42 replies to this topic

[Streetworker]

It's one of Fleming's most underrated in my opinion. I think it moves very, very fast.

I had trouble summing enough will to finish DAF. I found it slow and totally uninteresting. Easily, IMO, Fleming's weakest Bond novel.

I think TMWTGG is the weakest, but for obvious reasons (ie Fleming died before he could revise it). Apart from that, I agree with you: DAF is the next weakest.

But, let's be honest, even weak Fleming is better than the best of Gardner...

[K1Bond007]

It's one of Fleming's most underrated in my opinion. I think it moves very, very fast.

I had trouble summing enough will to finish DAF. I found it slow and totally uninteresting. Easily, IMO, Fleming's weakest Bond novel.

I think TMWTGG is the weakest, but for obvious reasons (ie Fleming died before he could revise it). Apart from that, I agree with you: DAF is the next weakest.

But, let's be honest, even weak Fleming is better than the best of Gardner...

I never had a problem with TMWTGG. It was obviously lacking the pizazz of Fleming, but the story wasn't that bad. Personally for me, my least favorites are Diamonds Are Forever and for reasons I won't begin to state here, You Only Live Twice. After that, then probably TMWTGG.

Honestly, I enjoyed Gardner's Role of Honour and Nobody Lives Forever far more than Diamonds Are Forever. Otherwise I agree with you on that part. Regretfully, I haven't read them all so, I can state for all his books. I've read through No Deals, Mr. Bond. I'm on a semi-hiatus from James Bond books at the moment.

[eddyellis]

Just finished Goldfinger myself, oddly enough. It was...alright, but no CR or LALD.

I know what you mean. It was the golf section that I found hard to get through. Having no interest whatsoever in sport, I found it boring. I'm sure it could've been done without the (what was it? two?) lengthy chapters detailing every hole. I can't help thinking an editor today would have the section condensed somewhat. But, I suppose this is for another thread....

[Flash1087]

Alright, everybody.

In my utter impatience I found a copy of Licence Renewed at the library for 50 cents and promptly bought it. I'm at Chapter 5 right now, and I'm enjoying it so far. Frankly, I find it almost a little easier to read than most of Fleming's; not to say the story itself is any better (since I'm not far into it) but the way it's written just seems to let me fly through it, as opposed to many Fleming novels where I honestly have to take my time on occasion. cough You Only Live Twice cough.

Edited by Flash1087, 03 November 2005 - 04:54 AM.

[Qwerty]

I haven't read them all so, I can state for all his books. I've read through No Deals, Mr. Bond. I'm on a semi-hiatus from James Bond books at the moment.

After Nobody Lives Forever and No Deals, Mr. Bond in my opinion, the Gardner "rollercoaster" really gets going on the differing fan appeal of each book.

[Flash1087]

To keep everyone posted on my progress, I finished Licence Renewed not long ago and I'm about halfway through For Special Services.

LR, to me, was great. Great fights, great action scenes, great dialouge, great characters, and I loved the whole 'first-adventure-in-a-long-time' feel the book had. FSS, for some reason, isn't really grabbing me as much. It has it's moments, and the characters are pretty memorable, but I honestly can't give too many craps about the return of SPECTRE. Maybe it'll pick up soon...

[JKD68]

To keep everyone posted on my progress, I finished Licence Renewed not long ago and I'm about halfway through For Special Services.

LR, to me, was great. Great fights, great action scenes, great dialouge, great characters, and I loved the whole 'first-adventure-in-a-long-time' feel the book had. FSS, for some reason, isn't really grabbing me as much. It has it's moments, and the characters are pretty memorable, but I honestly can't give too many craps about the return of SPECTRE. Maybe it'll pick up soon...

Grand Prix is a great chapter to look forward to if you haven't gotten there yet.

Another thing to look forward to IMO is the next book in the series, Icebreaker.

[dinovelvet]

Another thing to look forward to IMO is the next book in the series, Icebreaker.

Hmm I found Icebreaker to be deadly dull, a real step down from Licence renewed and For Special Services. I did like Nobody Lives Forever though, and I'm about to start No Deals, Mr.Bond.

SPOILERS - One of the things I found silly about Icebreaker was how EVERYONE turned out to be not who we thought they were, it was like a soap opera, all these betrayals, and characters coming back from the dead, etc. And is it just me, or does Bond not actually DO a whole lot in this book? He just sort of does some driving, and goes along with the flow of things...

[JKD68]

Another thing to look forward to IMO is the next book in the series, Icebreaker.

Hmm I found Icebreaker to be deadly dull, a real step down from Licence renewed and For Special Services. I did like Nobody Lives Forever though, and I'm about to start No Deals, Mr.Bond.

SPOILERS - One of the things I found silly about Icebreaker was how EVERYONE turned out to be not who we thought they were, it was like a soap opera, all these betrayals, and characters coming back from the dead, etc. And is it just me, or does Bond not actually DO a whole lot in this book? He just sort of does some driving, and goes along with the flow of things...

That's the thing with Icebreaker. People seem to either love it or or hate it, in spite of the "soap opera" or because of it.

SPOILER- The only thing I remember about No Deals, Mr. Bond was the great climax & ending, featuring a James Bond version of "The Most Dangerous Game."

[Flash1087]

Ironically, the second volume (with Role of Honor, Nobody Lives Forever, and No Deals, Mr. Bond) just showd up today; not long ago I finished For Special Services. It certainly picked up at the end, and I liked it after all.


SPOILERS!



The car race was pretty good, as was the part where General James Banker heads into the NORAD building. A genius bit with James pretending to still be under the influence of Bismaquer's drugs; the whole thing struck me as a cooler version of the theft of the Goldeneye key.

I'm also a couple chapters into Icebreaker. A bit of a slow start, but I loved the fight between the Silver Beast and the snow plows. Alright, let's be frank, any time the Saab is about to do something cool, I'll love it. Anything I should look for in this one?

[Flash1087]

Another update: read Icebreaker. It wasn't...bad, but I think it's my least favorite of the Silver Beast trilogy. The constant double-crosses got pretty tiresome, and I HATED how Gardner changed Bond's gun...every...single...book. Up next is Role of Honor, one I've been looking forward to for a while. Bond gets the ASP in this one, right?

[Qwerty]

Also, just so you know Flash, you can read the articles in my "Looking Back" series of John Gardner here: http://debrief.comma...showtopic=24071

[Flash1087]

Oh, hey, lookit that! Thanks for the link.