Bond and Beyond's Novel Discussion: The Man With The Golden Gun

Who's in to (re)read The Man With The Golden Gun this December and post thoughts as we read and discuss the book once we're done? Gives us all one and a half months to finish what we're reading/what we want to read before starting Dec 1st. 

Count me in.

Great! Let's hope we get a few more.

I can give it a try.

I'm currently re-reading it so I'm in for discussing it then.

Excellent!

One of the weakest Fleming novels for me, but I'm happy to revisit it. Might need to wait for my next dose of manflu, but never fear - I'm told by The Grauniad, self-styled journal of record, that colds are on the increase due to Brexit.

Isn't everything, down to Brexit?

Shame Fleming wasn't around to see it. Bond's take on it would've been entertaining.

Indeed. His take on the current direction of Bond would have also been entertaining. 

Good to have recruited another for TMWTGG in Dec. Blunty? Salome? Gravity?

Well, from the last time I read it I seem to recall thinking that the literary Scaramanga was a sight more thuggish than the urbane Mr Lee and that saving the world's sugar crop seemed like somewhat of a comedown for Our Man.

Fleming was running on empty by this stage, I think.

Yes, I'm not averse to going through TMWTGG again, but is there a good reason why we're starting with the last and possibly weakest Bond novel?

Only because I've been going through them in order and I'm up to TMWTGG. Depending on how successful this is, we can pick the next ones at random. And since it's the weakest, it can only get better in the successive months.

Just under 1 month to go... 

That's a great cover!

Secret Files wrote:

That's a great cover!

Indeed. Thanks google.

1 week to go to finish your books before we start The Man With The Golden Gun!

I'll have to see, things have been scattered. I'm sure I'll wrap up this sorry excuse of a Clancy novel and then my Hamburg thingy. Then select some appropriate Barry tracks to accompany my reading.

See what you can do. We have the entire month anyway.

Who's got a first edition of The Man With The Golden Gun? Does it have the Golden Gun imprint? Worth a mint if it does, I imagine. Mine doesn't. 

I think you can count me in on this. It's been awhile since I've read The Man With the Golden Gun and I just finished up Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier so I haven't started any other books at the moment. I'll be ready to start on December 1st.

I'll be hitting OHMSS after Golden Gun, tis the season for it and all

Strangways&Quarrel wrote:

I think you can count me in on this. It's been awhile since I've read The Man With the Golden Gun and I just finished up Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier so I haven't started any other books at the moment. I'll be ready to start on December 1st.

Great! I'll be starting my first chapter/s Dec 1st also.

Hilly wrote:

Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:06 am

I'll be hitting OHMSS after Golden Gun, tis the season for it and all

There's an idea. Wonder how quickly we all can smash out Golden Gun?

FieldsMan wrote:

Who's got a first edition of The Man With The Golden Gun? Does it have the Golden Gun imprint? Worth a mint if it does, I imagine. Mine doesn't. 

Not the easiest on camera that chap, is he?

FieldsMan wrote:

Strangways&Quarrel wrote:

I think you can count me in on this. It's been awhile since I've read The Man With the Golden Gun and I just finished up Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier so I haven't started any other books at the moment. I'll be ready to start on December 1st.

Great! I'll be starting my first chapter/s Dec 1st also.

Hilly wrote:

Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:06 am

I'll be hitting OHMSS after Golden Gun, tis the season for it and all

There's an idea. Wonder how quickly we all can smash out Golden Gun?

Personally, what with reading on the bus to/from work, I can finish Golden Gun on the day.

I brought a new copy of OHMSS last December. My 'current' copy, my mum brought me when I went off to uni in 2005 and it got knackered (the copy my Dad gave me, his from the late 60s/early 70s had simply disintegrated). So I figured I'd try doing it every Christmas. The girl in the shop when I brought it, as she said to everyone in the queue, said: "Hope you enjoy it."

If only she knew. I'm sure Fleming dismissed it out of hand compared to his earlier work, but I love it. Not just as I like the film so much but it's there for me.

Anyway. Once I finish my German thing, I'll reach for Golden Gun.