Exactly, I remember the excitement of having a new Bond story
Every year, after a drought in his adventures. I used to think the
last few were bad,........ Until I read the Raymond Benson novels. )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
If go to prove that even a skilled writer struggles to match the literary talents of Fleming or Kingsley Amis when they write Bond novels. Even Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver and William Boyd couldn't quite reach the heights of Fleming and Amis.
I also read the Gardners when they came out but as they trailed off, Didn't buy the last couple, and I've never read the Benson novels due to the generally low opinion of them.
By the Time of Nobody Lives Forever, Gardner had mixed success with his String of Bond Novels. License Renewed, For Special Services and Icebreaker were all very good. Whilst Role Of Honor was average and felt formulaic in it's approach. Released in 1986, Nobody Lives Forever is Gardner's fifth Stab at the Bond Legacy and it remedies a lot of the things that were disappointing in the previous Installment.
We are treated to a fantastic and high Energy Plot about Literately, Bond's Head as the Prize of a rather morbid Competition. Someone has dubbed it the 'Headhunt' and now it seems that 'Every willing Terrorist Organization, Criminal Gang and unfriendly Intelligence Service is right up Bonds Rectum' with a Chance of 10 Million Swiss at the End. Bond has no Choice but to only trust himself in this Game of Death. Within the first Paragraphs alone, we already read about the Deaths of two People on board the Ferry to France and Bond comes to the Rescue of a Woman called Suki Tempesta (Who would come back much later in Seafire)
Bond is driving through Europe to visit his Ill Housekeeper May, who is being treated at the Clinic Mozart. Along the way, we are treated to more grizzly Murders. One is a German Gangster who is killed on the Motorway, and another at Bonds Hotel called Paul Cordova (The Poison midget) His Death is described in such Detail that it puts you right in the Scene itself. Later on, Bond learns from a Fellow Agent called 'Quin' that S.P.E.C.T.R.E has set up the 'Headhunt' and Tamil Rahini has mere Months left to live. He wants to see Bonds Head separated from his Body and served on a Silver Platter.
Gardner dishes out his Trademark Style of Double Agents and the 'Allies turning into Enemy's' Plot Device. It's used well in this Installment, something that he would overuse in coming Novels. The Settings are well described, we have Germany, France and Switzerland, along with the Tropics of Florida to engross us more. All of the Deaths are in gory Detail, like the corrupt Inspector Heinrich Olsen getting impaled on a Hook with one of his Eyes hanging out. Whether or not you like this Level of Graphic Description in a Bond Novel is really up to the Reader, but Gardner had mastered this here.
Bond takes Suki and Nannie Norridge as Hostages across Europe as Insurance. We also learn of May and Moneypennie's Kidnapping from the Clinic, and of Quin's real Alignment with the Enemy. The whole Setting then moves to Florida for the final Act. Bond is taken by Quin and the Turncoat Dr Kirshtum, who was May's Doctor. They are after the Prize Money for themselves and tell Bond that S.P.E.C.T.R.E is currently based on Shark Island, where the Execution will take place. They are killed in a Gunfight on the Yacht by Nannie and Suki, who then help Bond destroy the Boat and say it was an accident.
Bond travels to the new S.P.E.C.T.R.E HQ on his own, where Bond re-encounters Tamil Rahini who is now described as being 'A Human Doll with Skin like Parchment, a Shadow of his former Self' Nannie turns out to be working freelance in the Competition and she will be present when Bond is decapitated by Guillotine. The whole Scene plays out with Bond rigging Rahini's Bed to explode, Nannie having her Arms cut off in gruesome Detail and Bond rescuing May and Moneypenny before the Building explodes. Say goodbye to S.P.E.C.T.R.E, as this is the last Time we will ever read about the Organization in any Bond Novel. Even James himself wonders if this is the End of the same Group who he has had a long, running Vendetta with.
Nobody Lives Forever is a Masterpiece, and it's just at the right Length. If the Novel was longer, then it may have ruined the whole Pace. Gardner was clearly having fun writing this to Paper. If EON ever decide to adapt one of the Gardner's, then it needs to be this one first. The whole Concept of Bond being pursued by nearly ever single Bad Guy on Earth is a Bulletproof Concept. Gardner was on top Form here. Things would slow down a bit though in the next Bond Novel, No Deals Mr Bond.
9/10
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
I'm looking forward to Reviewing Scorpius, one of Gardner's strongest Efforts -{
I'm in full agreement - a brilliant Bond novel and I have the untold history of it to divulge on the blog at some point as a world exclusive! I'll say no more for now! :007)
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Yes, me too -{ Even though he fell into the Trap of reusing the same kind of Stories near the End of his Bond Run.
You see I'm kind of at odds (aren't I always?! ) ) with mainstream Bond fan opinion in think that once Gardner hit the 1990s he was just as good as the 1980s but in a different way - more originality, more experimentation, more of the real John Gardner the author given freedom to write the sort of Bond novels he wanted to write as opposed to Glidrose and the British and American editors that used to drive him mad.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
I read somewhere that he was apparently going to write another Novel after COLD? But obviously never ended up doing it.
Never heard that before - do you have a source for that. I believe that Gardner was very ill by 1995 with cancer so I think he and Glidrose mutually agreed to quit. But I'm very interested in this... -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
It came from an Interview with him, I most likely misread it though -{ But I think he ended his Run on a high Note. Having Bond being sent back to London for a bollocking was a nice Touch.
