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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Hello again, my sexist, racist, hard-living friend with the slightly cruel mouth. (And hello to Felix Leiter too!) Either this story is better than the last couple installments or the break did us some good.
Nice, still plausible adventure, though the ending was way weak!
Nice, still plausible adventure, though the ending was way weak!
In December I read an updated James Bond novel by Anthony Horowitz that I enjoyed. So I thought I'd read one of Ian Fleming's originals. More or less randomly (meaning what the library happened to have) I chose Thunderball, published in 1961. It hasn't aged well.
Before getting to the novel, as I pointed out on Twitter I did a double take about SPECTRE's choice of what currency to use with their extortion plans.
A long time ago for Venezuelan bolívars to be your currency of choice.
And speaking of long ago and not aging well, this is a truly sexist novel with plenty of casual racism sprinkled in (from the black population of the Bahamas, where the action takes place). If you want to know what it means to portray women literally as sex objects, this is the place to see it. The character Domino Petacchi is there almost solely for Bond's gratification. And he drinks. A lot. Not so many martinis actually, but a ton of whiskey, always a double. Along with a steady flow of cigarettes.
I actually found the plot to be plodding. It is not a particularly exciting book, which surprised me. Further, Bond figures everything out correctly the first time, which means there is almost no suspense.
From http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2019/03/ian-flemings-thunderball.html
Before getting to the novel, as I pointed out on Twitter I did a double take about SPECTRE's choice of what currency to use with their extortion plans.
A long time ago for Venezuelan bolívars to be your currency of choice.
And speaking of long ago and not aging well, this is a truly sexist novel with plenty of casual racism sprinkled in (from the black population of the Bahamas, where the action takes place). If you want to know what it means to portray women literally as sex objects, this is the place to see it. The character Domino Petacchi is there almost solely for Bond's gratification. And he drinks. A lot. Not so many martinis actually, but a ton of whiskey, always a double. Along with a steady flow of cigarettes.
I actually found the plot to be plodding. It is not a particularly exciting book, which surprised me. Further, Bond figures everything out correctly the first time, which means there is almost no suspense.
From http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2019/03/ian-flemings-thunderball.html
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
man, 1960s Bond woulda been cancelled so fast in our modern world.
my first bond. i'll certainly be revisiting. albeit, not as often as I read a Le Carré or King.
my first bond. i'll certainly be revisiting. albeit, not as often as I read a Le Carré or King.
This is the first of the Blofeld trilogy and finds Bond sent to the Bahamas on his and the trail of the two nuclear weapons that he and SPECTRE have stolen. Fleming shows his usual flare for balancing the twists and turns of the story with keeping the reader engaged and engrossed and we see more of Bond's wit and humour which earlier novels don't have. Having said that though, the story is becoming increasingly familiar (not just because of the film adaptations) with the world in peril and Bond coming to the rescue and saving the day. This book is a little different as Bond does come across a little less superhuman and more like a mere mortal but this is not enough to freshen the overall story. Still a fairly enjoyable read though.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is not the best Bond book. (#9)
I have enjoyed seeing Fleming's maturity as a writer from book 1 to now. In several stories, I've noticed Fleming trying different styles with his writing. Thunderball seems to be an attempt to create a real love interest and more of a romantic instead of just sexual relationship. In attempting this, the normal James Bond story is pushed to the side, all the action saved for the end and much of the story boring.
I have enjoyed seeing Fleming's maturity as a writer from book 1 to now. In several stories, I've noticed Fleming trying different styles with his writing. Thunderball seems to be an attempt to create a real love interest and more of a romantic instead of just sexual relationship. In attempting this, the normal James Bond story is pushed to the side, all the action saved for the end and much of the story boring.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hello to Jason Issacs but also sorry to him as his delightful voice is wasted on this turgid Bond. Not one of Flemings best despite it having one of the all time villains first appearance.