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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
+1 for the Spink's shout out, which a whole two of my friends will understand. -1 for the insult to American food from an Englishman! I am not making that up.
Where Casino Royale succeeds despite its misogyny, Live and Let Die almost fails immediately as Bond visits Harlem. The racial insensitivity is almost deafening, and made it a much harder read than Casino Royale.
Odd out of time quality to the language when talking about blacks. I can't decide if it was progressive for the time even though racist.
Boring
My favourite film but the book was a bore. Unnecessarily used racist terms and not really riveting in any sense.
My favourite film but the book was a bore. Unnecessarily used racist terms and not really riveting in any sense.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I think you need to take into account the time period these novels were written. This one in particular is remarkably racist from a 2024 standpoint.
It was a campy, easy read, but I may stick to the films in future
It was a campy, easy read, but I may stick to the films in future
Much more action than Casino Royale. Does suffer from age, but still better than the writers who came after Fleming.
Its entertaining plot notwithstanding, I cannot forgive the misogyny and racism.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
obviously very different from the movie. A really quick read, and it was a test to not want to throw the book, as Bond (and everyone else) is pretty hateful (see racist and misogynistic) though one must realize it was written a long time ago. Overall I'm glad I finally read one of the books. I'm a big fan of the Sean Connery movies, so it was interesting to see where they came from.
Whew, time to talk about some subjects that are extremely uncomfortable. This is the type of novel that gets people fired up. There was definitely racism in the fifties (as there is today), and this novel contains it. The 'jive talk' is unfortunate. I've never been a big fan of writing in a dialect, and this novel makes Mr. Big's henchmen nearly incomprehensible. However, many of the views on race are surprisingly progressive especially for the time. It brings up the recognition that the black community was just starting to get (though we honestly haven't come far enough in the 60 years). Also, the film is way more racist than anything in the novel, and it was made nearly twenty years later.
My biggest issue is with James and Felix's stupidity through the middle of the novel. After escaping with minor wounds when first confronting Mr. Big, they decide to act independently when investigating his place in Florida. Great job guys! After this, rather than following the fever pitched crescendo of rage that makes Licence to Kill interesting when it uses that plot point, he becomes more distracted by getting the girl who he helped to escape out. Which would be fine, particularly following Casino Royale, if Bond actually worked through any of the emotions stemming from the end of that novel: itself briefly mentioned at the start. The biggest issue is that Bond is just on a mission to save sexy girl and country nearly oblivious to the events that are happening to him.
Solitaire... is described in a very similar manner to Vesper: blue eyes, black hair, big breasts. She is psychic, but, much like the supernaturality of the voodoo, this is played down (good), giving her the damsel in distress role as her primary focus (bad). She's the boring, safe clone that Bond can use happily and discard. The novel would have been better off without her
So, why three stars? The novel was still a tense read. The sprawling description, notably of Jamaica, is vivid with the "Valley of Shadows" chapter alone making the read worthwhile. Mr. Big is a true criminal mastermind with a large network of spies, and one that Bond never even gets close to facing in fair combat. He shown to be powerful and uses his power well. The use of nature by Mr. Big in the final act is superb with his end completing a karmic pattern that makes the ending feel more just than it would have otherwise. Honestly, its a shame the entire book wasn't just set in Jamaica. The only thing the U.S. settings really achieved were adding scale to Mr. Big's operation.
My biggest issue is with James and Felix's stupidity through the middle of the novel. After escaping with minor wounds when first confronting Mr. Big, they decide to act independently when investigating his place in Florida.
Spoiler
This leads to Felix losing an arm and a leg, literally.Solitaire... is described in a very similar manner to Vesper: blue eyes, black hair, big breasts. She is psychic, but, much like the supernaturality of the voodoo, this is played down (good), giving her the damsel in distress role as her primary focus (bad). She's the boring, safe clone that Bond can use happily and discard. The novel would have been better off without her
Spoiler
as she doesn't provide any more incentive than revenge for Felix would have.So, why three stars? The novel was still a tense read. The sprawling description, notably of Jamaica, is vivid with the "Valley of Shadows" chapter alone making the read worthwhile. Mr. Big is a true criminal mastermind with a large network of spies, and one that Bond never even gets close to facing in fair combat. He shown to be powerful and uses his power well. The use of nature by Mr. Big in the final act is superb with his end completing a karmic pattern that makes the ending feel more just than it would have otherwise. Honestly, its a shame the entire book wasn't just set in Jamaica. The only thing the U.S. settings really achieved were adding scale to Mr. Big's operation.