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[Athena007]

From CBn's Main Page...

[center] Looking Back: Role Of Honour [4]John Gardner Back to top #2 hrabb04 hrabb04 Lt. Commander Veterans 1706 posts Posted 10 May 2005 - 12:51 AM Might have to go back and re-read this one. The last time I checked this one out, it was only so-so. Yeah, EON ripped off parts of this book, whether they admit it or not. I agree with Gardner about the quality of the book. It could have been so much better. The plot was really implausible. After all oo7 has done to SPECTRE, they are going to let him join their club? Nahhhhhhhhh, not ever going to happen. Back to top #3 DLibrasnow DLibrasnow Commander Enlisting 16568 posts Location:Washington D.C.. USA Posted 10 May 2005 - 01:06 AM Another great job done by Devin....keep up the good work. Looking forward to reading all about "Nobody Lives Forever" next. I know its (NLF) a fan favorite but I think the chase stories work better in the movies such as with For Your Eyes Only and Live And Let Die. Back to top #4 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 10 May 2005 - 02:53 AM Yep, Nobody Lives Forever is my favorite. I was never crazy about this one personally. Back to top #5 Mr. Somerset Mr. Somerset Lt. Commander Veterans 1760 posts Location:USA Posted 10 May 2005 - 02:56 AM It's been ages since I read Role Of Honour (great title...spoken by Bogie in Casablanca). Wouldn't mind seeing it into a film sometime. Back to top #6 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 10 May 2005 - 03:01 AM Might have to go back and re-read this one.  The last time I checked this one out, it was only so-so.  Same with me. Maybe it's time for another reading. Back to top #7 David Schofield David Schofield Commander Discharged 3026 posts Posted 10 May 2005 - 09:43 AM Interesting te have CBner's views on Uncle Bruce - the man who gave Bond the inheritance that allowed him to buy the Bentley and live the "Bondian lifestyle" again - in view of Silverfin. Bruce has never struck me as a particularly Swiss name, either. Back to top #8 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 10 May 2005 - 11:11 AM It's been ages since I read Role Of Honour (great title...spoken by Bogie in Casablanca). Wouldn't mind seeing it into a film sometime. If it was, I'd probably want to see the whole SPECTRE trilogy by Gardner made into films. Back to top #9 spynovelfan spynovelfan Commander CMG Discharged 5855 posts Posted 10 May 2005 - 11:30 AM It's been ages since I read Role Of Honour (great title...spoken by Bogie in Casablanca). Surely the title's just a weak pun on 'Roll of honour' and role-playing? It's been years since I read this; I always mix it up with BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, which Gardner must have read or watched, I'm guessing. Supercomputers, nuclear war games becoming real, a deranged American and his private army? Can it be coincidence? I suppose so. I'm on a Deighton kick at the moment, obviously. Here's a great article about Ken Russell's much-maligned film of BDB, which compares it quite extensively to the Bond films (and makes a few points in favour of David Schofield's argument in another thread ). Fans of ROLE OF HONOR who would like to see it filmed could do worse than watch this film. Back to top #10 Turn Turn Commander Veterans 6837 posts Location:Ohio Posted 10 May 2005 - 12:17 PM I went into reading Role of Honour last year not having ever read it and having heard little about it the way you did the first three Gardners and Nobody Lives Forever. Unlike something like Icebreaker, which seemed to be a big fan favorite that disappointed me, Role of Honour is little talked about, so I had a chance for a fresh perspective and made some of my own observations on it. I have nothing to add about the use of computers and all that seeming dated and you knew Bond wasn't going to defect to SPECTRE, but it was still kind of fun and an interesting read. Back to top #11 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 11 May 2005 - 03:42 AM The worst of the SPECTRE trilogy in my opinion. Besides Tamil Rahani, the villains aren't interesting at all. Back to top #12 Trident Trident Commander Veterans 2658 posts Location:Germany Posted 11 May 2005 - 04:47 AM I could never understand why Gardner brought up the forgotten uncle from Australia. I hated the whole affair about the