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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
I really like Casino Royale (the novel... and the movie), but this one didn't hold me. Casino is great because of how un-Bondian it is. This one is much more in the formula. Blah.
Last 20% got interesting but what a bore-fest before that.
Loses itself in the 3rd quarter but interesting story/concept.
James Bond vs Voodoo and sharks. Definitely a fun adventure.
Ian Fleming continues to surprise me with the second book of his James Bond series. The style and characterization is much closer to the Daniel Craig Bond films, with a dark tone brought thrillingly to the page with Fleming's flowing yet gritty prose, than the much moreover-the-top, often ridiculous nature of the movies from the past.
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
This is the second book in the 007 series, but is nowhere near as good as the first book. While still a quick read, the idiotic mistakes made by Bond in this book are hard to believe. First, after narrowly escaping from the villain and his large network of henchmen, he leaves the villain's semi-clairvoyant fiancé alone in his hotel room even after she has a bad feeling. Then he goes to the boat AND the treasure by himself after all this, and gets caught immediately without even informing MI6 about his plans beforehand.
Content Warnings
adventurous
mysterious
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
As the second Bond novel I see immediate evolution. Bond isn't as cautious or careful- the spying paranoia of checking phones for wiretapes and talking in code is traded a bit for the more spectacular set pieces involved than in Casino Royale. However, the groundedness of the first is still present. No super gadgets- he goes to a hardware store to buy a glass cutter and the craziest thing he has is a limpet mine at the end.
It should also be noted that the coldness of Bond- the calculating nature everpresent in Casino Royale is removed and a more human, warmer person is summoned. His relationship with Leiter is now that of close friends when before he was an American in the way and not that helpful. Bond emotes more- laughs, cries, etc. I do appreciate the calculated paranoia of the Casino Royale Bond and if that was the only instance of it is what it is.
We do continue the trend of Bond getting the crap beat out of him in a chair and tied up twice. At least in this one he gets to win against the Robber but it is interesting that two books through Bond kind of wins on a technicality- but it makes it interesting. The sometimes banal precaution wins the day not a over the top achievement.
I enjoy the groundedness of these capers and hope this continues.
It should also be noted that the coldness of Bond- the calculating nature everpresent in Casino Royale is removed and a more human, warmer person is summoned. His relationship with Leiter is now that of close friends when before he was an American in the way and not that helpful. Bond emotes more- laughs, cries, etc. I do appreciate the calculated paranoia of the Casino Royale Bond and if that was the only instance of it is what it is.
We do continue the trend of Bond getting the crap beat out of him in a chair and tied up twice. At least in this one he gets to win against the Robber but it is interesting that two books through Bond kind of wins on a technicality- but it makes it interesting. The sometimes banal precaution wins the day not a over the top achievement.
I enjoy the groundedness of these capers and hope this continues.
(Re-read). Definitely doesn't hold up as well as some of the others. As well as the usual Bond mysogyny, it's also fairly racist. But a fast paced Bond thriller