23 replies to this topic

[David Schofield]

I've just finished Part I of Silverfin and so far, so very good.

Higson's style doesn't jar as much as I'd imagined (James said this, James did that, not Bond...), his writing is much more capable than Benson (agreed, that wouldn't be too diffucult), Bond hasn't morphed into Potter and doesn't (or hasn't yet) done anything James Bond Jr-ish, and he seems to be writing about a young man who could yet turn out to be Fleming's Bond when grown up...

Higson's young man is just that, a schoolboy, and he very well portrays Bond as vulnerable 13 year old entering a new school. And his Bond is not one of those upper class mega-wordlly types who one imagines attend Eton and are already mega-confident due to their privaleged background (as Fleming himself probably was). He does nothing out of the ordinary (he wins a cross-country race and that's it) and seems as typical an example of a 13 year old orphan as one could imagine (if there is such a thing). The next trick, of course, is to get Bond credibly from here to the slightly embittered (after WW2) sophisticate who lounges around Casino Royale.

Silverfin is well written (the open chapter pre-Bond is a bit long and over-detailed for what is describes) but Higson does a good job holding back introducing the fact of Bond parent's recent death into the story which, though we all knew it, then comes as a nice shock and fits with young Bond attitude. Wattenschied is, sadly, gone and Bond's parents seem to have had a more traditional family life than under Pearson (Mr Bond is not portrayed as an adventurous, bored housewife), though Mr Bond is still an arms dealer who travels a lot.

I am delighted we have back a version of Bond who COULD be Fleming's. Yes, Higson is spared the well-established traits of the older Bond but still has to write about a young man who becomes a governmen killer and getting there is the next trick. Nothing contradicts Fleming yet (please, Mr Higson, have him leave Eton after two halves) and I am far happier as a reader of Bond than I ahve been since Licence Renewed.

Now, just to get to Part II and Bond's arrival in Scotland. Please, Mr Higson, don't muck it up.

Edited by David Schofield, 28 February 2005 - 01:53 PM.

[Qwerty]

Interesting review so far Mr. Schofield. I look forward to hearing more.

[Loomis]

I am delighted we have back a version of Bond who COULD be Fleming's.

Hmmm.... having read "Silverfin" (or "SilverFin", as it might be), I'd say it seems more like a prequel to Gardner's Bond than a prequel to Fleming's: Bond girls with mindblowingly outrageous names (Wilder Lawless), villains with Nazi sympathies, and, I'm afraid, quite a bit of dullness (and Bond going up against a mad scientist laird in a Scottish castle is very "Licence Renewed").

Yes, Higson's book is better-written and less insulting to the intelligence than many a Gardner or Benson, but it just doesn't read remotely like any "young Bond" adventure Fleming might have written; it might seem unfair to blast Higson for not being Fleming, were it not for the fact that the publisher's blurb explicitly paints it as a prequel to the books "Dr No" - "Octopussy".

Not a terrible book by any means; heaven knows, far worse has been bunged between covers and foisted on the marketplace under the "James Bond" brand name - but to whom is it really supposed to appeal? I can't imagine, say, a 12-year-old boy whose only contact with Bond has consisted of, say, "Agent Under Fire", and maybe TOMORROW NEVER DIES and DIE ANOTHER DAY on TV, getting much joy out of "SilverFin"; and it won't satisfy Fleming purists either. Still seems a curious move by Ian Fleming Publications, but we'll see how it fares with Joe Public.

Incidentally, where's zencat's review? And I thought Jim was doing one, too?

[DLibrasnow]

I'm sure they are on their way.

[Loomis]

Hope so. I'd've thought CBn would've been nothing but Silverfin Silverfin Silverfin at the moment.

BTW, Tommy Chong - am I alone in wondering whether this a nod by Higson to a fellow comedian he admires?

[DLibrasnow]

I know Loomis. I am frankly a little surprised.

[Loomis]

Have you read it, D? If so, what do you think?

[zencat]

Reviews are on the way, guys.

[Jim]

Patience, my lovelies.

[terminus]

Got my copy off my fiance for my birthday yesterday - will let you know what I think. But am four chapters in and it seems okay so far - but definitely more a Move Bond then a Flemming Bond.

[Righty007]

BTW, Tommy Chong - am I alone in wondering whether this a nod by Higson to a fellow comedian he admires?

You're not alone. After Tommy Chong was introduced I was waiting for James to meet Cheech.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

I am delighted we have back a version of Bond who COULD be Fleming's.

Hmmm.... having read "Silverfin" (or "SilverFin", as it might be), I'd say it seems more like a prequel to Gardner's Bond than a prequel to Fleming's: Bond girls with mindblowingly outrageous names (Wilder Lawless), villains with Nazi sympathies, and, I'm afraid, quite a bit of dullness (and Bond going up against a mad scientist laird in a Scottish castle is very "Licence Renewed").

I don't like the sound of that. All in all though, would you say it's worth buying?

[Righty007]

SilverFin is worth buying!

[Qwerty]

For an interested James Bond fan, I don't see why not. Can't always take others views on the books as what you'll think of it, and it is a new concept. Worth a try in my opinion.

[Righty007]

SilverFin is arguably better than some of the Fleming novels. I've never been addicted to a book like I was when reading SilverFin.

[Loomis]

I am delighted we have back a version of Bond who COULD be Fleming's.

Hmmm.... having read "Silverfin" (or "SilverFin", as it might be), I'd say it seems more like a prequel to Gardner's Bond than a prequel to Fleming's: Bond girls with mindblowingly outrageous names (Wilder Lawless), villains with Nazi sympathies, and, I'm afraid, quite a bit of dullness (and Bond going up against a mad scientist laird in a Scottish castle is very "Licence Renewed").

