92 replies to this topic

[sharpshooter]

I have just read OHMSS. I have re-read the other Fleming books as well. I flip, flopped and flapped over which book I liked better. Now, I can honestly say without a shadow of doubt, OHMSS is my favourite Fleming Bond novel.

[Qwerty]

I have just read OHMSS. I have re-read the other Fleming books as well. I flip, flopped and flapped over which book I liked better. Now, I can honestly say without a shadow of doubt, OHMSS is my favourite Fleming Bond novel.

What others were near the top of your list, sharpshooter?

[sharpshooter]

My list:

1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. From Russia With Love
3. You Only Live Twice
4. Doctor No
5. Live and Let Die
6. Casino Royale
7. Thunderball
8. Moonraker
9. Goldfinger
10. Diamonds Are Forever
11. The Man With The Golden Gun
12. The Spy Who Loved Me

[goose007]

For me I became a Bond fan at a younger age. I have seen an enjoyd every Bond movie to date. I am also looking forward to the newest movie to come out in November. i have recently over the past year ended up buying all of the Ian Fleming books and reading them.
i just happen to think that Casino Royale happens to be my favorite of all, but with On Her Majestys Secret Service in a close second.

Im just curious as to what everyone else thinks are there favorite Ian fleming novels.

[Vauxhall]

Welcome to CBn

I'm sure there will be another thread on the subject somewhere, but my favourite Fleming novel is From Russia With Love, probably followed by You Only Live Twice and Casino Royale.

[DamnCoffee]

OHMSS. For Me. I love it.

[Single-O-Seven]

Welcome!
My favourite is also From Russia, With Love. The characters and the atmosphere are absorbing.

[oatesy]

Maybe not the best, but my favourite is still Goldfinger. Probably because it was the first one I read. Came across it - aged 10 - at a cub scout book sale. It was a Jonathan Cape hardback edition with the yellowing skull with gold coins for eyes and red rose in the mouth. The cover fascinated me and drew me in. Then reading the book at that age sort of blew me away, so much more adult than the diet of heavily censored Bond films I used to watch on TV up until then

[ImTheMoneypenny]

Welcome aboard!

For me, I have to go right to the first one, Casino Royale. Don't get me wrong I enjoy all the Fleming Bond books. You can't go wrong with FRWL, Doctor No, or Diamonds Are Forever just to rattle off the top of my head. I've tried to read them in order as much as possible which sometimes I couldn't as I had to buy them as I found them.

Now some of LALD may be uncomfortable to read, but if you can get past the use of a certain word, it's worth it. I still suggest it as one to read because it's a great story!

Thunderball amuses me as a health nut/vegan. It's funny because it's true!

[Qwerty]

[Moderator's Note: Topics merged.]

[BoogieBond]

OHMSS is my favourite. Splendid Bond. Just pips LALD and Thunderball because of the story and pure excitement and pace.

[solace]

Ive only read the first three and just finishing daf but so far its

1. Casino Royale
2. Moonraker
3. Diamonds are Forever
4. Live and let die

Saying that they are all class and I cant wait to start From Russia with Love.

Bought them all in a Boxset from Tesco for £15 Bargain!!!!!

[ChrissBond007]

Doctor No at the moment, but I've only read Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever and Doctor No and I have Goldfinger and The Man with the Golden Gun already in my collection. Doctor No because it's very excited to read, I can recognize much of the film and it's simply brilliant written.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Best novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Honorable mention: Thunderball and Casino Royale

Weakest novel: The Man With The Golden Gun

Best short story: The Living Daylights
Honorable mention: From A View To A Kill

[Attempting Re-entry]

I've just bought all the novels on amazon and very much look forward to rattling through them as soon as I've finished the great Christopher Hitchens' new memoir.

I'm really quite excited: I only ever read Dr No in school and so I intend to read the Flemings in order. Will be back on this thread in the near future no doubt.

[Gogol Pushkin]

Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker are all brilliant reads. Casino Royale being the first, it feels pure and new almost, no matter how many times you read it, and whilst LALD has certain, how do I put this, politically correct or incorrect issues, it has some of the most wonderfully written passages from Fleming. As for Moonraker, well, what can I say, it's just such a crackingly good read. The card game that takes up the first half is thrilling and Bond's subsequent adventure in Dover is ace.

[dlb007]

I definitely agree. The first three Bond novels are among my favorite; of course I also love From Russia with Love and Dr. No. Moonraker happens to be my favorite of Fleming's novels. Though I disliked Diamonds are Forever, it is still a fine novel.

