... And all the Ginger hair ! )
I can just imagine the bull they were sold .......
" Oh yes, Ulster is very like Jamaica. Beautiful palm trees, sunny all the time.
You'll spend the day, sun bathing, fishing and meeting beautiful native girls " )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Is the last Book from Fleming published in 1966. Originally Just two stories but later two more were added.
Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady and 007 in New York.
Property of a Lady was written for a Sotheby's Newsletter, and has Bond going to an auction to ID a KGB pay master.
007 in New York, Bond warns a female agent her boyfriend is KGB and gives us his thoughts on Scrambled eggs.
Both these stories are very short The Living Daylights ( To have been called " Trigger Finger") has Bond Once again
thinking about his job, Killing !
Once again he points out he doesn't like doing it but Takes a pride in doing it well, and dislikes his contact's attitude
to it. As I learnt from an eariler post on AJB {[] the cellist in the story is based on Fleming's Half Sister Amaryllis.
It's a very interesting story with Bond waiting over three nights, watching the coming and goings of the street.
Octopussy for me is the Best story in the Book. Very much in the style of QOS. A story is told in Flashback. Of a retired
Intelligence officer who stole some Nazi gold during the war and in doing so killed a friend of Bond.
The story of how he found the Gold, smuggled it into England and how he got to sell it over the years is really entertaining.
The added Bonus is finding out that the Man, Major Dexter Smythe killed was Bond's Ski Instructor, "And a father Figure, at
a time, I needed one " says Bond.
So that's it All The Fleming Bond Books in order for the first Time for Me. {[] You really can see Bond's character develop and mature as the Books move on. I'd recommend any one wanting to read the Books, Please read them in order and you'll get a much better understanding not just of Bond but Fleming.
Even Fleming's own ill health is reflected in the last few Bond stories. Now I know it's not a Fleming Book but I'm reading next Month September - Col Sun by Robert Markham ( Kingsley Amis ) as it was written around the same time as the other Books
and unlike the other continuing Novels Bond wasn't up dated, so He's the same character as Fleming's, and I regard it as part of
the Original Novels.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I think you'll enjoy Colonel Sun, TP. It's very close to the original novels in many ways, and 007 comes across more like Fleming's Bond than in the later novels. I don't see this one ever being filmed- the central idea (M being kidnapped) has been used already, as has the villain's name...well, sort of.
Oh I'm having a ball ( DAF) re-reading the novels, Many of these I haven't
Read since my teens ( a very, very long time ago ) ). It's funny how with age
( maturity ?) some of the stories I thought of as slow or not interesting, I now see
As fantastic pieces of writing, QOS, Octopussy and even TSWLM.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I think you'll enjoy Colonel Sun, TP. It's very close to the original novels in many ways, and 007 comes across more like Fleming's Bond than in the later novels.
I'd like to take up TP's point about how one's view of Fleming's work changes with time. It's interesting that the works he cited are the later ones, with less of the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang approach and a more reflective tone. QoS (the short story) I hated when I first read it, at say 14 or so. No guns, gals, etc. Nothing to compare with, say, DN. Nowadays I can see it as a well-written thoughtful story, albeit one in which Bond plays a very minor role.
On the other hand, I've always enjoyed TSWLM and live in hope that a faithful film (or maybe TV) version might be made one day, since it gives an offbeat, oblique look at Our Hero.
OP was always a favourite. So well-written, so enjoyable. Major Dexter Smythe is a pretty unflattering self-portrait, of course, and perhaps reflects Fleming's state of mind at the time. In some ways, I'd compare it to Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye in which he sets two extreme versions of himself (alcoholic writer Roger Wade, and the idealised Philip Marlowe) against each other- though Chandler's long novel goes into greater depth. It's no secret that Fleming was a Chandler fan- Bond and Marlowe have much in common.
In many ways I think that's one of the great strengths of Fleming
As a writer. If you want the action/excitement it's there but if you
Want a more reflective, inner looking story, Fleming gives you that
As well.
Octopussy, on my latest reading really impressed me. The whole scope
Of the story, from the ageing of Major Dexter Smythe to the execution of
His plan. Then the reveal of why Bond has a personal reason for wanting
To meet up with the major. Brilliant story telling. -{
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Agreed. Have you read the comic strip version? It expands on Fleming in interesting ways- true to the spirit of the story but making it more action- oriented.
Bond takes on the Role of DCI Frost and does some investigating of a Man named Stanley Drangonpol. The whole things leads up to a thrilling Disneyland Finale.
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,844MI6 Agent
Bond takes on the Role of DCI Frost and does some investigating of a Man named Stanley Drangonpol. The whole things leads up to a thrilling Disneyland Finale.
