23 replies to this topic

[The Admiral]

This thread is intended for reviews and ratings of Thunderball by members of the The Blades Library Book Club here.

Please do not reply directly to reviews in this thread, rather start a new thread to ask questions or post comments about reviews.

[North Scorpion]

Just finished reading Thunderball and I was mighty impressed. The locale, action sequences, the villain were all perfectly fleshed out. Plus, it is always nice to see Felix popping up again! Very few of the novels can come close to the level of excitement the movie provides, but this one comes very close.

Could have done without Domino yammering on about a bleeding pack of cigarettes for three pages, however. Maybe I'm missing something, feel free to enlighten!

[Byron]

Great book - 4 stars. In my top 5 Flemings so far having read up to this.

A large part of the allure for me was the exotic Bahamas setting and the scuba diving sequences (especially when Bond first checked out the Disco).

Largo was a very well written villain as was Blofeld to a lesser extent (i suppose as to not give away to much of his mystique).

I still prefer the film version of Domino. Felix was okay, but do all Southerners speak like that? Somehow could not see him fighting alongside Bond.

But overall a solid and entertaining book.

[Byron]

Someone gave this book one star. I wonder what their reasons are?

[Qwerty]

Yes, to all those voting: add in a review of your own. That's the whole point of this club. I'll be doing my own review in a few days.

[Qwerty]

Ian Fleming's Thunderball is a gripping and entertaining read. It's easily one of the novels by Fleming that shows how easily it could be translated into a film in my opinion. Perhaps why it was one of the frontrunners for the first James Bond film.

The opening sections are wonderfully crafted together. I love the way the information on SPECTRE and it's leader Blofeld is given. Largo is a solid Bond villain, but he doesn't stand out all that much to me when compared to villains such as Hugo Drax or Dr. No. All in all however, Thunderball is a terrific read and one that I would recommend to all Bond fans to pick up.

[Bon-san]

Been meaning to post a few thoughts for some time now. I finished this last month and I'm already forgetting things I shouldn't have!

Prior to this latest re-reading, the notion was imbedded in my mind that Thunderball was a bit blander than most other Fleming Bond books. Standing out in my memory were the well-crafted character of Domino, some fun Felix/Bond shenanigans, and the name of the CIA sub, "Manta". These were the only points of nostalgia from my perspective, and that did not bode well.

As I began this latest jaunt through the book, however, I found myself rather captivated by the goings-on at Shrublands and Spectre HQ in Paris. I remained quite intrigued as Our Man caught the TransAtlantic to Nassau, and I revelled in humid island air as Bond began poking around the Bahamas. I took great delight in Felix's welcome appearance, as the boy banter was up to high standards. As memory had served, I found the character of Domino to be nicely fleshed out (moreso, of course, than in the film), and despite Fleming's description, I could not help but see her as Claudine Auger.

All was well and good up to the point at which Bond tells Domino about Largo's involvement in the nefarious plot, including the murder of her brother. But from there, things went tepid. I'm not quite sure why, but the Final Act did not deliver a satisfying crescendo to the proceedings. It seems to me that, based on the story componenents and Fleming's execution thereof, it should have delivered. Alas, it just didn't seem to have that punch.

I absolutely adore just about any Fleming I've ever read, so there won't be any 1 star ratings coming from me. But despite the excellence for 2/3 of it's length, Thunderball sinks to the lower depths of the Fleming canon.

Two and one-half out of four stars on the Bon-san scale. ( I marked it three stars for purposes of the poll's 5-star system)

[Byron]

All was well and good up to the point at which Bond tells Domino about Largo's involvement in the nefarious plot, including the murder of her brother. But from there, things went tepid. I'm not quite sure why, but the Final Act did not deliver a satisfying crescendo to the proceedings. It seems to me that, based on the story componenents and Fleming's execution thereof, it should have delivered. Alas, it just didn't seem to have that punch.


My feelings exactly. For me things went downhill after the Manta arrived. I was not expecting the book to go that way.

[Turn]

The above two posts say a lot of how I feel about TB as a whole. It kind of disappoints me since I love the film version so much. There just seems to be something missing or not there. I had the book on tape from a local library two years ago and that kind of confirmed it for me whereas I enjoyed the follow-up novels in the SPECTRE trilogy much better.

As others have said, the whole chasing Largo's men in the sub is anti-climactic. It's kind of like the way NSNA wrapped up - you want something big and overwhelming, but you get something kind of kind of small-scale and unsatisfying.

The part I really like about TB is Fleming's descriptions of Bond's diving exploits, discovering the plane with its corpses while surrounded by sharks is an unsettling passage but completely atmospheric. The same with Bond's fight with the SPECTRE frogman below the Disco. The description of how he is torn apart is sickening. The description of the burns Lippe sustains after being locked in the heat cabinet at Shrublands is also pretty graphic to the point you kind of cringe.

[Tuxedo wearing Bond]

Damn! Sorry guys for replying to this topic so late, but I must do this as I am a part of the book club.

