Gardner's worst?

MustonMuston Huncote, Leicestershire Posts: 228MI6 Agent
in James Bond Literature
As I have picked up 'Role Of Honour' for a second attempt to try and get through the rest of the Gardner's I still haven't read, just wondered which one was your least favourite? So far for me, 'Role Of Honour' is his worst that I've read (Icebreaker being the one I enjoyed most thus far).
"Thank you very much. I was just out walking my RAT and seem to have lost my way... "
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Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Unlike some I enjoyed the Gardner books ;) , they are nowhere nearby he standard of Fleming, but I still
    remember the excitement of, after such a long time NEW Bond stories. -{ .
    Near the end of his run the quality does drop and I'd now put Cold/Cold fall as his worst. :#
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Just started reading 'License renewed' today and my Impressions so far is that the Writing is clearly much different to Flemming's Style. For Instance, there are Scenes that just feel out of Place in a Bond Novel. The Part in Chapter five where Bond goes to Q'utes Flat for instance, the whole Hologram Scene with the 1960's Style Decor made me scratch my Head. Don't forget Bond and Q'utes Conversation in the Workshop about Guns and the way Gardner somehow managed to turn the process of dismantling and cleaning a 9mm Beretta into a Sexual Suggestion! :# What I do like about that Scene though is that he threw in a Reference to Casino Royale and Le Chiffre, along with Vesper and the Assassin that Carved the SMERSH Logo into Bonds Hand. I look forward to reading the rest of his Books as I get them.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,757Chief of Staff
    I quite enjoy some of Gardner's books - his non-Bond books are good too....I actually enjoy Role of Honour but I'm with Thunderpussy, Cold/fall is awful...almost unreadable in fact X-(

    He makes a good fist of the novels based on the films too..particularly Goldeneye....
    YNWA 97
  • MustonMuston Huncote, Leicestershire Posts: 228MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Just started reading 'License renewed' today and my Impressions so far is that the Writing is clearly much different to Flemming's Style. For Instance, there are Scenes that just feel out of Place in a Bond Novel. The Part in Chapter five where Bond goes to Q'utes Flat for instance, the whole Hologram Scene with the 1960's Style Decor made me scratch my Head. Don't forget Bond and Q'utes Conversation in the Workshop about Guns and the way Gardner somehow managed to turn the process of dismantling and cleaning a 9mm Beretta into a Sexual Suggestion! :# What I do like about that Scene though is that he threw in a Reference to Casino Royale and Le Chiffre, along with Vesper and the Assassin that Carved the SMERSH Logo into Bonds Hand. I look forward to reading the rest of his Books as I get them.

    I'm not a fan of License Renewed, however his follow up, For Special Services was very enjoyable in a silly way.
    "Thank you very much. I was just out walking my RAT and seem to have lost my way... "
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) For Special Services is probably my favourite Gardner Bond novel. Reads like a movie. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    You could have a Drinking Game with the amount of Times Gardner mentions Murics 'Magma Eyes'
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Aston Martin DBSAston Martin DBS Derbyshire, EnglandPosts: 661MI6 Agent
    I am currently reading Death is Forever for the first time.

    Don't know what others think bit I'm finding it to be enjoyable post cold-war spy yarn!
    "NEVER SAY NO TO ADVENTURES." Ian Fleming
  • Polar Bear 0007Polar Bear 0007 CanadaPosts: 129MI6 Agent
    "Man from Barbarossa" was Gardner's low point in my opinion.

    I thought "Licensed Renewed" and "Nobody Lives Forever" were excellent. "Icebreaker" is very good as well.

    A couple of summers ago I reread them all. Gardner clearly ran out of ideas and used the same pattern over and over. They were fun though......
    This is where we leave you Mr. Bond. (Pilot, Apollo Airlines)
  • Golrush007Golrush007 South AfricaPosts: 3,421Quartermasters
    Some time back I tried to read The Man From Barbarossa but I got bored with it and never finished. I haven't yet had the courage to try again!