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: 8,865MI6 Agent
It came from an Interview with him, I most likely misread it though -{ But I think he ended his Run on a high Note. Having Bond being sent back to London for a bollocking was a nice Touch.
I know that in 2005 with Charlie Higson announced as the 'Young Bond' author John Gardner was approached and asked if he would return as the adult James Bond continuation author - he said "No". Perhaps this is what you read, AOS?
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Comments
Every year, after a drought in his adventures. I used to think the
last few were bad,........ Until I read the Raymond Benson novels.
Seemed younger than in the Gardner books.
I also read the Gardners when they came out but as they trailed off, Didn't buy the last couple, and I've never read the Benson novels due to the generally low opinion of them.
Yes, Nobody Lives Forever is my second favorite Bond Novel by Gardner -{
By the Time of Nobody Lives Forever, Gardner had mixed success with his String of Bond Novels. License Renewed, For Special Services and Icebreaker were all very good. Whilst Role Of Honor was average and felt formulaic in it's approach. Released in 1986, Nobody Lives Forever is Gardner's fifth Stab at the Bond Legacy and it remedies a lot of the things that were disappointing in the previous Installment.
We are treated to a fantastic and high Energy Plot about Literately, Bond's Head as the Prize of a rather morbid Competition. Someone has dubbed it the 'Headhunt' and now it seems that 'Every willing Terrorist Organization, Criminal Gang and unfriendly Intelligence Service is right up Bonds Rectum' with a Chance of 10 Million Swiss at the End. Bond has no Choice but to only trust himself in this Game of Death. Within the first Paragraphs alone, we already read about the Deaths of two People on board the Ferry to France and Bond comes to the Rescue of a Woman called Suki Tempesta (Who would come back much later in Seafire)
Bond is driving through Europe to visit his Ill Housekeeper May, who is being treated at the Clinic Mozart. Along the way, we are treated to more grizzly Murders. One is a German Gangster who is killed on the Motorway, and another at Bonds Hotel called Paul Cordova (The Poison midget) His Death is described in such Detail that it puts you right in the Scene itself. Later on, Bond learns from a Fellow Agent called 'Quin' that S.P.E.C.T.R.E has set up the 'Headhunt' and Tamil Rahini has mere Months left to live. He wants to see Bonds Head separated from his Body and served on a Silver Platter.
Gardner dishes out his Trademark Style of Double Agents and the 'Allies turning into Enemy's' Plot Device. It's used well in this Installment, something that he would overuse in coming Novels. The Settings are well described, we have Germany, France and Switzerland, along with the Tropics of Florida to engross us more. All of the Deaths are in gory Detail, like the corrupt Inspector Heinrich Olsen getting impaled on a Hook with one of his Eyes hanging out. Whether or not you like this Level of Graphic Description in a Bond Novel is really up to the Reader, but Gardner had mastered this here.
Bond takes Suki and Nannie Norridge as Hostages across Europe as Insurance. We also learn of May and Moneypennie's Kidnapping from the Clinic, and of Quin's real Alignment with the Enemy. The whole Setting then moves to Florida for the final Act. Bond is taken by Quin and the Turncoat Dr Kirshtum, who was May's Doctor. They are after the Prize Money for themselves and tell Bond that S.P.E.C.T.R.E is currently based on Shark Island, where the Execution will take place. They are killed in a Gunfight on the Yacht by Nannie and Suki, who then help Bond destroy the Boat and say it was an accident.
Bond travels to the new S.P.E.C.T.R.E HQ on his own, where Bond re-encounters Tamil Rahini who is now described as being 'A Human Doll with Skin like Parchment, a Shadow of his former Self' Nannie turns out to be working freelance in the Competition and she will be present when Bond is decapitated by Guillotine. The whole Scene plays out with Bond rigging Rahini's Bed to explode, Nannie having her Arms cut off in gruesome Detail and Bond rescuing May and Moneypenny before the Building explodes. Say goodbye to S.P.E.C.T.R.E, as this is the last Time we will ever read about the Organization in any Bond Novel. Even James himself wonders if this is the End of the same Group who he has had a long, running Vendetta with.
Nobody Lives Forever is a Masterpiece, and it's just at the right Length. If the Novel was longer, then it may have ruined the whole Pace. Gardner was clearly having fun writing this to Paper. If EON ever decide to adapt one of the Gardner's, then it needs to be this one first. The whole Concept of Bond being pursued by nearly ever single Bad Guy on Earth is a Bulletproof Concept. Gardner was on top Form here. Things would slow down a bit though in the next Bond Novel, No Deals Mr Bond.
9/10
Forget about. Until I re-read it.
I'm in full agreement - a brilliant Bond novel and I have the untold history of it to divulge on the blog at some point as a world exclusive! I'll say no more for now! :007)
I might write up No Deals Mr Bond tomorrow.
That I also look forward to - I've been really enjoying your reviews but then I'm a Gardner nut.
You see I'm kind of at odds (aren't I always?!
The Man From Barbarossa is a well crafted Story, so is Death Is Forever and Never Send Flowers (Your favorite of course
Indeed!
Never heard that before - do you have a source for that. I believe that Gardner was very ill by 1995 with cancer so I think he and Glidrose mutually agreed to quit. But I'm very interested in this...
I know that in 2005 with Charlie Higson announced as the 'Young Bond' author John Gardner was approached and asked if he would return as the adult James Bond continuation author - he said "No". Perhaps this is what you read, AOS?
Been meaning to write up my Review for NDMB, but I'm personally not very good at this sort of thing
Why not do it occasionaly ?