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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one returned to the formula of Casino Royale, combining the undoing of an evil megalomaniac villain with a love story, even to the point of beginning exactly there and referencing the previous adventure, but--aside from doubling down (in an aside) on the theme of the previous adventure, The Spy Who Loved me's theme that what a woman really wants from a man is a little rape--this one was the least politically objectionable of the lot so far. Well, it does paint the Swiss as money-ruled a-moral gaggle of opportunists... But I think the Swiss can probably take it.
It was interesting to see how closely the film version followed the novel here--except with a few small variations obviously meant to move the action along a little faster or to make it more graphically violent. I actually appreciated how the novel slowed the action down to actually show some spy work being done as well as how the nefarious plot was unraveled via the clues gathered by intelligence and in the field by the ministry itself. Of course they do away with that in the movie and resort to the tired scene of the villain simply boasting of his plot to Bond before then putting him in some cage from which he will easily escape in order to foil the plot now that he knows all about it. Thus both film and novel are little boy fantasies of heroics, but the novel has at least a patina of believability that the movie lacks and, for once, Bond came off as more of a serious secret agent than a drunken macho racist bungler. The film certainly suffers from having Lazenby, the least charismatic actor to play the role, but that's redeemed a bit by the fabulous Diana Rigg and terrific Gabriele Ferzetti as Tracy and Draco.
It was interesting to see how closely the film version followed the novel here--except with a few small variations obviously meant to move the action along a little faster or to make it more graphically violent. I actually appreciated how the novel slowed the action down to actually show some spy work being done as well as how the nefarious plot was unraveled via the clues gathered by intelligence and in the field by the ministry itself. Of course they do away with that in the movie and resort to the tired scene of the villain simply boasting of his plot to Bond before then putting him in some cage from which he will easily escape in order to foil the plot now that he knows all about it. Thus both film and novel are little boy fantasies of heroics, but the novel has at least a patina of believability that the movie lacks and, for once, Bond came off as more of a serious secret agent than a drunken macho racist bungler. The film certainly suffers from having Lazenby, the least charismatic actor to play the role, but that's redeemed a bit by the fabulous Diana Rigg and terrific Gabriele Ferzetti as Tracy and Draco.
Was my second time listening to this book and this narrator, and thoroughly enjoyed it again. Not my favorite of the bond books overall but definitely in the upper half, and David Tennant does a great job narrating.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
when you know what is going to happen and prepare yourself for it, but still hope it's not going to happen.. but then it does.
My uncle took me aside over Christmas and said he had a box of SF books in his basement he was going to give to goodwill but I should go through them. This was in there.
I am not a big James Bond fan - I've seen several films but couldn't really come up with a plot of any of them. I remember an overbearing womanizer, with cheesily named females.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. First, Bond has more of an inner life than comes through in the films (at least the older ones; I have only seen one of the ones with the blond guy). And the girl's name wasn't ridiculously suggestive.
But what really got me about this book was the ... hrmm, texture? (There's probably an actual literary term for this, but I don't know it.) He goes into a long discourse about ski bindings, and how they've changed since he was younger. There's pages and pages of chemin de fer, (where you're supposed to know the rules, apparently?). The book also presumes you speak French (which I don't) and German. Of course I was reading this on a plane and couldn't look anything up. But all of that didn't really detract that much from my enjoyment of the book, despite the fact that I had no idea what was going on with a lot of parts. (He got his K in skiing? What???)
The feel isn't exactly dated, but it's definitely not the keep moving OMG no descriptions! that I guess is the more modern novel. Very pleasant.
I have been waffling between 3 and 4 stars on this. Too bad I can't record 3.5. But I liked it.
I am not a big James Bond fan - I've seen several films but couldn't really come up with a plot of any of them. I remember an overbearing womanizer, with cheesily named females.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. First, Bond has more of an inner life than comes through in the films (at least the older ones; I have only seen one of the ones with the blond guy). And the girl's name wasn't ridiculously suggestive.
But what really got me about this book was the ... hrmm, texture? (There's probably an actual literary term for this, but I don't know it.) He goes into a long discourse about ski bindings, and how they've changed since he was younger. There's pages and pages of chemin de fer, (where you're supposed to know the rules, apparently?). The book also presumes you speak French (which I don't) and German. Of course I was reading this on a plane and couldn't look anything up. But all of that didn't really detract that much from my enjoyment of the book, despite the fact that I had no idea what was going on with a lot of parts. (He got his K in skiing? What???)
The feel isn't exactly dated, but it's definitely not the keep moving OMG no descriptions! that I guess is the more modern novel. Very pleasant.
I have been waffling between 3 and 4 stars on this. Too bad I can't record 3.5. But I liked it.
Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, my favorite Bond girl. She brings so much to this one. James Bond falls in love for the 10th time but this time it’s serious (he talks about and to her in a respectful way). Tracy has a pretty sympathetic backstory especially compared to some of the other women Fleming wrote into these stories, and she feels the most like a person of them all. When her and Bond meet he has the genuine respect for her and himself to say “You are clinically depressed and tried to drown yourself in the ocean, and I can’t go through with this unless you go and get help. I can’t save you, only you can save you!” And then she does! Mental health awareness!
The Blofeld side of the plot is damn good too, great undercover spy stuff going on here and I really like the dastardly scheme Blofeld has hatched here. And the fact that he changes his whole look with plastic surgery and a tummy tuck to try and fool Bond! So camp and fun.
Definitely my favorite of all of these books.
The Blofeld side of the plot is damn good too, great undercover spy stuff going on here and I really like the dastardly scheme Blofeld has hatched here. And the fact that he changes his whole look with plastic surgery and a tummy tuck to try and fool Bond! So camp and fun.
Definitely my favorite of all of these books.
Just your average dose of casual sexism from the mid-twentieth century.
3.5 stars.
It’s a good book, but I say that with the caveat of being aware of the time it was written as there are several things within it that I NOPE at very heavily.
M remains my favourite character in this book series and it’s good to know he has hobbies... I didn’t expect that watercolour would be amongst them but good for him!
It’s a good book, but I say that with the caveat of being aware of the time it was written as there are several things within it that I NOPE at very heavily.
M remains my favourite character in this book series and it’s good to know he has hobbies... I didn’t expect that watercolour would be amongst them but good for him!
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced