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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Easily my favorite Fleming novel so far. "We have all the time in the world." That's all I really need to say.
This Bond book was a Bond book, and hey, that's a good thing. This one was a little slower to catch me but the whole back half of the book is good and the second act chase scene is superb. It's interesting how much Bond's ability in the books is a combination of endurance and luck - Fleming writes really good fatigue, but Bond spends a lot of time getting the crap kicked out of him either by people or circumstance and barely struggling away. Add in that in this book Bond locates Blofeld, can't be 100% sure it's him, can't figure out what his plan is and barely gets away and we have a much more realistic character than the omni-competent hero of the movies. He's a good liar, a good seducer, an excellent driver, brutal when he needs to be and willing to use his skill at violence when required.
This is similar to the conversations I'd had with people about how the popular perception of Holmes is very different from the one in the books who makes errors of omission and arrogance regularly.
This is similar to the conversations I'd had with people about how the popular perception of Holmes is very different from the one in the books who makes errors of omission and arrogance regularly.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
David Tennant is my favorite Doctor & one of my favorite actors, so I jumped at the chance to listen to him narrate. And who doesn't love James Bond?
Me. I don't love James Bond. Not as books - I enjoy the films as much as the next person. The books are dated & problematic in places, but that's understandable. IMO, the action scenes translate so much better to film, even with such a great narrator.
Me. I don't love James Bond. Not as books - I enjoy the films as much as the next person. The books are dated & problematic in places, but that's understandable. IMO, the action scenes translate so much better to film, even with such a great narrator.
I don’t know why! Fleming started writing everything in exclamation! But aside from that! A perfect Christmas read!
One of Fleming's better books. Bond seems more human here.
Bond is tired. For a year he has hunted for the elusive Blofeld, the leader of SPECTRE. He is fed up with a job that he feels is beneath his skill level. He wants to resign from the Secret Service. As he composes his resignation letter his car is passed by a beautiful woman. He treats this as a challenge and chases her down the mountain. Later that night, in the Casino Royale, location of the first novel, he meets her. The next day he follows her and his life is changed. By chance he learns of Blofeld's hideout. He goes to investigate and is caught up in a new intrigue.
As Bond begins to unravel Blofeld's new scheme he will face harrowing dangers, seductive women, and be forced to put himself in danger to save England once again. What about his new love Tracy? Will he go through with his resignation? All of these questions are answered in the book.
As always, Bond is suave and daring. Trying to appear as hard as nails we see the romantic Bond break through as never before. This novel has a certain resonance in our own time. The fear of a terrorist attack that could damage the food chain is something that has not gone away with the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union may have fallen, but the fears and dangers still exist. The James Bond novels might have come from another time, but they are for all ages.
As Bond begins to unravel Blofeld's new scheme he will face harrowing dangers, seductive women, and be forced to put himself in danger to save England once again. What about his new love Tracy? Will he go through with his resignation? All of these questions are answered in the book.
As always, Bond is suave and daring. Trying to appear as hard as nails we see the romantic Bond break through as never before. This novel has a certain resonance in our own time. The fear of a terrorist attack that could damage the food chain is something that has not gone away with the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union may have fallen, but the fears and dangers still exist. The James Bond novels might have come from another time, but they are for all ages.
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ is an exciting and nerve-wracking James Bond novel! Ok, most of us have seen the movie dozens of times, and the movie follows the book’s plot very closely. But that doesn’t mean the book is without merit just because a movie based on it has been overexposed on television! It’s been a popular action movie for good reasons, and the novel’s plot the movie is based on is partially why. People who have not seen the movie yet like it very much when they do, despite the shock in the changeup of the actor who plays the part of James Bond! Those of us who have watched the movie a dozen times have done so because it is very entertaining and remarkably bittersweet for a Bond movie.
‘OHMSS’ is book two in a trilogy about the SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld, an extremely hardcore bad guy James Bond tangled with in a previous book in Ian Fleming’s Bond series, [b:Thunderball|177194|Thunderball (James Bond, #9)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431840214s/177194.jpg|2933393]. Bond also meets a headstrong young woman, Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, daughter of a powerful Corsican organization mafia boss, the Unione Corse’s Marc-Ange Draco, in this novel. Tracy will change Bond’s life forever - as does Blofeld.