Yes, indeed. As you may already know I go under the name Dragonpol on MI6 Community. And the villain is called David Dragonpol. It does indeed show James Bond as a police homicide detective throughout. In fact, I am writing a long essay and review on the 1993 novel by John Gardner. -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Don't worry - we all make mistakes! I called my The Bondologist Blog after the character too! I guess you could say that David Dragonpol has become my alter-ego! )
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Funny you should say that as at the bottom of the blog there is the following message:
"Copying from this blog and its content and replicating it anywhere on the Internet, in a book or a journal is the academic offence of PLAGIARISM, unless you provide a full academic citation. You are of course free to use the articles contained on this blog as long as you ensure that you ALWAYS pay reference to The Bondologist Blog as the source of the article, the article title and the author David Dragonpol (a pseudonym, though I'm not a serial killer despite a court injunction banning me from Disneyland Paris)."
)
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
First I'd like to point out that I think Col Sun is the best of the Novels to come after Fleming. -{ Writen shortly after
his death and in my opinion he keeps very much in the style of Fleming. Not quite as Good as Fleming as he doesn't
Have the "Sweep" or attention to detail, as in the opening Golf game, in which Fleming would have gone into detail
of the types of clubs used and the reason why Bond had picked them.
It starts with a Bang and then moves at at fantastic pace , with Bond heading to Greece for the final showdown with
the Villain. His leading lady is sexy enough, but lacking something, perhaps it's the lack of vunerability that Fleming usually
gives his Ladies. Either a broken nose, or a bad event from childhood.
One nice point was Bond refusing to take a 16year old Boy with him to the fight, as He didn't want to have to tell the boy's
parents about his death, so has him put shore.
The Colonel himself is a classic Bond villain, nicely described and a nasty piece of work. The torture sequence is horrific, and
brutal. Another nice point of the book is that Bond uses a Knife for the end section of the story, a basic weapon. Showing
Bond as a Professional hunter, assassin, cold blooded killer ? But No as he lets one henchman go as he has no need to Kill him.
Showing ( to me at least) Bond is a Soldier, not a killer. Later Bond himself reflects on the special equipment Q branch had
supplied him with, yet in the end He had to rely on his own skill, courage and wits. -{
Trying to keep the Bond time line going, this month I'll be reading Devil may care then Solo, as they are set in the 60s.
( Antony Horowitz, has just been announced as writting a new Bond story, set in the 50s, which Buggers up my idea )
but I'm going to do it anyway. ) as for the 70s Bond I was going to read Chistopher Woods two great film novels for
The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, Before moving on to the J Gardner novels which take us through the 80s along with
the R Benson novels, ending with Carte Blanche as it's set in contemporary times, and who knows A Horowitz novel may be
out by then to round things off. )
Once agin I'd love to hear others opinions on not just Colonel Sun but any of the Bond books {[]
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I know someone who grew up with the Films, but could never get into the Books. I lent him CR and he only got halfway through, claiming that the slower Pace bored him.
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
I do think some love the films and have no interest in the books. For
Me, I want to know who Bond is, and to get to know ( what little information
Fleming gives us) what makes the man. To do that you need to read the
Books. Although I can easily accept, that some fans have no interest in the
Books, and that's fine. We all have our own interests.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,844MI6 Agent
Yes, that is an interesting approach to reading the novels, Thunderpussy - well done. -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Comments
Yes, in a Bond novel all those different accents take quite some doing I'd imagine. I take my hat off to them!
Weather to walk the mutt.
And that's asking a lot in NI!
Well a lot of us did come from there in the Plantation, so that fits!
I can just imagine the bull they were sold .......
" Oh yes, Ulster is very like Jamaica. Beautiful palm trees, sunny all the time.
You'll spend the day, sun bathing, fishing and meeting beautiful native girls "
Is the last Book from Fleming published in 1966. Originally Just two stories but later two more were added.
Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady and 007 in New York.
Property of a Lady was written for a Sotheby's Newsletter, and has Bond going to an auction to ID a KGB pay master.
007 in New York, Bond warns a female agent her boyfriend is KGB and gives us his thoughts on Scrambled eggs.
Both these stories are very short The Living Daylights ( To have been called " Trigger Finger") has Bond Once again
thinking about his job, Killing !
Once again he points out he doesn't like doing it but Takes a pride in doing it well, and dislikes his contact's attitude
to it. As I learnt from an eariler post on AJB {[] the cellist in the story is based on Fleming's Half Sister Amaryllis.
It's a very interesting story with Bond waiting over three nights, watching the coming and goings of the street.
Octopussy for me is the Best story in the Book. Very much in the style of QOS. A story is told in Flashback. Of a retired
Intelligence officer who stole some Nazi gold during the war and in doing so killed a friend of Bond.
The story of how he found the Gold, smuggled it into England and how he got to sell it over the years is really entertaining.
The added Bonus is finding out that the Man, Major Dexter Smythe killed was Bond's Ski Instructor, "And a father Figure, at
a time, I needed one " says Bond.
So that's it All The Fleming Bond Books in order for the first Time for Me. {[] You really can see Bond's character develop and mature as the Books move on. I'd recommend any one wanting to read the Books, Please read them in order and you'll get a much better understanding not just of Bond but Fleming.
Even Fleming's own ill health is reflected in the last few Bond stories. Now I know it's not a Fleming Book but I'm reading next Month September - Col Sun by Robert Markham ( Kingsley Amis ) as it was written around the same time as the other Books
and unlike the other continuing Novels Bond wasn't up dated, so He's the same character as Fleming's, and I regard it as part of
the Original Novels.
