Critical Computerspeak - Role of Honour by John Gardner
Silhouette Man
The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
What are our combined thopughts here on John Gardner's Role of Honour (1984)? It really felt rushed and underwritten to me as well as being like a unfinished film screenplay. I think that imn all fairness John Gardner was ill at the time he wrote this fourth Bond novel and it shows as it's a notably much shorter entry than his previous three. For me, it's the weakest Gardner Bond novel of the 1980s, and probably the weakest overall of Gardner's run. The computerised micro plot has become rather dated (and the plot here had to be changed due to legal issues with 1983's Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again). Some commentators have said that the plot of Role of Honour is reminiscent of that of Gardner's friend, the author Len Deighton's Billion Dollar Briain novel.
I'd l;ove to hear fellow members' views on Role of Honour, as always.
I'd l;ove to hear fellow members' views on Role of Honour, as always.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Comments
True. I had forgotten about that, Aspy. I assume that you'd like the ASP 9 mm to appear in the James Bond film series too, yes?
True, it feels a bit rushed and could have done with another month to tighten it up...but I felt it had real potential - in a way that the latter Gardner books didn't have...
Yes, I remember your saying so. I think I may review this one soon - last read the blinking thing in 2002! 8-)
But, yes, it did have a good plot that had real potential at least, but it's still a very weak novel for personal reasons affecting Gardner qat the time as I shall make clear in my review in due course!
Thank you, Muston. As I've said before, that's one of Gardner's best Bonds.