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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
People have often made mention that the novel version of James Bond is much rougher but I found that an increased interiority of the character made up for his acknowledged harder living. We read about Bond actually feeling with pain and dealing with guilt and regret that hardly eer comes through in any of the pre-Craig movies.
The book is unfortunately casually racist. It's easy to ascribe that to the time it was written and move on but we need to acknowledge the discomfort and say that Fleming was simply wrong rather than unrefined. It's one thing to have a villain who's identity is wrapped up between several types of Western Hemisphere blackness (voodoo, Harlem, the south) but it's entirely another thing to focus on the blackness of the nooks sent to beat up James Bond.
I was also disappointed in the ending. James Bond showed incredible cleverness in getting out of tight spots but when it comes to actually saving himself and the girl at the end it basically boils down to the fact that Bond happened to be prepared earlier and just got lucky with his timing.
The book is unfortunately casually racist. It's easy to ascribe that to the time it was written and move on but we need to acknowledge the discomfort and say that Fleming was simply wrong rather than unrefined. It's one thing to have a villain who's identity is wrapped up between several types of Western Hemisphere blackness (voodoo, Harlem, the south) but it's entirely another thing to focus on the blackness of the nooks sent to beat up James Bond.
I was also disappointed in the ending. James Bond showed incredible cleverness in getting out of tight spots but when it comes to actually saving himself and the girl at the end it basically boils down to the fact that Bond happened to be prepared earlier and just got lucky with his timing.
adventurous
medium-paced
Live and Let Die is more recognisably 'Bond' than Casino Royale was (evil lair, monologuing, etc) so make of that what you will.
Unfortunately, it is also incredibly racist.
Unfortunately, it is also incredibly racist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For the full, hopped-up-on-cold-medicine-goofballs review (and to learn how Alaina's kind of a poser when it comes to being a Bond fan), follow the link to That's What She Read.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Big dumb fun.
Shootouts, explosions and sharks! Not as good as casino royale but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Shootouts, explosions and sharks! Not as good as casino royale but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
adventurous
mysterious
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
Very Fleming, as this draws from the author's own joint past as a Navy Intelligence man and a part-time resident of Jamaica. However, this novel has weathered the passage of time less well than some other Bonds, and the fundamental intrigue of the story line feels a bit flat.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
A Classic spy story with sharks, lost treasure and light racism that hasn't aged well AT ALL
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
It's a book about a white guy in Harlem and Jamaica written in the 50s. Nothing brutal, but the line has certainly been moved
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this, although it bore almost no resemblance to the Bond movie of the same name. There are some similarities - Solitaire, Mister Big, and some Voodoo, but that is all. This, of course, is more grounded in reality than the films became, and is a cracking read.
One thing that did surpise me was the horrible thing that happened to Felix. Because he has been in so many of the films, I just assumed that he would be in a lot more books. Of course, he may appear again - and I am sure the fate reserved for him in this book was nicked for one of the films.
It's really odd, because I find myself imagining Sean Connery whenever I read the original books. Perhaps because this is firmly grounded in the fifties, and I can see Connery fitting into that era better than any of the others, after all his first film was in 1961.
Anyhow, great book, look forward to reading the next one.
Reread 8.2.23:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed it on my second read of it, but was much more aware of the racist undertones and material that could not be written in a book today. It is a historical document and should be treated as such, but this could not be written today.
I really enjoyed this, although it bore almost no resemblance to the Bond movie of the same name. There are some similarities - Solitaire, Mister Big, and some Voodoo, but that is all. This, of course, is more grounded in reality than the films became, and is a cracking read.
One thing that did surpise me was the horrible thing that happened to Felix. Because he has been in so many of the films, I just assumed that he would be in a lot more books. Of course, he may appear again - and I am sure the fate reserved for him in this book was nicked for one of the films.
It's really odd, because I find myself imagining Sean Connery whenever I read the original books. Perhaps because this is firmly grounded in the fifties, and I can see Connery fitting into that era better than any of the others, after all his first film was in 1961.
Anyhow, great book, look forward to reading the next one.
Reread 8.2.23:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed it on my second read of it, but was much more aware of the racist undertones and material that could not be written in a book today. It is a historical document and should be treated as such, but this could not be written today.