inheritance and buying the Bentley Mulsanne with it. It would have been much more convincing had Bond won the money with gambling. And he could have had a first look at Rahani/Holy while he was at it. Back to top #13 zencat zencat Commander GCMG Commanding Officers 25814 posts Location:Studio City, CA Posted 11 May 2005 - 04:41 PM For you Role of Honour fans. The uncorrected proof on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960046192&rd=1 Back to top #14 DLibrasnow DLibrasnow Commander Enlisting 16568 posts Location:Washington D.C.. USA Posted 11 May 2005 - 05:10 PM The worst of the SPECTRE trilogy in my opinion. Besides Tamil Rahani, the villains aren't interesting at all. I have the complete opposite opinion Devin. My least favorite of the Gardner SPECTRE novels is FOR SPECIAL SERVICES. I even prefer ROH to NLF. Back to top #15 DLibrasnow DLibrasnow Commander Enlisting 16568 posts Location:Washington D.C.. USA Posted 11 May 2005 - 05:13 PM For you Role of Honour fans. The uncorrected proof on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960046192&rd=1 This one is always getting posted on ebay and there are never any takers. If the seller would drop the price by about $30 he might get some bites. Back to top #16 hrabb04 hrabb04 Lt. Commander Veterans 1706 posts Posted 11 May 2005 - 06:13 PM Bond has as much chance of joining SPECTRE as Howard Dean has of joining the Republicans Back to top #17 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 11 May 2005 - 07:00 PM For you Role of Honour fans. The uncorrected proof on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960046192&rd=1 LOL. Last time I saw it on there, which was about a week ago it was $75. Just let it slowly get cheaper... Back to top #18 CharlieBind CharlieBind Sub-Lieutenant Crew 238 posts Posted 09 October 2005 - 01:49 PM I think that ROLE OF HONOUR was the point were the series moved from provoking a "Wow a NEW James Bond novel" reacton to "Oh, this years Gardner" in me. Before that, it was quite exciting to have new literary Bonds and I have vivid memories of the first three. From ROLE my memories of the series begin to merge together and I read each latest Gardner (my library used to get each one) more out of habit than enjoyment. Edited by CharlieBind, 09 October 2005 - 04:27 PM. Back to top #19 blofeldblows blofeldblows Midshipman Crew 38 posts Location:Grand Blanc, MI Posted 09 October 2005 - 02:23 PM Not that i stole the book or anything, but i found this Gardner in my American Government class last year. My teacher had a whole plethora of random books and i was fortunate enough to find it. Asked the teacher where they found it and why they bought it. Replied with well it was given to me by a friend because i am a bond nut. Basically this book led me to find out that my American Gov't teacher had been a nut as well. Funny enough, didnt really care for the guy before but became my favorite teacher after that. Back to top #20 blofeldblows blofeldblows Midshipman Crew 38 posts Location:Grand Blanc, MI Posted 09 October 2005 - 02:26 PM Ha didnt finish my post. Sorry about that. Well i later took the book home read a little bit got into chapter 3 i believe and thought it was decent. Unfortunately, the teacher found out i had taken it home and requested it back. Gave it over and the teacher moved to another school district as he was promoted to asst. principal there. When push came to shove ive only ever seen a Gardner book for one day. Any hints on where to find these? Back to top #21 ComplimentsOfSharky ComplimentsOfSharky Lt. Commander Veterans 2804 posts Location:Station PGH, Pittsburgh Posted 09 October 2005 - 02:29 PM I liked the killhouse scene...that was about it...this is one was a big letdown for me, I expected more from it...s bit like Seafire. Everyone says no interesting villians but Tamil Rahani, honestly I even found him to be pretty forgettable. Oh well. Back to top #22 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 09 October 2005 - 02:40 PM Everyone says no interesting villians but Tamil Rahani, honestly I even found him to be pretty forgettable.  