what do you think of High Time To Kill?

frostbitten · December 2002

I must admit, having not read any Raymond Benson novel, I didn't know what to expect from his "High Time To Kill". However, I have gone through about half of the book, and it is actually a pretty good read. I was wondering how do others rate this book compared to works by Ian Fleming and John Gardner?

asio · December 2002

I've decided to read each novel as it was released (just like I have with the films) and I'm up to Robert Markham's (Kingsley Amis') Colonel Sun. I've still got a long way to go to get to HTTK.

Tanner · December 2002

I really liked high time to kill.I always thought it would make a good film.

Sir Miles · December 2002

HTTK is one of Benson's better efforts but to try and compare it to any of Fleming's is silly. Fleming is the master full stop ! Comparing it to Gardner's efforts is also difficult as Gardner's books are patchy. I can only say that HTTK is better than Gardner's latter efforts but not as good as his first eight.

Martini97 · December 2002

I thought HTTK was okay, It would probably rank third on my Benson novel list. It wasn't that great, but Roland Marquis was a interesting character I thought. However, I think it can't top Fleming, not even his last novel, and doesn't top Garner's Win, Lose, and Die. However it's way better than Never Dream of Dying, and Doubleshot IMO. Though I like it better than Cold Fall.

Sir Miles · December 2002

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Quoting Martini97:
However it's way better than Never Dream of Dying, and Doubleshot IMO.
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I think that Doubleshot is Benson's best Bond novel.

Risico · December 2002

HTTK was the first Benson novel I read and I think it is one of his best. You can't compare Benson to Fleming. Fleming has style and elegance in his writing. I enjoy Benson, but it is not even close to Fleming.

Hardyboy · December 2002

HTTK is one of Benson's better novels; but I have a problem with it that I've expressed before, and I've had people think I'm nuts because of it. At the risk of another insanity charge, here goes:

I think the plot is almost entirely borrowed from the film version of For Your Eyes Only. Valuable technology is lost in a terrible accident; two teams--one good, one bad--are dispatched by their respective leaders to retrieve it; and the villain turns out to be someone Bond didn't suspect. Replace "ship" with "airplane" and "sea" with "mountain," and they're pretty much the same story.

I also think much of the story was influenced by GoldenEye--the theft of the technology in question, followed by the destruction of the lab, is VERY similar to a scene in the movie; and isn't Roland Maquis--a former friend/rival of Bond's who professes to be better than 007 in all areas--just a wee bit similar to Alec Trevelyan? I've also found Benson's The Union to be incredibly similar to SPECTRE--especially in this novel.

So that's how I feel--HTTK is an entertaining read, but doesn't score very high on the originality scale.

frostbitten · December 2002

I recently finished HTTK. It was quite enjoyable throughout ( I especially like the fact that Benson apparently did a lot of research on relevant subjects; for example, he gave a lot of details on the problems associated with climbing at very high altitudes, or the equipment Bond used for doing so). However, as has been pointed out by others, he is not in Fleming's league.
BTW, I have started on "Never Dream of Dying". Does anybody know if Benson based the character of Tylyn Mignonne on Kylie Minogue in any way? I mean, the names sound suspiciously similar, both are actresses and fashion designers. The only difference is Tylyn is not a singer.

Risico · December 2002

I didn't think of that....good call frostbitten

the names are way too similar for that just to be coincidence

bond...hooking up with Kylie...interesting?

Sir Miles · December 2002

I hadn't thought of the Tylyn/Kylie thing either. But I could save you part of your life by telling you not to read NDOD, it is Benson's poorest Bond novel by quite a way. But then again read it and then read Fleming again to see what your missing !

Hardyboy · December 2002

In his acknowledgments in NDOD, Benson thanks someone named "Tylyn John," so I presume that--like Fleming--he borrowed the name of a real person. And that's about all he really borrows from Fleming.

Sorry--couldn't resist another swift kick!

morenzy · December 2002

MMMMM

scaramanga1 · December 2002

I've just finnished reading HTTK -it was quite enjoyable and is definately a better effort by Benson. ZM10 possibly being the only better Benson Bond novel that I've read so far.

Like Hardboy says tho there are definate elements to FYEO in it, which in Benson's defence is not surprising as he is no doubt highly influenced, even subconsciously by the originals.
As has been said before Benson is no great novelist, and this is reflected in his lack of originality in many of his books.
Still he tries.

Willie Garvin · December 2002

Tylyln John is an actress and model and a former Playboy Playmate(Miss March,1992).