Read since my teens ( a very, very long time ago
( maturity ?) some of the stories I thought of as slow or not interesting, I now see
As fantastic pieces of writing, QOS, Octopussy and even TSWLM.
(so Q)
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I'd like to take up TP's point about how one's view of Fleming's work changes with time. It's interesting that the works he cited are the later ones, with less of the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang approach and a more reflective tone. QoS (the short story) I hated when I first read it, at say 14 or so. No guns, gals, etc. Nothing to compare with, say, DN. Nowadays I can see it as a well-written thoughtful story, albeit one in which Bond plays a very minor role.
On the other hand, I've always enjoyed TSWLM and live in hope that a faithful film (or maybe TV) version might be made one day, since it gives an offbeat, oblique look at Our Hero.
OP was always a favourite. So well-written, so enjoyable. Major Dexter Smythe is a pretty unflattering self-portrait, of course, and perhaps reflects Fleming's state of mind at the time. In some ways, I'd compare it to Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye in which he sets two extreme versions of himself (alcoholic writer Roger Wade, and the idealised Philip Marlowe) against each other- though Chandler's long novel goes into greater depth. It's no secret that Fleming was a Chandler fan- Bond and Marlowe have much in common.
As a writer. If you want the action/excitement it's there but if you
Want a more reflective, inner looking story, Fleming gives you that
As well.
Octopussy, on my latest reading really impressed me. The whole scope
Of the story, from the ageing of Major Dexter Smythe to the execution of
His plan. Then the reveal of why Bond has a personal reason for wanting
To meet up with the major. Brilliant story telling. -{
Never Send Flowers
Bond takes on the Role of DCI Frost and does some investigating of a Man named Stanley Drangonpol. The whole things leads up to a thrilling Disneyland Finale.
Yes, indeed. As you may already know I go under the name Dragonpol on MI6 Community. And the villain is called David Dragonpol. It does indeed show James Bond as a police homicide detective throughout. In fact, I am writing a long essay and review on the 1993 novel by John Gardner.
I only really browse MI6 Community -{
Don't worry - we all make mistakes! I called my The Bondologist Blog after the character too! I guess you could say that David Dragonpol has become my alter-ego!
Always loved your Blog, probably one of the best Places for Bond -{
Funny you should say that as at the bottom of the blog there is the following message:
"Copying from this blog and its content and replicating it anywhere on the Internet, in a book or a journal is the academic offence of PLAGIARISM, unless you provide a full academic citation. You are of course free to use the articles contained on this blog as long as you ensure that you ALWAYS pay reference to The Bondologist Blog as the source of the article, the article title and the author David Dragonpol (a pseudonym, though I'm not a serial killer despite a court injunction banning me from Disneyland Paris)."
First I'd like to point out that I think Col Sun is the best of the Novels to come after Fleming. -{ Writen shortly after
his death and in my opinion he keeps very much in the style of Fleming. Not quite as Good as Fleming as he doesn't
Have the "Sweep" or attention to detail, as in the opening Golf game, in which Fleming would have gone into detail
of the types of clubs used and the reason why Bond had picked them.
It starts with a Bang and then moves at at fantastic pace , with Bond heading to Greece for the final showdown with
the Villain. His leading lady is sexy enough, but lacking something, perhaps it's the lack of vunerability that Fleming usually
gives his Ladies. Either a broken nose, or a bad event from childhood.
One nice point was Bond refusing to take a 16year old Boy with him to the fight, as He didn't want to have to tell the boy's
parents about his death, so has him put shore.
The Colonel himself is a classic Bond villain, nicely described and a nasty piece of work. The torture sequence is horrific, and
brutal. Another nice point of the book is that Bond uses a Knife for the end section of the story, a basic weapon. Showing
Bond as a Professional hunter, assassin, cold blooded killer ? But No as he lets one henchman go as he has no need to Kill him.
Showing ( to me at least) Bond is a Soldier, not a killer. Later Bond himself reflects on the special equipment Q branch had
supplied him with, yet in the end He had to rely on his own skill, courage and wits. -{
Trying to keep the Bond time line going, this month I'll be reading Devil may care then Solo, as they are set in the 60s.
( Antony Horowitz, has just been announced as writting a new Bond story, set in the 50s, which Buggers up my idea
but I'm going to do it anyway. ) as for the 70s Bond I was going to read Chistopher Woods two great film novels for
The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, Before moving on to the J Gardner novels which take us through the 80s along with
the R Benson novels, ending with Carte Blanche as it's set in contemporary times, and who knows A Horowitz novel may be
out by then to round things off.
Once agin I'd love to hear others opinions on not just Colonel Sun but any of the Bond books {[]
As the movies. {[]
Me, I want to know who Bond is, and to get to know ( what little information
Fleming gives us) what makes the man. To do that you need to read the
Books. Although I can easily accept, that some fans have no interest in the
Books, and that's fine. We all have our own interests.