2 replies to this topic

[Neil S. Bulk]

Was Fleming terribly afraid of becoming old? They way he depicts Florida's retirees would seem to suggest that he had very little respect for the elderly.

Neil

[Mister Asterix]

I’ve never quite known how to take that. I sort of feel Fleming didn’t like the way Americans grew old. Not graceful enough for him or something.

[clinkeroo]

I can sort of understand Fleming on this one. In a country that is full of mass production, we seem to handle our seniors in a similar manner. I don't think it was Fleming being frightened of death; he just observed our Florida/Arizona retirement cliche while in South Florida and applied the Fleming sweep giving his descriptions their seemlines. His descriptions of the oldsters lining the beach with their sun gear reminds me of the Florida I knew as a kid. Seems like a pretty accurate picture of pre-Cuban influx to me.
I love the settings in this novel. They, along with characterizations and action sequences, were Fleming's strongest points, and in LALD he was at the height of his powers.