Devil May Care - to those who bought it
TOOTS
Posts: 114MI6 Agent
I'm curious to hear from people about their experience with James Bond continuation novels*
1) Is this the first original James Bond novel you have bought?
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
*including Young Bond, Moneypenny Diaries, Benson, Gardner, Pearson, Amis etc but excluding novelizations
1) Is this the first original James Bond novel you have bought?
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
*including Young Bond, Moneypenny Diaries, Benson, Gardner, Pearson, Amis etc but excluding novelizations
Comments
No. I have got multiple copies of all of the Fleming books, as well as about 10 continuation novels plus novelisations.
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
No - see above
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
No - I have also read about six Gardners and one Benson, as well as most of the novelisations.
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
Better than the one I read (zero minus ten)
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
It ranks with the better Gardner novels such as Licence Renewed, No Deals Mr Bond, Scorpius etc.
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
Unfortunately I haven't read Colonel Sun
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
Haven't read this either.
Overall, my experience with DMC was a good read, entertaining and reasonably close to Fleming's style although not as good Fleming himself. I don't really think that DMC quite lived up to the hype, or Faulks' reputation as a novelist. However, a worthy addition to the Bond series and well worth a read.
its vastly superior to benson
its equal to gardner at his best and superior to much of his bond output
bizarrely i never even considered comparisons with colonel sun the novel it most resembles.its about equal.i enjoy both very much but both are perhaps slightly too political.
its equal/slightly better than the authorised bio
it reminds me slightly of the will self spoof
No-I own and have read all of the 007 novels and all of the novelizations.The first continuation James Bond novel I ever read was Kingsley Amis's Colonel Sun.Amis's absolutely eerie recreation of Ian Fleming's singular style and distinctive "voice" set the bar exceedingly high for all of the continuation writers who followed him.Of the other 007 continuation novelists--including Sebastian Faulks--I think only Christopher Wood really matches Amis in successfully emulating Fleming's unique style and narrative qualities.Faulks doesn't even come close.
2)Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
No-please see my answer to question one.
3)Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
No,as noted earlier,I've read them all-- along with most of the Higson Young Bonds, and the first volume of The Moneypenny Diaries.
4)Is DMC better than the Benson books?
No,it's not so much "better" as it is different.
In fairness to Raymond Benson,at the time he was writing 007's adventures,he was in the uncomfortable position of trying to come up with books that would appeal to both the fans of the (then-current) Pierce Brosnan movies AND the fans of Ian Fleming's novels-and they're not always the same audience.Frankly, I was impressed with Benson's stories overall-especially his efforts to link his books with those of Ian Fleming by making occasional(and generally subtle) references to some of 007's past adventures;even sometimes including a few of Fleming's more notable supporting characters,like Felix Leiter,Rene Mathis and Marc-Ange Draco in his stories.
By contrast,Sebastian Faulks was not working under the same kinds of restrictions placed on Benson--in fact,he had much greater freedom in telling his 007 story than any other continuation author has ever been given.Unfortunately, Faulks clearly disapproves of his subject matter and is neither as interested in, or as well-versed in Fleming's writings as Benson was,and this attitude severely damages Devil May Care.
Even with a casual glance it's all too evident that Faulks's book is little more than a pallid rewrite of Moonraker--but minus any of the style or skill of Fleming or Gardner or Amis or Wood or Higson.
5)Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
Hmmm...it's marginally better than COLD((Cold Fall in the USA),but that's not saying very much since Devil May Care lacks originality and is further handicapped by Faulks's awkward attempt at emulating Fleming's writing style.But in Gardner's defense,it's also important to remember that--as was the case with Raymond Benson--he had to contend with editors who knew little to nothing about Ian Fleming's writings, but who placed incredible restrictions on his stories.These even extended to the book's contents and titles.
Personally,I think-on balance-that John Gardner was an excellent writer, but he was really at his best with his Boysie Oakes "Liquidator" novels(which won him his position as a 007 author) than with most of his official James Bond stories.Gardner was never as enthusiastic about writing 007 as Amis or Christopher Wood or Raymond Benson were.
6)Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
In a word,no.Faulks seems content to merely hack out his 007 novel.Devil May Care is all surface and little else--quite unlike Amis's Colonel Sun which actually offers readers an additional insight into 007 and his world, while also remaining true to Ian Fleming's vision.As an author,Amis comes much closer to evoking Ian Fleming's distinctive style and spirit than Faulks,who doesn't have comparable skill as a writer of thrillers--regardless of the critical praise he's received for his own very different types of novels.
