Last Bond Novel You Read

Blunt Instrument wrote:

For further novels, Horowitz could maybe do what he did with Trigger Mortis  (set them between the events of 2 of the Fleming novels in the timeline) or possibly afterwards ... the Seventies are a pretty much 'unmined' decade for 'book Bond'.

Oh I'd love to see one of the assignments Bond makes a mess of between OHMSS and YOLT!

Forward these ideas to Horowitz post-haste!

What cut of the book sales should we ask for, lads? 25%?

A hundred.

Re-reading again and getting to the MR novelization.

Horowitz has been a favorite of mine for years. If you're looking for more his Alex Rider children's books are literally 14 year old Bond. Many, MANY lifts and nods to Fleming.

I'm kicking myself I didn't get the now out of print badass cover reprints of the books from that 2000's line KKBB. But my heart will always lie with the redlined signet 60's US paperbacks. I have a variety of other editions for each novel but the Signets are always my go-to copies. Several I've had to eventually replace because my old copies wore out. If I see cheap Bond books in a used shop I buy them because why not?
I have found a few UK Pan paperbacks and some of the awesome McCarthy art paperback reprints from the Colonel Sun era.

The 2000s line being the boxset I posted pics of?

Thinking after isolation of going to second hand bookshops. Seeing if I can get the 1st editions.

Yes those from 2003 or so.

I always scour for Bond sections in used stores to see what's on hand or to find any potential new variants. Every once in a while I find a treasure trove with a few copies that are cheap/not overpriced and add a few to the collection or upgrade copies.

So far I roughly have:
A number of US Fleming hardbacks raging from the 60's era up through the JB Classic Library reprints.
The US first edition hardbacks for Colonel Sun, Gardner and Benson and the modern continuation books.
The Signet 60's paperbacks, some cover variants, some 70's copies, some in the 80's Berkley Charter reprints, some modern copies and all the continuation books through Devil May Care in paperback form as well. I think I have Carte Blanche as a paperback too.
I have all five Young Bonds plus the test print copy of Silverfin. I need to get the newer series as well.

I did finally get some of the comic strips in one of the omnibuses and also some of the Dark horse line of the 90's. Then there's the LTK comic and one of the double issue Marvel FYEO.

I've seen those 2003 editions on eBay in the box set if you're interested. They're a nice collector's item.

Having read Kingsley Amis' Russian Hide and Seek, plucked Colonel Sun from my shelf. One chapter in but Amis does well to capture Bond and Tanner, or the little details such as those relating to Quarterdeck (the bell being from a ship of the line). Think this is my fourth foray into it and first for a couple of years.

Then maybe onto TSWLM, been itching to give it a fresh look for a little while.

I've had Colonel Sun on the shelf for a few years. Might be time to dust it off and give it a go!

It is curious that the torture scene seems to have been used in Spectre. In that the continuation novels have not been touched by the film series (as far as I recall at this time of night!) but even how Colonel Sun addresses Bond ("Do you mind if I call you, James...? I feel that we know each other well"- words to effect). You can imagine Waltz in that scene and indeed Craig I suppose.

Otherwise 'Markham' did well to do this book, must've been some pressure on him though I can't imagine Kingsley Amis was the sort to be too bothered by it. I found myself still struck by the killing off of the Hammond's at Quarterdeck. Of all Fleming's characters not developed at all if much but somehow reading their demise bothered.

Onto Zero Minus Ten shortly. Keep the theme going.

Reading Zero Minus Ten I'm struck by the fact if only TND had been about Hong Kong though I bet that'd have pissed off the Chinese. The whole story against the backdrop of the Handover would've been intriguing. Still could've had Wai Linn et al.

Though Zero Minus Ten was a favourite non-Fleming in the past, little bits grate this time round. Sometimes feel a pastiche rather than a homage. I can't elaborate but my eyebrow did more action than any other since Moore.

Though the Oz involvement makes me think it's about time surely Bond visited the lost continent, as it were.

I'm keen to read the book that was based on one of the ideas thrown around for TND at the time. Forever And a Death I believe it's called.

Starting on what must be my annual sprint of Moonraker.

There is enough in the first chapter alone that if it was a piece unto itself, it would do. If I could do a three/four part period-piece for Moonraker, the first episode alone would consist mostly of the office. As is noted, Bond gets two maybe three assignments in a year so that's 300 odd days say of this. Of all the books this might be the best for the 'mundane' routine that Bond does Monday to Friday.
Earns £1500 a year, wonder what that is now...a good 60-70,000 surely.

I note two bits that I must have blanked before. One is M's remark to Bond about "we" put you on a card sharping course before the war. I figured Bond joined SIS post-war (as Horowitz depicts in F&D). It could be I suppose not SIS but maybe something else, Bond would've been say 20-21 at the time. Feasible that he still of course joined the navy at the outset of war.
Another is Bond reminding M that he had been attached on M's orders to the British Embassy in Moscow. That intrigues me. Somehow I figured Bond was always based in Regent's Park but the Moscow angle would be a story unto itself.

It also has the whole card business. On one hand that last line in the chapter "he cheats at cards" is laugh out loud and even Bond seems mildly amused (a man cheats at cards, well duh) but yet...as it's M, as it's Fleming, it feels serious enough and I like how Bond is quietly proud that M has turned to him to sort Drax out. Also how once the attack begins, so to speak, the two men are working together with Bond the senior to M. Bond instructing M on what is going to happen, what to do and M's "No. Anything else?" This is Bond's world.

