20 replies to this topic

[[dark]]

I just finished The Spy Who Loved Me this morning, having whipped through it in a under week.

I have to say I loved the book and can't understand why it was so controversial upon its release in 1962.

Sure it's different, but so was From Russia With Love. The heroine is arguably the most well thought-out of all of Fleming's female characters. The book gave the reader a chance to see 007 from the point-of-view of one of his many women and, as the authors of Martinis, Girls & Guns point out, Fleming, a male writer, did an incredible job to set the entire story as seen through a female's eyes.

What are everyone else's opinions of this book? Am I alone in having enjoyed it as much as I did?

[1q2w3e4r]

totally agree. Don't see why it get's bashed.

I suppose and call me ignorant for generalising (sp) more social concious or "feminist" women & males view it as "sexist" and everything else Fleming's been called.

Still a well written book. I certinally don't think Fleming was as ashamed of it as he made out. Definantly one of the best written females, right up there with Tiffany Case.

[[dark]]

That's just the thing.

According to Martinis, Girls & Guns, upon its release, the book was rated very highly amongst females, many dubbing it to be his best to date.

Completely agree about Fleming, too; I think he only made the decisions he made about the book [such as it won't be made into a film and that there won't be a paperback edition] because of pressure from the critics.

[brendan007]

It's a great book, but it definetly strays too far from the formula. While in this case getting away from the formula works, i wouldnt want a repeat of it anytime soon.
I must admit though, its probably the book that i was most addicted to when first read, i think i read it all in a day or two.

[[dark]]

I couldn't put it down. It took me a bit under a week, but in the past the Bonds have taken me usually a month or more to read, as I work nights so when I come home, I'm too stuffed to read.

Looking forward to get stuck into On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in the next few days, but I'd love to hear a few more opinions of The Spy Who Loved Me first.

[doublenoughtspy]

While I think the book is under rated, I still see it as an expirement that failed.

I think the tale would have been much more appropriate as a short story rather than a novel because there is some obvious padding.

So her first sexual experience was in a theatre. Oh wow.

A much more interesting experiment would be to have a novel told in first person from either Bond himself, or a close ally, like Felix, or Moneypenny, or something like that.

[Qwerty]

I absolutely love that novel. Yes, it strays far from the formula, but it works! Vivienne Michel has the great characteristics of a Bond girl and the suspense works wonderfully. I love how Fleming changed the formula and in my opinion, it is a fantastic book.

[Tanger]

I lost sleep because of this novel. I couldn't stop reading it as it's so well written and interesting. I finished it in about 3 nights. I usually read from about 11pm but usually only for an hour or so. This I was reading until about 2am! Same with Benson's DAD Novelisation. I couldn't put them down, I love reading Bond.

[Lancaster]

I must agree. This is a fantastic book and it continues to show the style and range that Fleming had. It is a wonderfully written build up and the action in the second part of the book is exciting. Then the arrival of Bond and the book goes from strength to strength.

Excellent.

[brendan007]

Originally posted by doublenoughtspy

So her first sexual experience was in a theatre.  Oh wow.

I actually prefered this half of the book. Sure its hardly Bond novel material, but Fleming was telling a great story there, one which had me completely hooked.
Also going by how hooked i was by Fleming's short story The Quantam of Solace, im sure Fleming couldve written great novels that weren't Bond related at all.

[Simon]

For all those that loved this novel, are there any out there who are positively not looking forward to the Jinx movie, should it ever surface?

I only ask because in Spy, Bond was not the main focus but came in to save the day in the last third/quarter of the novel and I could quite easily see a similar scenario being played out in the Jinx movie.

Putting aside for the moment whether Jinx would be classified as a quasi Bond movie or not, there are potential similarities to be explored between the concept of Bond's role in Spy the novel and Jinx the movie.

And I've always said that as a marketing issue, it would make $ sense to have Brosnan Bond walk in for a quick role defining scene - but I digress. Apologies.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Simon

in Spy, Bond was not the main focus but came in to save the day in the last third/quarter of the novel and I could quite easily see a similar scenario being played out in the Jinx movie.

Putting aside for the moment whether Jinx would be classified as a quasi Bond movie or not, there are potential similarities to be explored between the concept of Bond's role in Spy the novel and Jinx the movie.

