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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is perhaps one of the most surprising Bond books out of the five that I've now read. I wont explain all of why its surprising because I think its better to be just as shocked as I was when you read it rather than know going in. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the second entry into the infamous Blofeld trilogy where Bond finally meets his match in a dastardly villain.
After the events of Thunderball and The Spy Who Loved Me we find 007 back where it all started, The Casino Royale. This choice to return to the casino is framed by the writing of his resignation letter from the secret services, he feels as though he's finally had his fill and wants to spend the rest of his life abroad. This is also when he meets Tracy, a young depressed girl who races him on the country roads leading to Royale. This chance encounter leads to a conversation with her father in which Bond learns where Blofeld has taken up residence after operation Thunderball, and under the guise of a records man looking to confirm the new Blofeld's claim to a family dynasty he fly's out to the mans hideout.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is different from most of the Bond books for two reasons, it's much slower paced and it's a lot more emotional. As I mentioned above the story is framed by the writing of his letter of resignation and for a lot of the book James is contemplating life after the completion of the current operation, and all of this makes for some really intelligent writing about a life after service in a life of secrets and action. James doesn't really want to be up in the alps but he knows that he must, that if is isn't there then Blofeld will be able to do whatever he wants, and James, for what is probably the first time ever, has a crisis of conscience between preserving his own life and taking down a threat that he knows affects everyone.
The second part of what makes it different is the pacing, most Bond books do have a period of slowness where he investigates, but almost all of this book is investigation and meetings surrounding the events that we know are happening. The action finally comes at what is probably the last twenty pages or so and it really only serves as a bookend to what we've been reading for the past hundred and fifty. Action comes and goes very quickly but its not without reason, clearly this Blofeld is not only hard to track and pin down but he also has the ability to evacuate quite quickly if need be and Mr. Fleming writes the ending of this story with that in mind.
The only problem I had with this book was that it seems to fall in a weird place between a character study and an action novel, almost as if it wants to have its cake and eat it too. I would have preferred more of cliffhanger as the team returned to the mountain with more time focused on James than to have it split so suddenly. Other than that minor complaint its quite a fantastic little novel.
This book, ultimately, is about the character that you've come to know for eleven books. Its about his insecurities as he grows older and what he really wants beyond a life of espionage. Mr. Fleming humanizes Bond in this book and I think that was a great choice, seeing the layers of stone peeled back to see the real human underneath. Plus the ending features quite the gut punch, that comes as total devastation after warming to this newer version of 007. Read it and I'm sure you'll feel just as I did, and you'll truly hate his arch nemesis.
After the events of Thunderball and The Spy Who Loved Me we find 007 back where it all started, The Casino Royale. This choice to return to the casino is framed by the writing of his resignation letter from the secret services, he feels as though he's finally had his fill and wants to spend the rest of his life abroad. This is also when he meets Tracy, a young depressed girl who races him on the country roads leading to Royale. This chance encounter leads to a conversation with her father in which Bond learns where Blofeld has taken up residence after operation Thunderball, and under the guise of a records man looking to confirm the new Blofeld's claim to a family dynasty he fly's out to the mans hideout.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is different from most of the Bond books for two reasons, it's much slower paced and it's a lot more emotional. As I mentioned above the story is framed by the writing of his letter of resignation and for a lot of the book James is contemplating life after the completion of the current operation, and all of this makes for some really intelligent writing about a life after service in a life of secrets and action. James doesn't really want to be up in the alps but he knows that he must, that if is isn't there then Blofeld will be able to do whatever he wants, and James, for what is probably the first time ever, has a crisis of conscience between preserving his own life and taking down a threat that he knows affects everyone.
The second part of what makes it different is the pacing, most Bond books do have a period of slowness where he investigates, but almost all of this book is investigation and meetings surrounding the events that we know are happening. The action finally comes at what is probably the last twenty pages or so and it really only serves as a bookend to what we've been reading for the past hundred and fifty. Action comes and goes very quickly but its not without reason, clearly this Blofeld is not only hard to track and pin down but he also has the ability to evacuate quite quickly if need be and Mr. Fleming writes the ending of this story with that in mind.
The only problem I had with this book was that it seems to fall in a weird place between a character study and an action novel, almost as if it wants to have its cake and eat it too. I would have preferred more of cliffhanger as the team returned to the mountain with more time focused on James than to have it split so suddenly. Other than that minor complaint its quite a fantastic little novel.
This book, ultimately, is about the character that you've come to know for eleven books. Its about his insecurities as he grows older and what he really wants beyond a life of espionage. Mr. Fleming humanizes Bond in this book and I think that was a great choice, seeing the layers of stone peeled back to see the real human underneath. Plus the ending features quite the gut punch, that comes as total devastation after warming to this newer version of 007. Read it and I'm sure you'll feel just as I did, and you'll truly hate his arch nemesis.
Having spent a year futilely searching for the international criminal Blofield, James Bond is ready to retire (again) when he is given a slim lead, which he the chases down to a resort in the Alps and a twisted plot to destroy England. As well, Bond falls in love with some unexpected results.
In this sentimental Bond story, we finally get some information on his family and early life (in my mind, this novel sets out to soften the image of Bond and make him more human); this also turns out to be a seasonal story, in that some of the major action takes place on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day Bond has Christmas supper at M's house, where they work out Blofield's plot. As far as presenting a well-rounded character, this is my favorite Bond novel so far, and one of my favorite Bond movies as well.
In this sentimental Bond story, we finally get some information on his family and early life (in my mind, this novel sets out to soften the image of Bond and make him more human); this also turns out to be a seasonal story, in that some of the major action takes place on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day Bond has Christmas supper at M's house, where they work out Blofield's plot. As far as presenting a well-rounded character, this is my favorite Bond novel so far, and one of my favorite Bond movies as well.
adventurous
medium-paced
Certainly one of the best entries in the Bond series, this book is full of surprising turns against the typical formula and some interesting developments for the Bond character.
Ian Fleming really seems to think women fantasize about rape….
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