[Attempting Re-entry]

Just read them all - for the first time - over the course of the last year in between many other books. Loved them all, for various reasons.

My rankngs:


1. Doctor No
2. Casino Royale
3. Thunderball
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
5. Live and Let Die
6. From Russia With Love
7. Moonraker
8. Diamonds are Forever
9. You Only Live Twice
10. Goldfinger
11. The Spy Who Loved Me
12. The Man With the Golden Gun

Next up: I've bought Amis' book and the first 5 Gardners.

Edited by Attempting Re-entry, 15 September 2011 - 08:12 PM.

[AMC Hornet]

Damn you for making me choose between Risico and The Living Daylights!

TLD wins by a pip because it's mostly internalized - we hear Bond's thoughts and feelings as he's mostly alone (apart from Capt. Sender). Both stories were well-presented on film, Risico perhaps better for being more faithful and thorough (in fact it was the best part of FYEO).

As for Novels, I am in the Qwerty & MHazard camp - OHMSS first, TSWLM last. To whoever said the latter was too short, I disagree - if anything it was too long in the first third. I could care less about Vivienne's sordid little life.

To expand my favorites column I rate CR, LALD and MR as my favorite early novels and OHMSS, YOLT & TMWTGG as my favorite later novels, with honourable mentions to DAF and TB.

Doesn't leave much, does it?

[Attempting Re-entry]

I still can't get over Fleming's extravagant use of exclamation marks in OHMSS, though...I don't know what he was on when he was writing those passages wherein Bond makes his getaway.

[Cruiserweight]

Favorite novel-The Spy Who Loved Me
Least favorite novel-Moonraker
Favorite short story-The Property of a Lady

[Dustin]

Favorite novel-The Spy Who Loved Me
Least favorite novel-Moonraker
Favorite short story-The Property of a Lady

A most unusual choice.

[AMC Hornet]

I still can't get over Fleming's extravagant use of exclamation marks in OHMSS, though...I don't know what he was on when he was writing those passages wherein Bond makes his getaway.

Fleming had received a letter criticizing him for hardly ever using exclamation marks, so he over-compensated.

I don't recall the source, but I remember reading that somewhere.

Hopefully someone will likewise criticize Jeffrey Deaver for constantly witholding a vital detail in order to contrive a resolution to all his cliffhanger chapter endings...

[Major Tallon]

I still can't get over Fleming's extravagant use of exclamation marks in OHMSS, though...I don't know what he was on when he was writing those passages wherein Bond makes his getaway.

Fleming had received a letter criticizing him for hardly ever using exclamation marks, so he over-compensated.

I don't recall the source, but I remember reading that somewhere.

It's in chapter four of Henry A. Zeigler's biography, Ian Fleming: The Spy Who Came In With The Gold.

[Cruiserweight]

Favorite novel-The Spy Who Loved Me
Least favorite novel-Moonraker
Favorite short story-The Property of a Lady

A most unusual choice.

Which one?

[TCK]

My favourite novel : On her Majesty's secret service
My least favourite novel : The man with the golden gun or Goldfinger, I don't really know
My favourite short story : The living daylights
My least favourite short story : 007 in New York

[Messervy]

Favorite novel: Casino Royale. It's raw, it's blunt, it's to-the-point. Enter James Bond!

Least favorite novel: You Only Live Twice. "WTF?" Half the novel is James Bond bashing on Japan, the other half is a LSD-induced trip into fairy-Death Garden land.

[TCK]

Least favorite novel: You Only Live Twice. "WTF?" Half the novel is James Bond bashing on Japan, the other half is a LSD-induced trip into fairy-Death Garden land.

Unusual choice. I've always read You only live twice as a wonderful novel, but I also concede it isn't an easy read. Philosophy and thinking gain the upper hand over action and spying, and the rhythm is slow but not boring, because Ian Fleming's touch is still here. Just my point of view of course.

[Dustin]

Favorite novel-The Spy Who Loved Me
Least favorite novel-Moonraker
Favorite short story-The Property of a Lady

A most unusual choice.

Which one?

Well, all three. Haven't seen that particular combination before, extraordinary. Take a look at the ballot, few people pick TSWLM as their favourite novel. Same goes for TPOAL.

[chrisno1]

Favourite doesn't always mean best.
Min, I wasn't surprised to see TLD score so highly in the short story poll - that is a stand out excellent tale.