In Devil May Care Sebastian Faulks seems largely disinterested in what he's doing-the book is just an amateurish rewrite of Moonraker.By contrast,in Colonel Sun,Kingsley Amis successfully creates a James Bond adventure that is very much in the Ian Fleming tradition--producing a book of considerably greater importance than Faulks's lesser attempt.
7)Is DMC better than James Bond:The Authorized Biography?
Not really,because these books are nothing alike.John Pearson's novel is entirely different than Faulks's book.As the title suggests,Pearson's conceit is that he's telling the "real" James Bond's life story as related to him by the former 007(even offering a few detailed glimpses of what really happened long before their mutual friend Ian Fleming used this information as the basis for a series of outlandish,lurid and best-selling "novels").
By contrast,Faulks attempts to create a 007 novel that will hopefully evoke the style and content of the Ian Fleming novels of the late 1960s.And sometimes it works...but only in a few places.
Overall,Devil May Care is a failure at every level.
2) No, I've got all of the John Gardners and about half of the Bensons, including "Blast From The Past" and "Live At Five"
3) No.
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
Generally speaking, yes.
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
Yes
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
No
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
Too different to call.
In other words, I agree with most of the previous posters, except in one respect- CHRISTOPHER WOOD? The guy wrote novelizations- not novels. I don't know, maybe I need to re-read his TSWLM and MR writing, it's been a long time...-{
No I have all the original books and read them often
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
Yes unless you count the young bond books
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
Yes
4),5),6),7) Cant say as I have'nt read any of these
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk
No. I have all the Fleming Novels.
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
No. I have all but two of the continuation novels but need to get my hands on the film novelizations.
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
No. I have read CS, LR, and DMC. I am about a half way through FSS. I was planning on reading all the novels in order but could not wait to read DMC.
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
I have not read Benson's novels yet.
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
I would say that LR and DMC are equal, but DMC is better than FSS so far. I have only read about half of FSS.
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
Yes, I think DMC is better than CS. I was not too impressed with CS. I thought LR was better than CS. I am not sure why everyone thinks CS is such a great book. I think it was ok. I may have to re-read CS. It seems everyone loves that book. I am not sure what is going on with this book. I think either my expectations for CS were to high because I had heard such good things about it and I was therefore disappointed or everyone who reviews it has not read the novel recently and have just forgotten their experience reading CS and let their favorable view of the author color their view of the novel. It is probably the latter.;)
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
I have not read The Authorized biography yet.
I have to admit that I have never read Gardner but would like to at some point in time as most here seem to think he was the best since Fleming.
No. I have all the Fleming novels in several formats (including five Jonathan Cape UK 1st editions), along with Colonel Sun and the Gardner books.
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
No. As stated, I have Colonel Sun and the Gardner books.
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
No.
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
Yes . . . I tried reading a few of Benson's books but found them to be quite horrible. I refer to Benson's tenure as the "reign of terror."
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
I enjoyed Gardner's early Bond books, though they grew increasingly campy with each successive volume. I'd say DMC is better than quite a few.
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
No.
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
Haven't read it.
No, I read all of Fleming's novels when I was a teenager. I had the entire set. I can't remember what edition it was, but all the novels were colour-coded, so for instance FRWL was red, OHMSS light blue, TSWLM was orange. The only two I still have are OHMSS and TSWLM. TSWLM probably just shades it as my favourite Fleming novel.
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
No, I read the Gardner novels at around the same time, and thought they were okay at best. I recently bought Colonel Sun and was impressed with Amis's writing.
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
No, see above.
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
I've never read Benson I'm afraid.
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
Yes, but it's still not very good.
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
No, not even close. Amis gets far closer to Fleming's writing style than Faulks does and provides more insight. DMC was just odd. And the writing was functional at best. Maybe Faulks should have written it in his own style instead of trying to ape Fleming. It simply doesn't work.
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
Never read that either I'm afraid.
No. Grew up with Bond back in the sixties and am still laying my hands on whatever bond novel, mag etc etc that comes out.
2) Is this the first original James Bond continuation novel you have bought?
No. Same as answer above.
3) Is this the only continuation Bond novel you have read?
No.
4) Is DMC better than the Benson books?
Am halfway through DMC but thinks it's better than the later Benson Bond books. Benson's first few Bond books were quite ok.
5) Is DMC better than the Gardner books?
Yes. I find Gardner's books more like a novelised movie book.
6) Is DMC better than Colonel Sun?
No. Colonel Sun is great. Kingsley Amis should have been asked to write a few more. What a waste.
7) Is DMC better than James Bond: The Authorised Biography?
No. The Authorised Bio is fun reading. John Pearson did a good job on this one. He should be another writer whom they should have asked to write a few more Bond novels.
I would like to add I find Samantha Weinberg's Moneypenny diaries very good and refreshing. they're better than the Gardner books.