian Fleming uses his prose excellent and explains Bonds world brilliant. The game - Chemin dé fer is so bloody intresting even though i have no idea how to play it. But Fleming makes it work.
The characthers are all well rounded and intresting, Bond is a younger more naive soul here than he will be in the upcoming books. And it makes him more accesible for us, the readers. So this was a new experience for me, this book made me realize that James Bond is something more than the super cool, suave agent that has been portrayed on the screen. The way he falls for Vesper is brilliant and understandable, she seems so likeable. Even though she hurts Bond and betrays England. The part when Bond reads the her letter is so heart sobbing and terrible. And we get the motivations for why Bond continues on and to fight the evil (a bit transparent word in the world of Fleming, but i can't find a better expression).
Le Chiffre is the groundstone for what to come, and even though he doesen't have much time to be exposed we can still feel his large (obese) presence that almost stands behind Bonds neck and breaths. He is terrifying.
But the two stand out scenes are of course the torture scene which hurts. In the way that Le Chiffre just sits and drinks coffee while he makes Bond suffer.
The other scene is soon after Bonds recovery, when he talks with Mathis about the good and the evil. It is just a great monologue and we get to know the identity of Bond for the first time.
It is a great book, but it will be surpassed by books that are yet to come.
I give it a: 9.5/10
That's not late either, better to start of early!
underwater fight the sub crew had to make their own weapons.
This was my second or third third time reading the book (certainly the first time since I was a young teenager) and I was enthralled for every single spine-tingling page. Fleming may have wanted Bond to be a blunt instrument, but a real human being shows through the grim mask. It is possibly Fleming’s hidden personality, subversive tendencies, subconscious desires, and personal affiliations that come to light in his characterization of James Bond. It says a lot about Fleming when you hear Bond’s thoughts on Vesper: “she was profoundly, excitingly sensual […] the conquest of her body, because of the central privacy in her, would each time have the sweet tang of rape.” Despite this, Bond’s sadistic tendencies feel incredibly natural and instinctual, and he is aware and conditioned enough to be occasionally embarrassed by them and his innate misogyny. He is conflicted about being a spy, being a chauvinist, being in danger…being James Bond.
The last chapters of the book, Vesper and Bond’s time relaxing and recovering together, are an allegorical tale of a couple’s breakup, something I couldn’t appreciate when I last read the book. Bond knows this relationship (and romantic relationships in general) are a doomed prospect for him, and several of his internal monologues anticipate and foreshadow these chapters with crushing inevitability. The very natural and genuine peaks and valleys of passion, ennui, love, and despair are remarkably identifiable, as is his conflicted heartbreak. There is a fair amount of self-deception when Bond declares, “The bitch is dead now,” as if he has something prove about his own masculinity…as if he doesn’t actually feel heartbroken. At the end he resolves to reassume his mask, and not retire as planned. He’s too afraid to leave himself that exposed ever again, and so he remains 007. His gruff pomposity and machismo belie a wounded man, something of an infant in his surroundings, afraid to ever let his guard down again.
The rest of the book: the action, the baccarat, the espionage are all as thrilling and captivating as I remembered. Fleming’s pacing and structure are built for swift page-turnery and the chapters are a smooth and dry cocktail-sized length. Speaking of, I tried a Vesper for the first time while reading this book. Unlike Bond, I’ll be more than willing to drink it again.
Grade: A+
I wish I had the ability to write as well as some other members, but hopefully in my owm misspelt, hamfisted way I can get my love for the books across.
Seems I wasn't the only person here who read the books in adolescence or even much earlier, and is now revisiting it in adulthood. How much truth rings out for you and what aspect stands out? The psychology of James Bond and his relationships with women and villains are much more the draw for me than the action or espionage. Fleming is sometimes off the mark in a lot of his outdated conceptions (his sexism and racism), but he deserves more credit for his understanding of humanity. When he's on, he is on.
The story is very good and it sets up Leiter for the novels to come. Mr Big is a very interesting villain that seems like a real threat to Bond. His death is absolutely shocking and very brutal. I wouldn’t like to be maimed by sharks when it is time for me to go.
Bond had a nightmare about several sea creatures and One was " A Giant Squid"
Was this a nightmare of did Bond develop some special powers from Solitaire of seeing the Future.
of an action adventure. Firstly I have to say as it was written in the 50's some of the language used
wouldn't be accepted today, then again America in the 50's still had an "Apartheid" in operation.
I love how Mr Big is on to Bond as soon as he arrives in the USA. Fleming makes him an interesting
and intelligent villain. His death is equally nasty, As always the cast of henchmen is varied each having
a personality of their own. Quarrel is treated as Bonds equal, willing to work with Bond but not as a servant.
Bonds swim to Mr Big's boat is very atmospheric, with Fleming cranking up the tension for the Keel hauling
chapter. Once again Bond is Not a "Superman" but has to survive on his skills and wits, counting down minutes
in his head trying to work out a percentage of surviving.
I did remember the exotic Dancer in Mr Big's club, from my first time reading ( about 12) her act left a big impression
on a young Thunderpussy.
A great read and I'd recommend it to any Bond fan. -{
Another great problem with LALD is that there is a lot's of characters but none of them get's really fleshed out. Neither Solitarie or Mr. Big has prominent roles in the story. They do not come to live to me in the way Le Chiffre or Vesper did in CR.
The book does have some good parts, like the train trip down to Florida, when Bond are sneaking around in the warehouse and Bonds inner thoughts.
I do not have the time to write something more at the moment, but needless to say LALD is not one of my favourites. But it isn't the "worst" (i don't like to use that word in the same sentence as a Bond book).
5/10