    Otherwise, my experience of the John Gardner novels has been quite positive and all the ones that I have finished I enjoyed. I haven't read COLD, but I thought some of the other late Gardner books such as Death is Forever and Seafire were enjoyable reads.
  • lueth2048lueth2048 Posts: 120MI6 Agent
    No Deals Mr Bond is my least favorite Bond book from Gardner.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,757Chief of Staff
    lueth2048 wrote:
    No Deals Mr Bond is my least favorite Bond book from Gardner.

    I quite like that one - even if the title is a little uninspiring ! Get around to the last few of his Bond books and they just get worse...
    YNWA 97
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    ROH, ughh
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,757Chief of Staff
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    ROH, ughh

    I have a soft spot for that one - but I've never really worked out why !
    YNWA 97
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    The funny thing is I like most of the Gardner books, their not up
    There with Fleming's work, but highly enjoyable. Sure there are
    a couple of bum notes in there, but even they have their moments.
    IMHO, they are far better than Benson's efforts.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    I've been burnt out on reading lately -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    I hated Brokenclaw.
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I couldn't get used to the sound of Bond's new rank,
    Captain Bond, just doesn't sound right. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Yes, Gardner changed a few Aspects that Fleming gave to the Character. Maybe he would of been better off rebooting the Novel Universe for the 80's.
    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
    Sir Miles wrote:
    lueth2048 wrote:
    No Deals Mr Bond is my least favorite Bond book from Gardner.

    I quite like that one - even if the title is a little uninspiring ! Get around to the last few of his Bond books and they just get worse...

    The only Gardner that I haven't read is Cold.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,868Chief of Staff
    Cold is his worst, IMHO.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,757Chief of Staff
    lueth2048 wrote:
    The only Gardner that I haven't read is Cold.

    I wish I could say the same :#
    YNWA 97
  • JamesbondjrJamesbondjr Posts: 462MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Don't forget Bond and Q'utes Conversation in the Workshop about Guns and the way Gardner somehow managed to turn the process of dismantling and cleaning a 9mm Beretta into a Sexual Suggestion!

    That was the point I gave up with Gardner, I couldn't bring myself to read anymore after that. I think I've probably said this in other threads but to me Licence Renewed seemed like it had been written by someone who had never read Fleming and only seen the worst of the Roger Moore films and DAF.
    1- On Her Majesty's Secret Service 2- Casino Royale 3- Licence To Kill 4- Goldeneye 5- From Russia With Love
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Scorpius was boring for the first Half with the whole Investigation. Then when Bond reaches the Mansion in Florida, it picks up and gains some Speed.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I remember finding the almost "Exorcist" like medical examination of the
    Young girl, very creepy. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • PDJamesBondPDJamesBond Posts: 180MI6 Agent
    AstonMartonDBS, did you finish Death is Forever? What did you think? I'm about halfway through it now (reading it for the first time) and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.
  • richbondrichbond Posts: 36MI6 Agent
    I've got all 14 Fleming Bond novels and they're the only Bond novels I've ever read. From Russia and On her majesty's are the very best IMHO. B-) Are there any non Fleming Bond novels of a similar standard that I should read? Thanks, Rich. :)
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,757Chief of Staff
    richbond wrote:
    B-) Are there any non Fleming Bond novels of a similar standard that I should read? Thanks, Rich. :)

    I'd give Colonel Sun a read and both of Chris Wood's film novelisations...I like both film novelisations of LTK & Goldeneye...
    YNWA 97
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Col Sun is very good. The rest aren't great but I do
    enjoy FSS by John Gardner. I have them all and read them
    but Fleming's stories are far better. Put it this way, your're
    not missing anything. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • richbondrichbond Posts: 36MI6 Agent
    Thanks. :) I'll give Colonel sun a try. I re-read Casino Royale last year, and it was years ahead of it's time. 1953. Amazing! B-)
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    LR, FSS are Gardner's best -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
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