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A review by nrtomasheski
On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming
5.0
It always takes me a bit to get into a Bond novel. Something about Fleming's writing style takes getting used to for me - and he is not the only author for whom this is true. However, once I am over the hurdle, I'm pretty well hooked. These stories are classics for a reason: they're taut adventures with exotic(ish) locales and larger-than-life characters who are nonetheless completely believable.
In this volume, a villain who, frustratingly, had escaped in the past is found to be alive, well, and once again plotting the destruction of the world. Only 007 has the drive and the skill to bring him down. Complicating matters, Bond finds himself in love, a place he was confident he would never find himself.
One of my favorite things about book-Bond is his coldness, toned down to a more or less extent in the films. I am also not, in general, a fan of romance cluttering up my action and adventure. This worked for me, though. First of all, it wasn't so much clutter as a thread weaving its way delicately behind the the A-story. Secondly, this woman, while not exactly a feminist heroine, is at least not a ridiculous stereotype. Third, the resoloution is appropriate.
In this volume, a villain who, frustratingly, had escaped in the past is found to be alive, well, and once again plotting the destruction of the world. Only 007 has the drive and the skill to bring him down. Complicating matters, Bond finds himself in love, a place he was confident he would never find himself.
One of my favorite things about book-Bond is his coldness, toned down to a more or less extent in the films. I am also not, in general, a fan of romance cluttering up my action and adventure. This worked for me, though. First of all, it wasn't so much clutter as a thread weaving its way delicately behind the the A-story. Secondly, this woman, while not exactly a feminist heroine, is at least not a ridiculous stereotype. Third, the resoloution is appropriate.