Oh well. I think Jay Autem Holy and Tamil Rahani were both pretty forgettable in this fourth book. Rahani became much more interesting in the following, Nobody Lives Forever, in my opinion. Back to top #23 hcmv007 hcmv007 Lt. Commander Veterans 2310 posts Location:United States, Baton Rouge, LA Posted 10 October 2005 - 04:08 PM I was pleased with this book, I (SPOILER-IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ROLE OF HONOR YET-DO NOT READ FURTHER!) think could take place today, since it had a plot point relating to video games. This wasn't Icebreaker, where I got sick and tired of the paula beutiful thing and just closed the book and stopped reading. Jay Autumn was a weak character, Rahini was used well, but would have liked more depth to his character. Maybe a similar story to this is used for bond 22, since the producers and writers like taking elements and plots from Gardner novels to movies. Back to top #24 dinovelvet dinovelvet Commander Veterans 8038 posts Location:Jupiter and beyond the infinite Posted 04 February 2006 - 09:02 PM As promised, I read Role of Honor after Scorpius, and I didn't really care for this one too much. Again, Bond spends way too much time in England, with most of the book's "action" taking place in a house in a small village near Oxford The last three chapters were pretty good and things actually got a bit tense, but it was too little, too late at that point. I didn't like how the villains all died at once! I don't think Bond actually killed any of them. Come on, give us some kind of climactic fight here! Instead they all shoot each other and one of 'em disappears, to later show up in NLF which I have already read. It probably didn't help that I just didn't buy the central plot that SPECTRE would willingly associate with James Bond after the countless times he's foiled their plans. So my Gardner scorecard now reads: Yay - Licence Renewed, For Special Services, Nobody lives forever, Scorpius Nay - Icebreaker, The Man from Barbarossa, Role of Honor (I will give No Deals another go at some point) Next up, I just got hold of Benson's Zero Minus Ten, looking forward to that as I have enjoyed the three books of his I've read so far (Red Tattoo and the two Splinter Cell novels) Back to top #25 Flash1087 Flash1087 Lt. Commander Veterans 1070 posts Location:Michigan Posted 05 February 2006 - 02:53 AM I liked it. I thought the plot was kinda cool, and the killhouse scene was one of the best action scenes I've ever read in a book that doesn't say "Rainbow Six" on the cover. Sure, the idea of Bond presumably helping SPECTRE was pretty illogical, but I had fun with it anyway. Back to top #26 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 05 February 2006 - 04:52 AM Ha didnt finish my post. Sorry about that. Well i later took the book home read a little bit got into chapter 3 i believe and thought it was decent. Unfortunately, the teacher found out i had taken it home and requested it back. Gave it over and the teacher moved to another school district as he was promoted to asst. principal there. When push came to shove ive only ever seen a Gardner book for one day. Any hints on where to find these? eBay is a sure bet. Back to top #27 DLibrasnow DLibrasnow Commander Enlisting 16568 posts Location:Washington D.C.. USA Posted 05 February 2006 - 05:13 AM Nay - Icebreaker, The Man from Barbarossa, Role of Honor (I will give No Deals another go at some point) You should give No Deals, Mr. Bond another chance as it is one of my favorites, but then since you didn't like another of my favorites (Icebreaker) perhaps we just have different tastes. Back to top #28 Harmsway Harmsway Commander Veterans 13293 posts Posted 05 February 2006 - 05:32 AM As with most Garnder Bond novels, the reaction ROLE OF HONOR provokes in me is one of "Eh, it's okay." I don't know whether or not I prefer it to FOR SPECIAL SERVICES. I consider them both to be fairly unmemorable and uninteresting (my verdict on the whole of the Bond series). My favorite Gardner is NOBODY LIVES FOREVER. That one is actually great fun and has a lot of life to it. Back to top #29 Red Barchetta Red Barchetta Lt. Commander Veterans 1161 posts Location:Seattle, WA, USA Posted 06 February 2006 - 07:23 PM I actually liked No Deals, and Role of Honour. They're not Ian's style of writing, not are they intended to be. Still, both of these are good! And Nobody Lives Forever is probably my fav! Back to top #30 Qwerty Qwerty Commander RNVR Commanding Officers 85605 posts Location:New York / Pennsylvania Posted 06 February 2006 - 09:48 PM And Nobody Lives Forever is probably my fav! 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[hrabb04]

