Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
adventurous
Having to constantly remind myself that it was written over 60 years ago to get over the stereotypical and sometimes offensive language used when describing African Americans, or creating their dialog, definitely detracted from my enjoyment, but it was exactly the sort of over the top spy stuff one expects from James Bond. It is also quite different from the movie based on it.
The dated language diminished my enjoyment of this book a bit, but it was good none the less.
For those us who have grown up watching Bond movies, it's a lot of fun to read Fleming's original novels. Bond is quite a different character than portrayed in film, and the movie plot is only loosely based on this novel, the second in Fleming's series. In fact, scenes from this book show up in at least two other movies that I can think of offhand. There are no nifty gadgets courtesy of Q here. Instead, Bond spends two weeks studying underwater sea life and scuba diving, exercises, then pops Benzedrine and sneaks up on Mr. Big's island!
Live and Let Die was written in 1954, and is based on Fleming's own travel experiences to the US, so we get some very detailed descriptions of the settings, and occasional swipes at American culture and cuisine. Fleming wrote this novel at his estate in Jamaica, so his descriptions of the Jamaican settings are also detailed and informative. The dialogue and characterizations are reminders of the racial and sexual biases that were alive and well in the mid 1950's.
Live and Let Die was written in 1954, and is based on Fleming's own travel experiences to the US, so we get some very detailed descriptions of the settings, and occasional swipes at American culture and cuisine. Fleming wrote this novel at his estate in Jamaica, so his descriptions of the Jamaican settings are also detailed and informative. The dialogue and characterizations are reminders of the racial and sexual biases that were alive and well in the mid 1950's.
James Bond is not my favorite spy, Derek Flint of "Our Man Flint" who is a parody of James Bond is my favorite spy. But last night I watched BBC's Novels That Shaped Our World The Empire Writes Back, which featured Live and Let Die. According to the show the book was thrilling and was supposed to be funny, so I decided to give it a try. It's very much a product of it's times, racism, misogyny and somehow I missed the humor. If you're a James Bond fan this is worth a read.
James Bond isn't my favorite spy, Derek Flint from "Our Man Flint" which is a parody of James Bond is. But I was watching BBC's Novels That Shaped Our World The Empire Writes Back and they were talking about this book and having never read a Bond book I figured it was time. Well according to the BBC this book was funny but I never really got the humor, I might have smiled when they talk about St Petersburg and old people but not much. The book is action packed and filled with misogyny and racism just as the show said. If you are a real Bond fan then this book is probably for you.
adventurous
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Was curious to try a bond book as I’m a fan of the films. Wasn’t a fan at all, found the writing clunky and I’m aware of when the book was written but the use of a lot of racist language really put me off too. I wouldn’t recommend.
adventurous
challenging
This, the second Bond book of Ian Fleming's, is considerably less engrossing and entertaining than its predecessor Casino Royale. It's simply not that memorable. I found that to be a shame, as the movie Live and Let Die has always been one of my favorite James Bond movies.
Don't let this stop you from continuing your journey through Mr. Fleming's string of Bond novels, as the next one, Moonraker, is a goody.
Don't let this stop you from continuing your journey through Mr. Fleming's string of Bond novels, as the next one, Moonraker, is a goody.