Tracy has a history of being suicidal, but James is drawn to her because of her beauty and high-spirited attitude when in danger. Her depression is caused by various losses of people close to her. Tracy is very reckless in her approach to challenging or dangerous circumstances partially as a result of her emotional pain, but she is expert in everything she does. Draco made sure she was trained in many things . Bond admires her skill set, which is similar to his own. The two young adventurous lovers (of course they are, this is a James Bond novel) are like matching bookends in what they enjoy doing for fun.
Some of the things Bond thinks are fun is stuff like destroying the nefarious plans of bad guys like Blofeld. Bond already wrecked one of Blofeld’s extortion capers, despite that Blofeld himself escaped being captured. But there are emotional difficulties with which Bond is struggling lately after every assignment. He is burning out. Tracy seems to be offering him a new path forward. But Bond cannot resist taking one more assignment from the Secret Service.
Blofeld has turned up unexpectedly in Switzerland. Maybe. Apparently, if the information was accurate, a man who could be Blofeld is interested in establishing his line of descent from established royal titles. This person contacted London’s College of Arm’s department researcher Sable Basilisk asking for official verification of his noble lineage. The title the wealthy Swiss gentleman, Monsieur le Comte Balthazar de Bleuvulle, wishes to be bestowed on himself is Comte de Bleuville, with the family arms.
Bond cannot believe it, but Bleuville seems to be Blofeld. There is no extradition agreement with Switzerland, so if Bleuville is Blofeld, he is safe in Switzerland. The Service needs confirmation of Blofeld’s identity, and if it is the master criminal, a plan is needed to entice Blofeld out of Switzerland. Basilisk agrees to send Bond to Blofeld’s Swiss ski resort business as a College of Arms' employee with fake credentials. Bond and Blofeld never met, but it still is a risky visit. Blofeld is not only a murderous psychopath, he is very intelligent and cautious. If he finds out Bond really is 007, he will kill Bond immediately. Plus, is it possible a man like Blofeld has settled down to running a ski resort? No, not, gentle reader.
This novel is definitely one of the best in the James Bond series.
‘OHMSS’ is book two in a trilogy about the SPECTRE leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld, an extremely hardcore bad guy James Bond tangled with in a previous book in Ian Fleming’s Bond series, [b:Thunderball|177194|Thunderball (James Bond, #9)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431840214s/177194.jpg|2933393]. Bond also meets a headstrong young woman, Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, daughter of a powerful Corsican organization mafia boss, the Unione Corse’s Marc-Ange Draco, in this novel. Tracy will change Bond’s life forever - as does Blofeld.
Tracy has a history of being suicidal, but James is drawn to her because of her beauty and high-spirited attitude when in danger. Her depression is caused by various losses of people close to her. Tracy is very reckless in her approach to challenging or dangerous circumstances partially as a result of her emotional pain, but she is expert in everything she does. Draco made sure she was trained in many things . Bond admires her skill set, which is similar to his own. The two young adventurous lovers (of course they are, this is a James Bond novel) are like matching bookends in what they enjoy doing for fun.
Some of the things Bond thinks are fun is stuff like destroying the nefarious plans of bad guys like Blofeld. Bond already wrecked one of Blofeld’s extortion capers, despite that Blofeld himself escaped being captured. But there are emotional difficulties with which Bond is struggling lately after every assignment. He is burning out. Tracy seems to be offering him a new path forward. But Bond cannot resist taking one more assignment from the Secret Service.
Blofeld has turned up unexpectedly in Switzerland. Maybe. Apparently, if the information was accurate, a man who could be Blofeld is interested in establishing his line of descent from established royal titles. This person contacted London’s College of Arm’s department researcher Sable Basilisk asking for official verification of his noble lineage. The title the wealthy Swiss gentleman, Monsieur le Comte Balthazar de Bleuvulle, wishes to be bestowed on himself is Comte de Bleuville, with the family arms.
Bond cannot believe it, but Bleuville seems to be Blofeld. There is no extradition agreement with Switzerland, so if Bleuville is Blofeld, he is safe in Switzerland. The Service needs confirmation of Blofeld’s identity, and if it is the master criminal, a plan is needed to entice Blofeld out of Switzerland. Basilisk agrees to send Bond to Blofeld’s Swiss ski resort business as a College of Arms' employee with fake credentials. Bond and Blofeld never met, but it still is a risky visit. Blofeld is not only a murderous psychopath, he is very intelligent and cautious. If he finds out Bond really is 007, he will kill Bond immediately. Plus, is it possible a man like Blofeld has settled down to running a ski resort? No, not, gentle reader.
This novel is definitely one of the best in the James Bond series.
Big Boo Boo the fool of me to think James Bond could have a happy ending