Reviews

Doctor No by Ian Fleming

talina's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

One of the more interesting Bond girls I’ve encountered so far but the plot felt kind of kitschy and cliche. I’m aware it feels this way because it’s the originator of a lot of those cliches but the story itself isn’t strong enough to overcome being cannibalised by the narratives that came after it.

angela_king's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0


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irendipity52's review against another edition

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3.0

3'5.

Primera novela de James Bond que leo, por la universidad. Es como lo esperaba y al mismo tiempo no. Si no he visto todas las películas de Jams Bond cerca he estado, así que sabía de sobra como iba a funcionar: Bond tiene un caso, investiga, se infiltra, conoce a una chica, se enfrenta al malo que le pone en un gran peligro y al final él consigue escaparse y salvar a la chica. Siempre el mismo patrón. Y el libro, como es obvio, lo sigue.

Leer la novela era casi como ver una película. Las descripción, los diálogos, las escenas de acción parece que fueron escritas para ser adaptadas al cine. No cuesta apenas nada sumergirte en la historia y seguir los pasos de Bond. La escena final, en la Bond sobrevive a todo lo que se le pone por delante, es un no parar.

Eso sí, he tenido ciertos problemas con la relación Bond-chica Bond. Me lo esperaba, porque al parecer Bond sin una mujer a la que salvar no es Bond; pero había momentos en los que no podía evitar poner los ojos en blanco. Demasiado obvio, demasiado estúpido. Me pone muy de los nervios que cada mujer que aparece parezca derretirse con él.

Salvo eso, la novela en general me ha gustado y me ha entretenido. Ha sido divertido leer una novela del Agente 007, jamás pensé que lo haría, y para pasar el rato la recomiendo. Además me ha venido estupendamente porque no me apetecía leer el mismo tipo de libro que leo siempre, me ha sacado de la rutina.

nicolaaaaa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

iamleeg's review against another edition

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4.0

Absolutely sped through this one, it's a really fast read. Good fun.

latterature's review against another edition

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4.0

A very strong entry in the series. On his sixth canonical outing, Bond is beginning to shed some of the superhuman attributes that previously rendered his character dull and uninspiring and some cracks are beginning to show. Dr No himself is another fantastic villain in the series, though once again, Felming doesn't give much more inspiration behind his motives than simple megalomania. Honey Rider remains an iconic Bond girl her reasons for quickly falling for the dour secret agent are almost believable, in a refreshing change. Still, Fleming can't shred the habit of making people bad by virtue of their ethnicity, and just like the African-Americans in 'Live and Let Die' or the Germans in 'Moonraker', the 'Chinegroes' (Chinese-Negroes) of Jamaica in are sneering, hive-minded henchmen in the service of a powerful countryman. If you can stomach that, however, Bond's escape through Dr No's sinister obstacle course in the novel's final act makes for tense, compelling reading.

ros77uk's review against another edition

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5.0

Another breathtaking adventure set in Jamaica. This is the movie that had Ursula Andress in That Bikini... but the book is just as exciting.

dorinlazar's review against another edition

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2.0

Cumva nivelul rămâne jos; chiar dacă se citește ușor și povestea e pe jumătate interesantă, cumva e subțire de tot, nu mă impresionează în niciun fel. Altfel, un mod bun de a petrece un weekend.

lawrencetallon's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

3.75

jcpdiesel21's review against another edition

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3.0

Not bad. The pacing is off, as the book starts strongly but slows down considerably once Bond and Honeychile Rider are captured by Dr. No, which is when I expected everything to pick up speed to the end. Dr. No is a creepy villain with an intriguing backstory, but disappointingly dull in his interactions with Bond as he has a habit of being overly blabby. Bond has memorable encounters with two creatures here: first a tense overnight visit by a centipede and later an exciting fight with a giant squid that he awesomely defeats by using improvised and stolen items made into weapons. I certainly didn't predict that guano would feature so largely into the book's overall plot, which is an odd choice of Fleming's that isn't featured in the film adaptation.