I had planned to continue on with Col Sun, and then through the rest Gardner & Benson
Finishing with the other stand alone novels, as we might ( by that time ) have another.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
I had planned to continue on with Col Sun, and then through the rest Gardner & Benson
Finishing with the other stand alone novels, as we might ( by that time ) have another.
Yes, that sounds great! Should keep us busy for a few months!
P.S. I've tidied up that YOLT review by adding more to it and hopefully making it flow better. -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
One of Gardner's best, it's tense and the Idea of Bond being hunted by nearly every Criminal Faction in the World is simply gripping. It has a couple of Gory Parts too. but I wont spoil it for those who have yet to read it -{
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
Published in 1965 and like all Bonds, despite luke warm reviews became a best seller. Published after Fleming's death.
It was not as polished as his previous books as he never got the chance to do his final draft, were he'd add lots of
the wonderful descriptive passages, that I love so much.
Sure it's a weak story, with Scaramanga being a bit of a thug, rather than some of the great villians of old like Drax,
Goldfinger or Blofeld. Although Fleming ( as usual) keeps the story moving along at a break neck speed.
Bond's first Meeting with Scaramanga in the "Whore House" ( Bonds description ) is a fantastic bit of writing, His setting
combined with the sense of heat is wonderful, then the change of tone to subtle menace as Scaramanga is introduced.
Bond even has time to think about Honey, how she's married to a doctor and has two kids. Mary Goodnight His former
secratary is the romantic interest ( With the famous hair changing colour, as she's now Blonde ) )
The climax is exciting, with the damsel tied across the railway stunt, to put pressure on Bond, to the shoot out in the
swamp. Then having Bond refuse the Knigthood, as he was just " A Scottish Peasant at heart !"
TMWTGG, is a good read, not Fleming's strongest story but filled with some great ideas and scenes, showing that even
though Fleming was unwell. His imagination was still working at 100%.
Found out from Silhouette Man, that Kingsley Amis was asked to read over the Draft, and give his ideas for a final Polish
to the story. In the end none of his ideas were used and the book was published as Fleming had set it out.
On a last note and to poke some fun, The theory in the Book that the gun is an extension of the male organ, can be a
fetish and that includes Gun collectors ? ) had me smiling, not mentioning any names. ) Although I guess that
Fact, is as true as the one about Gay men can't whistle.
Amazing to think that Octopussy ( The book for August ) is the last of Fleming's novels ( I know it's short stories ) Before
the start of the continuation Novels starting with Col Sun, by the mentioned Kingsley Amis.
Once again really happy to read all views and opinions on Not Just this novel but all the Fleming Bond stories. {[]
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
I though TMWTGG was well written and Fleming/Amis made Scaramanga a crude, yet Formidable Villain who is Menacing and at the same Time, a complete Tosser -{
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
I think it's a strength of Fleming's skill as a writer, that there is so
Much in every story, that you pick up on certain things at different
Stages of reading.
As a teen, I loved the action, adventure,sex of the stories. Yet now ( a little older )
I love Fleming's use of language in describing places and locations, in such detail.
That I'm sure if you had visited, they would have been as he described. As with
The "no man's land" in TLD.
His descriptive skill extends to characters really bringing them to life, from memory
Scaramanga was a thug, plain and simple, but on re-reading he's a much fuller and
Complicated character.
I wonder over the next few years what other bits of " Fleming" I'll discover. -{
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Re-reading LALD and DAF. Both Books describe 50's America in great Detail and have some brilliant Characters in there -{
I think that's Fleming's greatest contribution and why, in my opinion, the Bond books today are literature rather than just fiction. Fleming, as a journalist and traveller, had a wonderful eye for detail. He used that detail in his books in a way that made every story and scene vivid and believable for his readers. Those same details today paint a wonderful picture of the UK, the US and indeed the world as it was in the 1950s and 1960s, and not just what it was like materially, but the attitudes and how people were thinking. Few other novelists at the time captured that time so vividly. I think it's his greatest contribution...other than Bond himself, of course!
Yes, which is is sadly something the Continuation Authors lacked
Sadly yes, this is indeed true, AOS. I think one of the main things that the continuation authors (except perhaps Amis) is the lack of the Flemingian mini-essay on such subjects as tea-drinkers short people. Those for me were highlights of each Fleming Bond novel and they were not (perhaps could not be?) replicated in the continuation Bond novels by various different authors which came after.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
I still think Gardner should of based his Novels in the 70's. Would have made more Sense concerning Bonds Age -{
Quite true, though the down side to that would mean I'd be deprived of writing an article for my blog on what happened to the literary Bond in the 1970s! )
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
He was probably told to set them in the modern day ( as they were written )
After all Fleming was a contemporary writer. He didn't write them as period
pieces.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Oh, I know. Bought the fleming set of audio books from candyman2 and have found them
so easy to listen to while walking the dog etc, that I'm hoping to get as many as I can like
that, for the car and walking. )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Oh, I know. Bought the fleming set of audio books from candyman2 and have found them
so easy to listen to while walking the dog etc, that I'm hoping to get as many as I can like
that, for the car and walking. )
Yes, I have a few of those myself that I purchased in The Works some time ago - I like the reader interviews at the end too as they can be very insightful in nature. Audio books help you to see the Bond novels in new lights. -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Comments
Finishing with the other stand alone novels, as we might ( by that time ) have another.