Might have to go back and re-read this one. The last time I checked this one out, it was only so-so. Yeah, EON ripped off parts of this book, whether they admit it or not. I agree with Gardner about the quality of the book. It could have been so much better. The plot was really implausible. After all oo7 has done to SPECTRE, they are going to let him join their club? Nahhhhhhhhh, not ever going to happen.

[DLibrasnow]

Another great job done by Devin....keep up the good work. Looking forward to reading all about "Nobody Lives Forever" next. I know its (NLF) a fan favorite but I think the chase stories work better in the movies such as with For Your Eyes Only and Live And Let Die.

[Qwerty]

Yep, Nobody Lives Forever is my favorite. I was never crazy about this one personally.

[Mr. Somerset]

It's been ages since I read Role Of Honour (great title...spoken by Bogie in Casablanca).
Wouldn't mind seeing it into a film sometime.

[Qwerty]

Might have to go back and re-read this one.  The last time I checked this one out, it was only so-so. 

Same with me. Maybe it's time for another reading.

[David Schofield]

Interesting te have CBner's views on Uncle Bruce - the man who gave Bond the inheritance that allowed him to buy the Bentley and live the "Bondian lifestyle" again - in view of Silverfin.

Bruce has never struck me as a particularly Swiss name, either.

[Qwerty]

It's been ages since I read Role Of Honour (great title...spoken by Bogie in Casablanca).
Wouldn't mind seeing it into a film sometime.

If it was, I'd probably want to see the whole SPECTRE trilogy by Gardner made into films.

[spynovelfan]

It's been ages since I read Role Of Honour (great title...spoken by Bogie in Casablanca).

Surely the title's just a weak pun on 'Roll of honour' and role-playing?

It's been years since I read this; I always mix it up with BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, which Gardner must have read or watched, I'm guessing. Supercomputers, nuclear war games becoming real, a deranged American and his private army? Can it be coincidence? I suppose so. I'm on a Deighton kick at the moment, obviously.
Here's a great article about Ken Russell's much-maligned film of BDB, which compares it quite extensively to the Bond films (and makes a few points in favour of David Schofield's argument in another thread ). Fans of ROLE OF HONOR who would like to see it filmed could do worse than watch this film.

[Turn]

I went into reading Role of Honour last year not having ever read it and having heard little about it the way you did the first three Gardners and Nobody Lives Forever. Unlike something like Icebreaker, which seemed to be a big fan favorite that disappointed me, Role of Honour is little talked about, so I had a chance for a fresh perspective and made some of my own observations on it.

I have nothing to add about the use of computers and all that seeming dated and you knew Bond wasn't going to defect to SPECTRE, but it was still kind of fun and an interesting read.

[Qwerty]

The worst of the SPECTRE trilogy in my opinion. Besides Tamil Rahani, the villains aren't interesting at all.

[Trident]

I could never understand why Gardner brought up the forgotten uncle from Australia. I hated the whole affair about the inheritance and buying the Bentley Mulsanne with it. It would have been much more convincing had Bond won the money with gambling. And he could have had a first look at Rahani/Holy while he was at it.

[zencat]

For you Role of Honour fans. The uncorrected proof on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960046192&rd=1

[DLibrasnow]

The worst of the SPECTRE trilogy in my opinion. Besides Tamil Rahani, the villains aren't interesting at all.

I have the complete opposite opinion Devin. My least favorite of the Gardner SPECTRE novels is FOR SPECIAL SERVICES. I even prefer ROH to NLF.

[DLibrasnow]

For you Role of Honour fans. The uncorrected proof on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960046192&rd=1

This one is always getting posted on ebay and there are never any takers. If the seller would drop the price by about $30 he might get some bites.

[hrabb04]

Bond has as much chance of joining SPECTRE as Howard Dean has of joining the Republicans

[Qwerty]

For you Role of Honour fans. The uncorrected proof on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...6960046192&rd=1

LOL. Last time I saw it on there, which was about a week ago it was $75. Just let it slowly get cheaper...

[CharlieBind]

I think that ROLE OF HONOUR was the point were the series moved from provoking a "Wow a NEW James Bond novel" reacton to "Oh, this years Gardner" in me. Before that, it was quite exciting to have new literary Bonds and I have vivid memories of the first three. From ROLE my memories of the series begin to merge together and I read each latest Gardner (my library used to get each one) more out of habit than enjoyment.

Edited by CharlieBind, 09 October 2005 - 04:27 PM.

[blofeldblows]

Not that i stole the book or anything, but i found this Gardner in my American Government class last year. My teacher had a whole plethora of random books and i was fortunate enough to find it. Asked the teacher where they found it and why they bought it. Replied with well it was given to me by a friend because i am a bond nut. Basically this book led me to find out that my American Gov't teacher had been a nut as well. Funny enough, didnt really care for the guy before but became my favorite teacher after that.