Dortmunder · January 2003

I just finisheed reading HTTK yesterday, and I throughly enjoyed the book. It surely isn't a Fleming, but who can match up to him. No-one. Looking at the book on its own and not comparing it to Fleming, I thought that it was well written. This is the third Benson that I have read and I think that it is the second best (First going to ZMT and third going to TFOD).

Roland Marquis was a good character, that did hark back a little to GoldenEye. Nonetheless, he was well developed. It was good to see 007 back on the links, and I was surprised that the book didn't mention anything about Bond's parents being killed in a climbing accident. I remeber him mentioning how Bond's father taught him how to climb, but besides that I don't think that there was anything. It had very good action sequences and plot twists.

I had never thought about the FYEO parallel, but after HB mentioned it, one can't help but see it. It was intriguing the whole way through, from start to finish, and I think that it was a good book to start the Union tirology with. Now I just have to read the other two to see how it matches against them. I would recommend this to any Bond reader, as it is IMO a well written book, with an interesting plot (even if it was done before).

IanT007 · July 2007

Apologies if I have trangressed some major etiquette in resurrecting an ancient thread, but since I have just re-read HTTK (for the umpteenth time) I wanted to add my views on it - especially in light of us having a new Bond etc.

HTTK (terrible title) I found to be a more personal Bond story. Gadgets do exist in the first half of the book - notably the motorway chase on the way to Belgium. However, as the story moves into the Nepal phase it is more about Bond surviving on his wits. This is classic Craig Bond. There are elements of this book where it is obvious to see that it has been written with Brozzer in mind, but if it were ever made into a film, Brozzer would not have pulled it off I don't think. He's too much of a pretty boy to climb a mountain.

I liked Bond's partnering with Sgt Chandra too. He was a likeable ally in the Kerim Bey mould.

The ending was a little bit too much like Casino Royale (novel) and yes Benson is not Fleming, but this book is definitely at the top of my Benson books list. Sadly I felt that Benson's books lost their way after this with Doubleshot reading like a step back into Gardner's world.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the character of Marquis - although the description of him kept me in mind of the Lord Flashheart character from Blackadder Goes Forth. I loved the fact that he and Bond were rivals from their early days. It reminded me of someone I used to go to school with who was exactly the same.

And the mountain parts of the book... how much did I like them? Enough to take up mountaineering myself I'm afraid. Shortly after first reading this book when it came out I started mountaineering so that I could pretend to be Bond in HTTK. Don't laugh, we've all done it!!

)

HTTK is, in my opinion, a fantastic read!

TOOTS · July 2007

I really liked High Time To Kill.

There is an arduousness to this adventure where we really go an a physical ordeal on the mountain. There are some nice reversals (Bond losing the initial encounter with the villain on the golf course) and original ideas and locations. Bond suffers loss and the story does not feel like an attempt at an Eon film - it feels like a novel. The mountain climbing was original for Bond and it seems to have been written with thought and passion. As the first of the Union trilogy, it sets up a nice triptych.

I also enjoyed Never Dream Of Dying. Bond’s unlikely affair with Tylyn is a wonderful love story which is refreshing for its rarity. The evocation of dream imagery and Corsican myth and vendetta gives the story thematic appeal. The globetrotting makes logical sense and Benson does conjour up a sense of place and local colour. Again, Benson's strong suit is well crafted and plotted storylines.

I think any litBond fan owes themselves a favour to at least read the novels and decide for oneself. Sure, they all have problems but I know people who refuse to accept anyone other than Connery as Bond. Would you deny yourself the literary equivalent of those that followed the originator?

IanT007 · July 2007

I think that to truly judge then you should experience all versions of the literary Bond. And I can't wait to see who is authoring the next book etc. I think we find out next year.

But, back to HTTK, I think the thing that won me over with this book was that it showed Bond as a person, against other people. There were no larger than life villains. I would still love to see it made into a film - if only to glimpse Hope Kendall's magnificent breasts!

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

I think it's very underrated

Sir Miles · October 2007

Sweepy the Cat wrote:

I think it's very underrated

Can you explain why it's underrated and why you like it so much, Sweepy ?

Just adding one sentance replies, that have very little meaning, are pointless - please explain your answers/thoughts a little more.

Sweepy the Cat · October 2007

Well for one thing it was a good story that put agreat image into my head if you know what i mean

superado · October 2007

I liked HTTK purely for the very "gimmick" of the book, the mountain climbing though the way the plot was construed to necessitate the summit was kind of a stretch. It also seemed somewhat out of place to make the villain an RAF officer, considering the xenophobic tradition Fleming set in place.

what do you think of High Time To Kill?

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