I don't like the sound of that. All in all though, would you say it's worth buying?

Hmmm.... that's a tough one. I guess it all hinges on how hardcore a literary Bond fan you are - I don't mean, how much of a Fleming purist you are; I mean, how keen you are on Bond novels, of any kind, by anyone. Sad git that I am, I felt a nice warm glow on seeing the new James Bond novel ("Silverfin") on a bookshop shelf (BTW, no enormous, eye-catching "standee", or whatever they're called, as I'd gathered there'd be from reading CBn - and this was a branch of Waterstone's), holding it in my hot little hands, whacking down cash for it....

Emperor's New Clothes, of course....

So if the idea of The New Bond Novel as An Event grabs you (and there are many of us poor addicts here, of course), well, chances are you'll have bought "Silverfin" already. If you're looking for something that chimes with Fleming and throws further light on his Bond, I'd say, forget it, you'll be beyond disappointed - do yourself a favour and re-read "You Only Live Twice", bringing your own imagination into play during the obituary bit. If you're looking for a well-written (but nonetheless not especially terrific) children's adventure (as Jim points out in his review, the book would work a lot better without the forced Bond connection), then by all means buy "Silverfin".

Depends on what you're after, then (well, duh!), but I'd say that you won't miss an awful lot by skipping it. Apart from the only descriptions available of the teenage Bond climbing trees, obviously.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

That helped a great deal Loomis, thanks you.

[David Schofield]

Part II of my review... for what its worth

Bond gets to Scotland ...and has the Artful Dodger as a companion: Kelly is so cliched an Irish Cockney I'm surprised Higson can shave in the mirror in the morning. Charmian in her Bentley reminds me of one of the Fat Ladies who cook from UK Tv (can't rememeber the correct name of the show), but it's nice that Max Bond gives James his lighter and various theories in life. This gives some depth to where Bond got his attitudes and makes the older Bond we already know instantly feel more real. James Bond goes to the circus (different - he's not dressed as a clown) and has a Famous Five trip across the heather with Kelly. Finally, he breaks into Silverfin Castle.

Still, Higson holds a steady hand at the tiller and is in control in the same Fleming world as Fleming, IMO.

PS - Higson points out that Hitler has just become "the new Chancellor" in Germany. 1933. Throws out Fleming's chronology from YOLT of Bond being 17 in 1941 and claiming an age of 19 to enter the war. Anoys me, that.

[Qwerty]

Good stuff. Looking forward to part III.

[marktmurphy]

PS - Higson points out that Hitler has just become "the new Chancellor" in Germany. 1933. Throws out Fleming's chronology from YOLT of Bond being 17 in 1941 and claiming an age of 19 to enter the war. Anoys me, that.

Fleming is actually contradicting his own chronology with that- his constant changing of Bond's birthdate means Bond bought his Bentley when still a child! Higson may be keeping to Fleming's other version of Bond's age.

[David Schofield]

So James Bond has overcome Lord Hellebore.

Higson does well having Bond lose Kelly quite so quickly and its a nice coneit that he manages to escape but only AFTER he's been injected with the Silvefin drug. Bond has gone from naiive schoolboy to resourceful, tough escape artist as a consequence. Plenty of Flemingesque hardships for Bond to endure in his escape and Higson does control these quite well: its one thing reading about a grown man being tortured, another thing entirely a schoolboy. Ok, George Hellebore helps Bond back into the castle to set up the finale (unfortunately, for me Bond and allie at the conclusion is too much like the essential female "partners" Brozza was lumbered with) but I suppose Higson probably couldn't find another way into the castle and the destroying of Silverfin for Bond. Nice explosive ending, McSwaney and Hellebore's death. Good, prototypical Bond.

Do I think Higson succeeds? He writes with greater care than Gardner (second half) and Benson. His Bond isn't superhuman and, as I said in part 1, I believe at least this young man could grow to be Flemings Bond. He creates a world for Bond of financial confort (how many families in the 1930s had an Aston Martin ANd a Bentley?) that forshadow the highlife Bond will aim to lead as an adult. It is a nice line in juvenile snobbery. Also, the historical aspects of Fleming are well intermingled, though I am still vexed at his historical vagueness of time. Also, there is no background to the story: Adolf Hitler gets one mention: to an upper middle class Eton pupil, I would have thought that after 1933 Hitler would have been a major issue. It would have given the story a nice darkness, overshadowing all the adventures Bond might have and overcome is the knowledge that just up ahead is a major conflagration of death and misery. I suppose Higson thought this irrelevant for his target audience today, which is extremely disappointing.

Do I think Silverfin worthwhile? Half of me believes, as others have pointed out, that young Bond as a concept can't work; if the older James Bond retired, lost the bulk of his possessions, bought a three bedroom house in suburbia and spent his days playing golf and at the Conservative club, he wouldn't be Bond: Bond needs girls, guns and Casino's. Bond at 13 doesn't have those either. Also, Fleming's Bond's youth is a mystery and open to our own interpretation: Higson fleshing it out isn't necessary for the Bond fan. And where really is the audience for James Bond, age 13.

Young Bond. Who needs him?

[marktmurphy]

Where's the audience? Check the sales figures- it's selling out of many bookshops.

[David Schofield]

Where's the audience? Check the sales figures- it's selling out of many bookshops.

No, I suppose I'm feeling selfish and wonder abou the audience among Bond afficionados. I guess there'll always be an audience for the name James Bond - just as there is in the movies - if sold well. It's just the connection to Fleming's Bond that escapes me.

[Righty007]

Where's the audience? Check the sales figures- it's selling out of many bookshops.

Is there a place online where I can find those figures? I'm sure they're perfectly rounded.