The Gardner Novels

AlphaOmegaSin

I have finally finished the Flemming Novels (Apart from Octopussy and the Living Daylights) and planning on getting the Gardner Novels next. I have a Question, how old is Bond in his set of Novels? Because there set in the 80's, Years after the Flemming Timeline with the 00 Section liquidated.

Thunderpussy

Just my opinion, Bond is older in the Gardener novels but not as old as his " real " age would be.
For myself I always imagine him as being in his mid 50s as opposed to the mid 30s of the
Fleming books. So plenty of life left in the old dog. )

Sir Miles

I think Gardner once said he thought Bond about 45 during his latter novels...

Golrush007

Yes, mid-40s seems about right for the John Gardner novels.

I hope you enjoy reading John Gardner's stuff. I have always liked them. They rarely touch the quality of Fleming, but if you go into them not expecting them to be on par with the originals you should have a good time with them.

Muston

I see Bond as a 50's Brosnan in Gardner books.

Barbel

Muston wrote:

I see Bond as a 50's Brosnan in Gardner books.

Works fine for me.

David Schofield

A little younger than 50s, IMO.

Gardner explicitly stated that he was lifting Fleming's Bond from where he had been in the 60s to 1981; if one accepts that Fleming-Bond had probably hit his early 40s - finally! - by Fleming's last few, then I suspect that's the kick-off age of Gardner's Bond.

Of course, what age Bond is meant to be when Gardner had finished with him 15 years later is another matter....

.... never mind the Bond age Benson was writing about.