Yes, that sounds great! Should keep us busy for a few months!
P.S. I've tidied up that YOLT review by adding more to it and hopefully making it flow better. -{
One of Gardner's best, it's tense and the Idea of Bond being hunted by nearly every Criminal Faction in the World is simply gripping. It has a couple of Gory Parts too. but I wont spoil it for those who have yet to read it -{
When someone reaches across for a gun and ........... ( no spoilers )
With a cool drink, reading Bond ! -{
In this fantastic weather.
Now that is a good one, TP!
Published in 1965 and like all Bonds, despite luke warm reviews became a best seller. Published after Fleming's death.
It was not as polished as his previous books as he never got the chance to do his final draft, were he'd add lots of
the wonderful descriptive passages, that I love so much.
Sure it's a weak story, with Scaramanga being a bit of a thug, rather than some of the great villians of old like Drax,
Goldfinger or Blofeld. Although Fleming ( as usual) keeps the story moving along at a break neck speed.
Bond's first Meeting with Scaramanga in the "Whore House" ( Bonds description ) is a fantastic bit of writing, His setting
combined with the sense of heat is wonderful, then the change of tone to subtle menace as Scaramanga is introduced.
Bond even has time to think about Honey, how she's married to a doctor and has two kids. Mary Goodnight His former
secratary is the romantic interest ( With the famous hair changing colour, as she's now Blonde
The climax is exciting, with the damsel tied across the railway stunt, to put pressure on Bond, to the shoot out in the
swamp. Then having Bond refuse the Knigthood, as he was just " A Scottish Peasant at heart !"
TMWTGG, is a good read, not Fleming's strongest story but filled with some great ideas and scenes, showing that even
though Fleming was unwell. His imagination was still working at 100%.
Found out from Silhouette Man, that Kingsley Amis was asked to read over the Draft, and give his ideas for a final Polish
to the story. In the end none of his ideas were used and the book was published as Fleming had set it out.
On a last note and to poke some fun, The theory in the Book that the gun is an extension of the male organ, can be a
fetish and that includes Gun collectors ?
Fact, is as true as the one about Gay men can't whistle.
Amazing to think that Octopussy ( The book for August ) is the last of Fleming's novels ( I know it's short stories ) Before
the start of the continuation Novels starting with Col Sun, by the mentioned Kingsley Amis.
Once again really happy to read all views and opinions on Not Just this novel but all the Fleming Bond stories. {[]
Much in every story, that you pick up on certain things at different
Stages of reading.
As a teen, I loved the action, adventure,sex of the stories. Yet now ( a little older )
I love Fleming's use of language in describing places and locations, in such detail.
That I'm sure if you had visited, they would have been as he described. As with
The "no man's land" in TLD.
His descriptive skill extends to characters really bringing them to life, from memory
Scaramanga was a thug, plain and simple, but on re-reading he's a much fuller and
Complicated character.
I wonder over the next few years what other bits of " Fleming" I'll discover. -{
I think that's Fleming's greatest contribution and why, in my opinion, the Bond books today are literature rather than just fiction. Fleming, as a journalist and traveller, had a wonderful eye for detail. He used that detail in his books in a way that made every story and scene vivid and believable for his readers. Those same details today paint a wonderful picture of the UK, the US and indeed the world as it was in the 1950s and 1960s, and not just what it was like materially, but the attitudes and how people were thinking. Few other novelists at the time captured that time so vividly. I think it's his greatest contribution...other than Bond himself, of course!
Sadly yes, this is indeed true, AOS. I think one of the main things that the continuation authors (except perhaps Amis) is the lack of the Flemingian mini-essay on such subjects as tea-drinkers short people. Those for me were highlights of each Fleming Bond novel and they were not (perhaps could not be?) replicated in the continuation Bond novels by various different authors which came after.
Yes, and if Bond forums are anything to go by many people do view the Gardner series in this way, AOS.
As with many of the following novels, except Carte Blanche which
Is set modern day.
Quite true, though the down side to that would mean I'd be deprived of writing an article for my blog on what happened to the literary Bond in the 1970s!
After all Fleming was a contemporary writer. He didn't write them as period
pieces.
for 95p + post.
It cost me a fortune in Waterstones!
so easy to listen to while walking the dog etc, that I'm hoping to get as many as I can like
that, for the car and walking.
Yes, I have a few of those myself that I purchased in The Works some time ago - I like the reader interviews at the end too as they can be very insightful in nature. Audio books help you to see the Bond novels in new lights. -{