Reviews

Not what I was expecting and enjoyably so. Pretty much the only similarity with the film is that the villain is called Scaramanga. Bond is not the killing and shagging machine of the films, at one point he has a shower and spends the evening sitting about in his pants. Not that there aren’t bits that will make a modern reader cringe, but hearing the self-doubt in Bonds internal thoughts is refreshing.
I don’t know why I’ve started with the last in the series, which apparently isn’t like the others, I might start from Casino Royale and read a few more.

cptcheerful's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

andrew_j_r's review against another edition

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2.0

I confess that I was slightly underwhelmed by this one.
I really enjoyed the last three books, they made up a trilogy of tales concerning Blofeld. What is irritating about this one is that the story I really wanted to read about was what happened between this book and the last.
This starts with a brainwashed Bond attempting to kill M. I would’ve liked to have seen the brainwashing process, and the book ending with this attempt. What we actually got was the attempt, followed by a very quick recovery that we don’t even get to see in which he is cured, then put on a dangerous mission that will prove whether he is still the man he needs to be. It’s very wishy-washy and the whole brainwashing thing was glossed over far too quickly.
We then get a fairly average story In which Bond returns to Jamaica, somewhere we have seen so many times before in these books it kind of feels like the writer couldn’t be bothered to research anything and just used a locale he already knew well. The story is not that exciting and the end is predictable. It is a shame that this is the final novel in the series, I’m sure the short stories that follow it are fine and I will read them, but as the final full novel it ended with a whimper rather than a bang. Rather disappointing.

jon288's review against another edition

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4.0

(Re-read). One of the few where I think the film may have improved on it (with the exceptions of some dated scenes), but maybe that's just Christopher Lee. A relatively low key mission, but a good final confrontation and interesting beginning with a brainwashed Bond

duparker's review against another edition

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4.0

Fun, and very different from the last Bond I read. I like the more modern feel to be storytelling, and the local was cool. Haven't seen this movie in a long time but I suspect it's vastly different overall a really enjoyable read with a great flow and fun tone.

historyrebel's review against another edition

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3.0

I've heard some people think Fleming died before he could really revise this book. I don't know if it's true, but it does feel plausible. It's a decent story. There are some good, tense moments, but the story also feels very rough at times. The beginning of the book is better than the rest.

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