[blofeldblows]

Ha didnt finish my post. Sorry about that. Well i later took the book home read a little bit got into chapter 3 i believe and thought it was decent. Unfortunately, the teacher found out i had taken it home and requested it back. Gave it over and the teacher moved to another school district as he was promoted to asst. principal there. When push came to shove ive only ever seen a Gardner book for one day. Any hints on where to find these?

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

I liked the killhouse scene...that was about it...this is one was a big letdown for me, I expected more from it...s bit like Seafire.

Everyone says no interesting villians but Tamil Rahani, honestly I even found him to be pretty forgettable. Oh well.

[Qwerty]

Everyone says no interesting villians but Tamil Rahani, honestly I even found him to be pretty forgettable.  Oh well.

I think Jay Autem Holy and Tamil Rahani were both pretty forgettable in this fourth book. Rahani became much more interesting in the following, Nobody Lives Forever, in my opinion.

[hcmv007]

I was pleased with this book, I (SPOILER-IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ROLE OF HONOR YET-DO NOT READ FURTHER!) think could take place today, since it had a plot point relating to video games. This wasn't Icebreaker, where I got sick and tired of the paula beutiful thing and just closed the book and stopped reading. Jay Autumn was a weak character, Rahini was used well, but would have liked more depth to his character. Maybe a similar story to this is used for bond 22, since the producers and writers like taking elements and plots from Gardner novels to movies.

[dinovelvet]

As promised, I read Role of Honor after Scorpius, and I didn't really care for this one too much. Again, Bond spends way too much time in England, with most of the book's "action" taking place in a house in a small village near Oxford

The last three chapters were pretty good and things actually got a bit tense, but it was too little, too late at that point. I didn't like how the villains all died at once! I don't think Bond actually killed any of them. Come on, give us some kind of climactic fight here! Instead they all shoot each other and one of 'em disappears, to later show up in NLF which I have already read. It probably didn't help that I just didn't buy the central plot that SPECTRE would willingly associate with James Bond after the countless times he's foiled their plans.

So my Gardner scorecard now reads:

Yay - Licence Renewed, For Special Services, Nobody lives forever, Scorpius

Nay - Icebreaker, The Man from Barbarossa, Role of Honor (I will give No Deals another go at some point)

Next up, I just got hold of Benson's Zero Minus Ten, looking forward to that as I have enjoyed the three books of his I've read so far (Red Tattoo and the two Splinter Cell novels)

[Flash1087]

I liked it. I thought the plot was kinda cool, and the killhouse scene was one of the best action scenes I've ever read in a book that doesn't say "Rainbow Six" on the cover. Sure, the idea of Bond presumably helping SPECTRE was pretty illogical, but I had fun with it anyway.

[Qwerty]

Ha didnt finish my post. Sorry about that. Well i later took the book home read a little bit got into chapter 3 i believe and thought it was decent. Unfortunately, the teacher found out i had taken it home and requested it back. Gave it over and the teacher moved to another school district as he was promoted to asst. principal there. When push came to shove ive only ever seen a Gardner book for one day. Any hints on where to find these?

eBay is a sure bet.

[DLibrasnow]

Nay - Icebreaker, The Man from Barbarossa, Role of Honor (I will give No Deals another go at some point)

You should give No Deals, Mr. Bond another chance as it is one of my favorites, but then since you didn't like another of my favorites (Icebreaker) perhaps we just have different tastes.

[Harmsway]

As with most Garnder Bond novels, the reaction ROLE OF HONOR provokes in me is one of "Eh, it's okay." I don't know whether or not I prefer it to FOR SPECIAL SERVICES. I consider them both to be fairly unmemorable and uninteresting (my verdict on the whole of the Bond series).

My favorite Gardner is NOBODY LIVES FOREVER. That one is actually great fun and has a lot of life to it.

[Red Barchetta]

I actually liked No Deals, and Role of Honour. They're not Ian's style of writing, not are they intended to be. Still, both of these are good!

And Nobody Lives Forever is probably my fav!

[Qwerty]

And Nobody Lives Forever is probably my fav!