Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nearside 's review for:
The Spy Who Loved Me
by Ian Fleming
By far my favorite Ian Fleming Bond novel so far, The Spy Who Loved Me is, I feel, the prototype Jack Reacher novel. Indeed, a Reacher novel from the POV of another character would be a fantastic read.
Probably something of a shock at the time of its release, TSWLM marks what I think is a real step forward for Fleming, writing sympathetically from a female point of view. His charming historically appropriate misogyny merely reads like schoolboy naivety here, and isn't really even jarring. Viv is a very interesting character who deserves a novel or two of her own.
There's a lot to like here. A Bond who is apparently more world-weary than ever seems to come alive when he has a genuine reason to kick some ass that doesn't involve spying or intrigue, but good old fashioned "right thing to do." His appearance in the tale about half-way through is welcomed and when he eventually departs, even his goodbye note is both charming and affectionate, far from the playboy reputation that he's rightfully gained over the years.
Fleming stretches himself in this novel, and it works out very well for the reader. The least "spy" of the series of spy novels so far, this feels a bit like the Quantum of Solace short story, which I also loved.
Probably something of a shock at the time of its release, TSWLM marks what I think is a real step forward for Fleming, writing sympathetically from a female point of view. His charming historically appropriate misogyny merely reads like schoolboy naivety here, and isn't really even jarring. Viv is a very interesting character who deserves a novel or two of her own.
There's a lot to like here. A Bond who is apparently more world-weary than ever seems to come alive when he has a genuine reason to kick some ass that doesn't involve spying or intrigue, but good old fashioned "right thing to do." His appearance in the tale about half-way through is welcomed and when he eventually departs, even his goodbye note is both charming and affectionate, far from the playboy reputation that he's rightfully gained over the years.
Fleming stretches himself in this novel, and it works out very well for the reader. The least "spy" of the series of spy novels so far, this feels a bit like the Quantum of Solace short story, which I also loved.