Drax is instantly dislikeable. Classic Fleming villain. Bond in every book is classically judgemental. Nothing is hesitant with Bond usually as far as people go.

In a sense Bond's card game with Drax is echoed in Octopussy (film) when Bond takes on Kamal Khan and effectively rescues the major.

Always a favourite this book. The confined setting geographically, moments like the pursuit out of London to Kent (the destruction of the poor RAF pilot and his car), the slightly surreal plot of a rocket being launched from Kent to land on London (in effect parodied in The Prisoner's "The Girl Who Was Death")...

Such a shame, I think, a dedicated adaptation wasn't done. It would've worked as a late 50s, early 60s film.

Great write up. Interesting observation of Bond's pre-war years. Makes me wonder if there are other nuggets in the book series possibly overlooked about that period of his life.

Just about inspires me to pick up one of the novels myself. Maybe tomorrow.

As I say I just picked up on the mention of before the war. Most writer's have had Bond doing something in it with the Navy (my little stories had him all over the place which was probably a stretch) but doing hush-hush work with the Navy (more than Fleming did in actuality). Wish there was a way to pick Horowitz's brains (being the current custodian and someone who knows his Bond by the looks).

I got on through the rest of it today. You know one criticism I read in 1955 was someone saying: "we want to be taken out of ourselves, not a beach in Kent." Doffing my Fleming cap, I can only assume they never read the book properly.

Beforehand, honourable mention to the poor Meyer -Drax's card partner (who Meyer calls "Hugger"). He feels right out of a film of the period, chap's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Could easily have been played on film by say Dudley Moore. Starts off serious and descends into heart attack territory.

I appreciated Gala this time round. Not to say I never cared for her, but this time round more aware of her character. If you exclude the classic oh, James/passion moments she and Bond have as happens in most books (by this I mean they get all, er well 50s in their expressing: Don't go on, I know you're going to say something dreadful.
Come on Gala, Bond said roughly, What the hell does it matter?), she isn't stupid let's be honest. As Bond notes as he eyes her up in the rocket pad, she knows how to handle herself and could probably hurt him. She has brains, she works in Special Branch as an undercover officer and you don't work in Special Branch as such if you're prone to cock-ups.

Then the car chase from London. How Bond more or less goes through the channels in his mind. Shall I check with M? Let him know? Assume Gala's prisoner? And there is some imagery. Bond hunched over his wheel, flies and dirt encrusted on his face (what this would look like in a finely shot film!?) on top of Gala, Krebs and Drax (by now he is full Bastard Mode). Then the RAF type overtaking and being smashed to bits.

But Bond, his face a tight mask, had hardly checked his speed and there was nothing but revenge in his mind as hurtled on after the flying Mercedes.

Drax started it, Bond is going to finish it. Alas, as with CR when he's pursuing at speed, it goes par-shaped. And this is the rub to the film, Bond in the books gets hurt and he feels his wounds. Craig gets dusted up, looks hurt but Bond crashes a car and looks broken. He forces himself on be it on the slopes of Piz Gloria, crashing a car than being tortured by Le Chiffre and the rest.

Finally, the pay off. The brilliance of the BBC announcer for he's very 1950s, a rocket goes off, blows up involving great destruction (a sub is torn out upside down), tidal wave, etc. And after it all settles down, Bond and Gala have to leave Britain as their faces are known but best of all, she gets the George Cross (highest honour for a civilian, well until HMQ introduced the Elizabeth Cross but a GC is still up there).

I'd say that's taking you out of somewhere. Visually this as a film would've been impressive.

EDIT- Forgot to say that having read Thrilling Cities lately, I had in mind Fleming's words about the war and could not help but think that it underlines Moonraker all the way. Ten years since the war ended, it's still very fresh in the mind. Like when talking to the security chap about the death early on and the chap says: "He said Heil. They can't seem to forget can they?" words to that effect.

Heh, interesting to hear that setting MR in England wasn't exotic enough escapism for some. I wonder what the same person made of the location of GF's golf game.

That and the Christmas Day discussion of biological warfare etc in OHMSS. Maybe by GF, whoever criticised it had given up.

Hilly wrote:

Wish there was a way to pick Horowitz's brains (being the current custodian and someone who knows his Bond by the looks).

You could ask Horowitz on Twitter. He seems pretty active on there. See if we could get a response.

I fear I'm not a twitter person but might be persuaded if this heat keeps up. I need to check on whether we're getting anymore continuation novels as it is (or prequels, as F&D technically is).

What's the question exactly as you'd ask it? I'll tweet him.

Hmm, well I'm thinking perhaps if he is lined up to do a third book and if so his ideas. If he's a close admirer of the Fleming books, he might well have picked up on Bond being in the USSR at one point at the embassy.

Didn't you want to know more about his ideas re: Bond's pre-war years? I'm sure there is information online regarding whether he'd return or not.

Oh, yes, sorry Fields. Everything's a blur lately. I'll go a-googling soon.

My apologies, my post might read a little abrupt. I'm happy to tweet him whatever you'd like.

Ha, no it's alright I knew what you meant. I had a quick google and there's no suggestion of him lined up for a third be it on his official site or elsewhere. Have to hope he's working on something in lockdown.

Bond by now would have been throttled by May. "Ye not cleaning after ye self!"*



*with apologies to the Scots. Complaints on a double sided postcard to Department of Cultural Affairs, Whitehall, London, SW1