And I've always said that as a marketing issue, it would make $ sense to have Brosnan Bond walk in for a quick role defining scene  

I wish they'd have the cojones to pull the Bond-comes-in-late trick (found in "From Russia With Love" as well as TSWLM) not in a Jinx film but in a proper Bond outing. Personally, I'd rather 007 stayed out of a Jinx film entirely.

Regarding TSWLM, does anyone know why Fleming insisted that no story elements or characters of that book be used in a Bond film bearing the same title? Seems a strange stipulation to make. Was he ashamed of TSWLM or something?

[Simon]

The story is he was miffed with the way his experiment turned out, hence the stipulations.

But I'm sure if he had foresight, he might have made stipulations that YOLT would not have space themes to it, or indeed alternatively, not have been concerned for what would by then have definitely been jettisoned in Spy the book.

[deth]

I really only enjoyed the last part of the book when Bond shows up....

...essentially I was just skimming through, incredibly bored, waiting for Bond to show up........


I read it in 3 hours.... (this was my least favorite Bond book.... along with DAF) (TMWTGG is not that bad, imo)

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Loomis


I wish they'd have the cojones to pull the Bond-comes-in-late trick (found in "From Russia With Love" as well as TSWLM) not in a Jinx film but in a proper Bond outing. Personally, I'd rather 007 stayed out of a Jinx film entirely.

I think it would be great for Bond to show up in the pretitles sequence.

Originally posted by Loomis
Regarding TSWLM, does anyone know why Fleming insisted that no story elements or characters of that book be used in a Bond film bearing the same title? Seems a strange stipulation to make. Was he ashamed of TSWLM or something?

TSWLM was an experiment that Fleming felt did not go well....that was the reason for this stipulation.

[Cesari]

The spy who loved me is one of my favourite James Bond book.
I love the story told from Vivienne Michel's eyes.
I love the style, the "atmosphere" of the book.
It is one of the most well written Ian Fleming book and it could have been written without Bond appearing at the end still being a great book!!

[KMHPaladin]

Originally posted by brendan007
Also going by how hooked i was by Fleming's short story The Quantam of Solace, im sure Fleming couldve written great novels that weren't Bond related at all.

I really, really enjoyed "Quantum of Solace". I don't know if I'd call it my favorite Fleming short story, because all of the shorts in "For Your Eyes Only" were very memorable. For all of Fleming's ability to develop characters and create intrigue in a full-length novel, he had an amazing ability to do the same thing in a short story. "From A View To A Kill," "The Hildebrand Rarity," "Risico," and "For Your Eyes Only" were also fantastic short stories.

[[dark]]

I daresay that “Quantum of Solace” was my favourite short story in the For Your Eyes Only collection. “The Hildebrand Rarity” was also very good.

Fleming had a real knack for developing main characters of certain stories who had larger parts to play than Bond himself.

[Derringer]

I just finished the book last week and am now reading Goldfinger. I've read most of the Fleming books now.

Spy I found to be one of the best. It was a bit disturbing and thought provoking, but I liked the presentation being made as a narrative from Vivienne. Her story was remarkable, and just proves the point that women shouldn't define their lives by who they are sleeping with. I think Spy would have done well as a true movie.

I particularly enjoyed the lecture at the end [by the detective] about the secret war going on, good vs. evil, and the players involved in this war.

One of the bad guys in the book, the one described as "thin", for some reason I pictured as Timothy Dalton [Sluggsy or Horror]. When I read these Fleming books I always picture Connery as Bond.

Derringer

[deth]

Originally posted by Derringer
I just finished the book last week and am now reading Goldfinger.  I've read most of the Fleming books now.

Spy I found to be one of the best.  It was a bit disturbing and thought provoking, but I liked the presentation being made as a narrative from Vivienne.  Her story was remarkable, and just proves the point that women shouldn't define their lives by who they are sleeping with.  I think Spy would have done well as a true movie.

I particularly enjoyed the lecture at the end [by the detective] about the secret war going on, good vs. evil, and the players involved in this war.

One of the bad guys in the book, the one described as "thin", for some reason I pictured as Timothy Dalton [Sluggsy or Horror].  When I read these Fleming books I always picture Connery as Bond.

Derringer

I picture Connery too, even though I try to picture Moore....lol

[Cesari]

When I read James Bond books I always picture someone who is nor Connery, nor Moore (thanks god!), nor Lazenby, nor Dalton, neither Brosnan.
It is someone a bit like Bond in the comics.
When I read my first james Bond books in the 60s and 70 I was picturing Connery, but now he has a different face. I think it is Fleming's Bond.