James Bond's spare time
TeenageBond
London, UKPosts: 211MI6 Agent
I have opened this thread as the SPECTRE "buzz" is slowing down, we need to consider what we are going to be doing for the next 2-3 years. We have to discuss what Bond would do in his free time. 
We already know that he enjoyed playing golf and cards with friends and that he had 3 lovers that he would spend time with (I think we all know what that means
).
But what else would he spend time doing?
I can imagine that he also enjoyed to relax with a bourbon, some music and a book in his hand.
Any ideas?
We already know that he enjoyed playing golf and cards with friends and that he had 3 lovers that he would spend time with (I think we all know what that means
).But what else would he spend time doing?
I can imagine that he also enjoyed to relax with a bourbon, some music and a book in his hand.
Any ideas?
Comments
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I think that could also apply to the Bond of the films. Maybe in particular to Craig's Bond. Who is seen in SF maintaining his DB5 well and keeping it stored somewhere in London and expressing tremendous anger when it is blown up.
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#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
At least in SP we saw he had a flat. It's very Spartaness gives us some clues, not much fun or creature comforts, highly functional and a bit drab. I can't see Bond in his spare time taking Cha Cha classes or throwing the odd pot. He would spend some time 'sharpening the Saw' and I think Fleming mentions Military history at some point. If I were he I'd make sure that Sylvie Trench took up a fair bit of my time. Apart from that and the things already captured i think he as Fleming said "is a rather dull fellow" what is interesting about him is his job, not his life, although we are always keen to have a peek whenever we get the chance.
Actually, Craig's Bond spends a lot of time away from his job. He's always quitting! He goes to the beach whenever he's not working.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
And army units like the SAS, in the shooting range keeping his eye in. In
the evening he'd be checking out various restaurants and dating a few
Married women.
Very much like my own life ........... Except for the training with the SAS,
Using a shooting range, eating in expensive restaurants and dating any
Women
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
That's very interesting... I would never have thought Bond to be the theatrical type
Probably working his way through the chorus line.
Well he enjoyed the opera in QOS.
I must have missed that bit! Is it April 1st already?
Or particular artists he enjoys?
He's shown to have a great appreciation for classical music in TLD.
how do we know that?
Perhaps this thread may throw some light on that subject: http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/45119/what-sort-of-music-do-you-think-james-bond-would-listen-to/
Funny, but I struggle to see Bond hanging out with a bunch of luvvies.
Bond: “I must be dreaming.”
Bond was a big fan of jazz in the novels because that's what was going on at the time. When he wasn't saving the world Bond was living a typical man's trending fantasy for the given time period. Fleming based Bond on who he WANTED TO BE, his own fantasy-self. So I would have to imagine that Bond during today's time would be ex-special forces (watch any recent documentary on the SAS to understand what those guys are all about), he always attended and graduated from prestigious schools because that's what his guardian (Miss Charmian Bond) wanted for him, but because he always had "a chip on his shoulder" he never quite felt like one of the prep boys he went to school with.
Now Bond was a man of the times, so if he were alive today he'd most likely live the fantasy life of any young British man from ages 25 to 35. Sex with any woman he wants, loves playing with cars (he always loved luxury so let's say anywhere from insane performance from Aston or lavish Bentley to supercharged Cadillac or maybe even some ridiculous drift Toyota), he's always been a lover of gambling so maybe if he has nothing else to do he hits the tables or even plays online. When he completes an extraordinary mission (remember most of his job is reading dossiers and writing reports) he relaxes on the beach but making him a man of today, maybe he chills at a club pool party in Cancun.
So Bond is a man of whatever current time it is but he's also extremely pompous and over analytical and opinionated about things because of his preppy upbringing. So he'd be into trending music (hip hop) but be over analytical of the artist and rappers. He'd love film (musical theater) but only love whatever the critics were probably in to. He'd be into cars but have his own style. And he would love woman, he'd be extremely confident (the man pretty much possesses every skill imaginable) and he'd do whatever the f*** he wants because the very next day someone could assassinate him.
You're right in saying that Bond is, in large part, a fulfilment of Fleming's fantasies mixed with his own wartime experiences. The two are inextricably linked together. So it's difficult to deduce what Bond would be like if Fleming was writing today.
Given Fleming's upbringing and family, I'm not sure that your suppositions are all correct - his tastes in music don't feature much and there's no evidence that he's a great jazz lover; and he was a loner, rather than having a chip on his shoulder, which was a film invention - but it's fun to imagine and I like the idea of him playing with those cars and gambling online and at the tables.
The mix of people. So I don't think he be gambling on line, he
Would definitely still be having affairs with married women
Though and working on his golf handicap.
And although unseen, he must do a lot of shopping, and enjoys it more than most macho type men typically do. He is snobbish about what towels he has in the house!
And we can see what Craig's Bond does on his time off: in SPECTRE we see his apartment, unfurnished, moving boxes still unopened, this is not how Fleming's Bond lived. Craig's Bond appears to have no life outside of work. I am absolutely certain Craig's Bond does not enjoy shopping for towels.
In Skyfall we see what he does when he gives up his job and gets the chance to live as a free man. It looks like a self-destructive lifestyle, I imagine his life would be even shorter as a free man than it would be as a double-oh agent.
I personally think Craig's Bond may be a high functioning autistic, like Doc Martin with a gun. He doesn't do interpersonal well, and seems pathologically devoted to his mission, even when his boss orders him off the case (which happens just about every movie). I don't think he knows what to do when he hasn't got a mission to carry out. Reorganises his gun collection according to a different logical sequence once a day?
I'm pretty sure it's in the Diamonds are forever novel, where bond and Tiffany Case discuss jazz music. And based on the conversation they have, I'd say Bond was pretty knowledgeable on the latest tunes.