An Excellent read in my opinion. The beggining at shrublands is really interesting as Bond is wondering if he's losing his rather cruel character. Then he finds out this isn't so with my favourite line of the book "And if you catch fire you can sue"

Blofelds profile I found a little hard to follow but I couldn't stop reading it, as I never can when fleming describes a background of one of his characters.

The thing I like about this book is that it has it all, M, Moneypenny, May, Felix, Strong Characters, Bonds car, The Walther PPK. The list goes on.

One of the best highlight of the book must be the chemin de fer game against Bond and Largo. That was the scene I read through to the end without glancing off the page.

The ending wasn't a huge letdown, but I did want a little more out of it. As people have said, it did go rather tepid. But as I said, it wasn't a huge letdown.

So to pull the rating out of my tuxedo, I'd give this...4 stars.

Edited by Tuxedo wearing Bond, 25 August 2005 - 09:23 AM.

[Major Bloodnok]

I'm in need of a reread to be sure, but I remember being disappointed with the ending as well, particularly the news that Blofeld escaped. It seemed to be handled in such a blase' way. "Oh, and by the way... that guy wasn't there when we arrived." My quote, not Fleming's.


I think after a series of less character strong books (maybe it was just Goldfinger) I liked the depth Fleming gave these characters. That was a notch above the others I'd read at that time.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I've since updated my copy, but I have fond memories of the ancient Signet paperback a fiend gave me in 1980. I even remember the smell. When I think of TB I think of the book before the movie.

Maybe I'll go read it again now.

[Kingdom Come]

I have no recollection of having voted for Thunderball. But I know my memory is appalling. Anyway I hate this film. Thats all folks!

[Qwerty]

I have no recollection of having voted for Thunderball. But I know my memory is appalling. Anyway I hate this film. Thats all folks!

This thread is for discussion of the books, not the films, Kingdome Come.

[B007GLE]

Sorry I am adding to this thread so late. Tat is if anyone bothers reading this as I am posting it very late.

Anyway, I first read this book back in 1988 and was rather blase about it. However having jsut read it and having not seen the film in a while I really enjoyed it. It may not reach the heigts of LALD, MR, FRWL or Dr.No but it is a huge inmporvement over GF (which of course is a great film but not a great book).

I loved Blofeld,, Largo, Domino (despite her cigarrette packet soliloquiy) and of course Felix.

All of the scuba action is brilliant: under the Disco, at the palne and even the final battle. I did not find it anti-climatic and would love a Bond film that ends with Bond leading a team into battle like this. Will we ever see that again?

[Qwerty]

'course we're reading it! Everyone is encouraged to post in all existing threads in the Blades Reading club. Let's keep the Bond novel discussion going.

[B007GLE]

Thanks Qwerty.

Life got in the way a bit lately aand I fell behind (and to think at the beginning of this reading the books in order I was ahead!)

[Qwerty]

Not a problem B007GLE, you can keep track of the past read books with this pinned thread here: http://debrief.comma...showtopic=26772

[darthbond]

Thunderball is dinfinatly one of the better Fleming novels, along with CR and Goldfinger. It was the first one were I sat down and read all the way through. What would the world be like without Thunderball?

darthbond

[007_fclmdb]

thunderball. the most appealing name in the series in my opinion.
the movie is one of my favourites, yet the book disappoints a bit.
better than goldfinger in many ways, i thought it was too fast paced and a bit rushed towards the end. at times i felt as if mr fleming got himself (and Bond) over their heads. the spectere scenes are much better than in the movie and blofeld is a real menace. although largo, as in the movie, just doesn't feel vilain enough for me. another thing, in the movie i could feel the tense and the shortage of time and the emergency in the blackmail. however, in the book bond seems to have plenty of time and he acts in quite a relaxed way.
Domino was a quiet good charactar.
4.5 stars.

[Willowhugger]

I loved the story but oddly I felt SPECTRE a tad underwhelming because it seemed it was only composed of the members of the Board room oddly.

[Willowhugger]

I loved the story but oddly I felt SPECTRE a tad underwhelming because it seemed it was only composed of the members of the Board room oddly.

[manfromjapan]

I just finished rereading Thunderball for the third time and absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down. I previously rated it as a 7 but now I would rate it a 9 or 10. Fleming's exuberance, descriptive ability and sweep are all in full effect. The characters, including Bond, are all particularly vivid, especially the wonderful Domino. Dammit, I will have to reread the whole Fleming canon again now!! Allready reread FYEO and OCT. And i only read them last just before CR came out.

[Agent 76]

This one, with From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service are my favourites of the collection. It's an amazing adventure, with a smooth, cool and misterious atmosphere. The locations are superb, and the way Mr Fleming describes them are simply magnificent.

[Greene Planet]

Thunderball.

After reading this book a couple of times, I figured it was time a write a review. Personally I liked the novel, however I feel this is one of Fleming's work that is an easy read, much like Dr No.
Overall 4/5. Good Work