17 replies to this topic

[Jriv71]

Well, I was hoping to discover why the name of this novel in the U.S. is 'Cold Fall.' No answer. You know, I finished this on Friday, and don't remember much at all??? Fitting way for Gardner to wrap up, isn't it? (Let's see, there was a big Indian who wanted to become a Nazi, so he enlisted the help of Blofeld's daughter, Leiter's daughter and James Bond, Jr. He and a gay Texas Rancher started an organization with a non-sensical acronym like, SORBET, the Society Of Really Bad Extra Terrestrials. Bond double-crosses himself, then is bailed out by an army, and has some really bad dialogue with his love interest, who he swears is the one, this time.)

I wanted to punch myself in the face reading this 'Children of the Last Days' nonsense. Could've added a few pages developing 'Cold' more, and it might've worked better.

Hated the fact that he brought back Sukie Tempesta, then killed her, then she wasn't dead, then she died again, then she wasn't dead again, but she was bad. Huh? Then she wasn't really bad, because she was crazy. Right.

The storyline was OK, it was just a weak effort for a man who seems like he may have fallen asleep at his typewriter when he reached 220 pages or so, and then slapped together a quick ending.

I was also bothered by the fact that 'Book One' ends with Gardner saying that Cold raised its ugly head unexpectedly. Then it never happened. I was expecting some huge terrorist action preceding a big showdown at the end, and it never materialized. Maybe I fell asleep reading it and never saw it.

Could've been better, could've been worse. I guess what we got out of it was, it was time for Gardner to hang it up. Good riddance.

[ChandlerBing]

It is pretty lame. You are correct. Gardner didn't want to do Bond anymore. He had probably gotten burned out on Bond after what, 15 yrs of doing it, or something?

[zencat]

It's his worst book, IMO. I've read it twice and I can't remember a thing. I don't know why it's called COLD in the UK and Cold Fall in the US. Another strange difference is that the UK edition isn't broken up into the "Book One, Book Two" sections. Too bad because that multi year leap in time at the midpoint is sort of the only thing I like about the book.

[Jriv71]

What the Hell time is it in Marina Del Rey??? Don't you sleep, 007?!?!

[Jim]

On the story split, one wonders whether it's the UK edition lacking clear deliniation of the timeframe (that the story does have a break is very obvious from the text) or the US edition having to acquire it.

For whatever reason.

Oh Lordy, another weirdo killing society with overt fascist tendencies led by yet another new Hitler.

The most interesting aspect is that Gardner starts referencing his own characters, rather than continually harping back to Fleming (what he does with his characters is relentlessly odd, though); very strange book, basically goes nowhere and is a fitting end to the Gardner Bonds (this is not necessarily a compliment) - it is archetypal Gardner Bond.

Still, it's better than Brokenclaw, which is like being sprayed with hot dung.

[Jriv71]

Not "COLD" dung?

[Jim]

Forgot to say why "Cold Fall" - reason is that I have no idea.

But stretching the dung metaphor - Cold Fall = Durch Fall (that's one for the German speakers amongst us)

[stromberg]

Originally posted by Jim


Forgot to say why "Cold Fall" - reason is that I have no idea.

But stretching the dung metaphor - Cold Fall = Durch Fall (that's one for the German speakers amongst us)

:D or "Flitzkacke" as we say (no, not "Blitz", but that would be almost the same meaning)

[zencat]

Originally posted by Jriv71
What the Hell time is it in Marina Del Rey???  Don't you sleep, 007?!?!

Never on the firm's time, sir.

[Jriv71]

Well done.

[Genrewriter]

I thought the book was ok but Gardner definitely was running on empty in the ideas department. I liked the idea of brining back old characters but as usual, Gardner muddles everything by turning the story into a literary pretzel.

[Roebuck]

Even as a Gardner fan I couldn't in good conscience suggest anyone waste their time reading Cold, but I remember it having a couple of nice touches. I liked the way that Gardner, in the last chapter, sets up 007's first meeting with M's successor. You get a clear feeling that the new regime will be very different to what he's been used to. And it was a nice idea having Bond at the controls of an attack helicopter. Wish EON had found a way to work that into GoldenEye.

[Qwerty]

Bad. Read it three times and it just doesn't get better. I find 'Part One" of the book utterly boring. The book slowly picks up after Part Two starts, but it one of Gardner's weakest efforts.

[Cesari]

I find it really boring. Hard to finish. Some part are ok, like the jetski chase. But the major part is generally tedious for me.
A lot of people here is very hard with Raymond Benson, but I never found ONE of Raymond book boring. Some are better then others, but never as boring as Gardner books.
I prever the worst of Raymond than the best of Gardner.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Genrewriter
I thought the book was ok but Gardner definitely was running on empty in the ideas department.  

You can't blame the guy, after all Raymond Benson got burned out on James Bond a lot faster. Gardner once said it was a lot harder writing 007 books than his own books because there was only so much he was allowed to do with the character.

[Righty007]

Anybody know why the title is Cold in the United Kingdom and Cold Fall in the United States?

[Qwerty]

Probably something to do with the publisher's choice.

[Willowhugger]

I'm a little curious about Cold Fall because I sadly read it out of order. I didn't know...

1. Who the hell this Countess was.

2. Why I should care about Bond's dying girlfriend.

3. Why the Book is taking place all over Gardener's continuity.

4. How a milita group expected to suceed in a coup with the UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

5. Why Bond felt any sympathy for the Cold leader killing the Countess for the very real reason she couldn't be trusted.

6. The crazy idealogy of a group of radical pro-government conservatives that want to institute Taliban style reforms.

7. Why ANY of this is of concern to a bunch of Italians.

I actually enjoyed the book but it was CONFUSING as hell.

Edited by Willowhugger, 10 December 2006 - 01:53 AM.