What is your favourite and least favourite Bond novel?

raptors_887raptors_887 CanadaPosts: 215MI6 Agent
in James Bond Literature
Favourite: Casino Royale. I like how it gets right to the point without all the descriptions and page fillers. Just a good fast paced novel all around. Really action packed.

Least favourite: Diamonds are Forever. Just like the movie, I wasn't really feeling this one and I found myself checking how many pages I had left before each chapter ended.
1: Casino Royale 2: Goldeneye 3: Skyfall 4: Octopussy 5: Goldfinger 6: Tomorrow Never Dies 7: The World Is Not Enough 8: The Living Daylights 9: From Russia With Love 10: The Spy Who Loved Me
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Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Favourite, OHMSS, just a great story, brilliant setting and characters.
    Least fav, The spy who loved me. An experiment by Fleming which
    In my honest opinion doesn't work, the last third of the book is very
    Good, but I've read it twice and for me twice is enough. ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Fav - Moonraker

    Least fav - Role of Honor
    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
    When talking Bond novels, I only think of Fleming. :)) so for ALL the Bond books
    Fav, still. OHMSS
    least Fav High Time to Kill ( R Benson )
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Polar Bear 0007Polar Bear 0007 CanadaPosts: 129MI6 Agent
    Fav- Dr. No

    Least Fav- From Russia with Love (for me, missing many of the elements of Fleming's other novels. Ver much a standard spy thriller)

    *the Deaver novel and anything by Benson are on my worst list far ahead of FRWT.
    This is where we leave you Mr. Bond. (Pilot, Apollo Airlines)
  • JuraquagmireJuraquagmire CanadaPosts: 49MI6 Agent
    Fleming's
    Fav: Live and Let Die Least: On Her Majesty's Secret Service

    Benson's
    Fav: Zero Minus Ten Least: Doubleshot

    I'm reading Gardner's...
    Dalton is the Bond! Lazenby is the other fella.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Gardner's start off good, but they become rather sub-par during the Tail End of his Bond Output.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • raptors_887raptors_887 CanadaPosts: 215MI6 Agent
    Oh yeah sorry I forgot to mention the Fleming novels are the only ones I've ever read.
    1: Casino Royale 2: Goldeneye 3: Skyfall 4: Octopussy 5: Goldfinger 6: Tomorrow Never Dies 7: The World Is Not Enough 8: The Living Daylights 9: From Russia With Love 10: The Spy Who Loved Me
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Some might say, they are the only ones really worth reading. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • PeppermillPeppermill DelftPosts: 2,860MI6 Agent
    My favourite Fleming novesl are FRWL and MR and LALD all for very different reasons.
    My least favourite are TB and TMWTGG
    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
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Hi, Peppermill ( Don't worry I'm not starting an argument :)) ) it's amazing
    the many different opinions on the novels, having only recently re-read
    Thunderball, I thought it was brilliant, very fast paced and a great bunch
    of villains. On finishing it, it went well up on my list of favourite novels.
    As a fan of the book could you expand a little on it, not " floating your boat " :D
    I can understand TMWTGG, as Fleming never got to do his final rewrite, to add
    More meat to the bones of the story.
    I'm only asking because I too rate Moonraker and LALD very highly. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Any Bond Novel is worth reading, even the bad ones -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • VandrellVandrell London, EnglandPosts: 324MI6 Agent
    I have just finished reading the Fleming novels for the first time (I know, I know, I am a late developer!) and pretty much enjoyed them all!

    If I had to pick a fave I would say Live and Let Die. I just found it a really easy read and after having finihsed them all, it is the first one I can't wait to read again. As for my least I would go with TMWTGG. I think it would have been a really good adventure if it had been finished properly but as it is it just left me feeling a bit... Meh.

    Also got to give a special mention to Moonraker. After growing up with the film I am sure you can only imagine my delight at how different the book was.

    Now the real hard work starts... Digging into the non Fleming Bonds.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    You will enjoy the Gardner Books, even though the later ones are rather below par.
    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
    Hi Vandrell -{ Yes the continuing Novels are a real mixed Bag, If you can, Read Col Sun. It
    IMHO is the best of the Bunch.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • VandrellVandrell London, EnglandPosts: 324MI6 Agent
    Cheers guys. -{

    I have earmarked Col Sun as my next read and also picked up Solo nice and cheap from the supermarket so at least I have something to be getting on with. I may go back for a re-read first as I enjoyed them that much.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Solo is set in the 60s so should keep up the flow. :D
    ( not one of my favourites, though ) ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Carte Blanch, Devil May Care and Solo all take place right after TMWTGG. So we have three separate different Literay Universes opened up for us. -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • VandrellVandrell London, EnglandPosts: 324MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Carte Blanch, Devil May Care and Solo all take place right after TMWTGG. So we have three separate different Literay Universes opened up for us. -{

    Sorry to take the thread off subject but what order would you guys recommend reading them and would be the chronocological order? Col Sun - Devil May Care - Solo?
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Col Sun first -{
    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
    To be honest I can't remember the order the come in the time line. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • PeppermillPeppermill DelftPosts: 2,860MI6 Agent
    Thunderpussy wrote:
    Hi, Peppermill ( Don't worry I'm not starting an argument :)) (...)
    I'm only asking because I too rate Moonraker and LALD very highly. {[]

    Well, I am starting an argument! En garde! :))

    The reason I rank TB so low might be because it contains so many great parts. I really love the beginning of the novel in Scrublands and the SPECTRE meeting. However, it also contains some of the most boring parts Fleming ever put to paper. For instance the drive to Scrublands and the 'hero story' of Domino.
    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
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) " I've been known to keep my tip up! "
    I'll admit they are not the most exciting passages, I thought the hero
    bit passed quickly enough. The drive to Shrublands I thought gave an
    Insight into Fleming's own thoughts. :D
    I remember reading FYEO, and on first reading hated QOS ( I was but a teen )
    But I'm rereading all the Flemings in order, and thought that this time it was
    a great story. :)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    All but a Teen many Years ago :))
    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'm still a teen on my Facebook. ;) :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • PeppermillPeppermill DelftPosts: 2,860MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Carte Blanch, Devil May Care and Solo all take place right after TMWTGG. So we have three separate different Literay Universes opened up for us. -{

    Well, Carte Blanche is set in the present day so it doesn't fit well within that 'timeline'. I don't think there were any smartphones in the '60's :))
    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
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) If they did, Q would have made sure Bond had one. ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Would anyone know if I'm right hut I think DMC is set after
    TMWTGG but before Col Sun. Solo is set after Col Sun ?
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Peppermill wrote:
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Carte Blanch, Devil May Care and Solo all take place right after TMWTGG. So we have three separate different Literay Universes opened up for us. -{

    Well, Carte Blanche is set in the present day so it doesn't fit well within that 'timeline'. I don't think there were any smartphones in the '60's :))

    DOH! I have yet to read Cart Blanch. B-)

    The first Chapter in CS makes reference to the Bullet that ripped through Bonds Stomach the previous Summer.
    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 quite liked Carte Blanche, Only my opinion but I thought it read like a J Gardner
    Novel, and a Villain with a really disgusting hobby ;) , I could easily imagine Daniel
    Craig as Bond in this story. :)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Apparently Gardner was planning another Book after COLD, but decided to scrap it.
    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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