15 replies to this topic

[Wilbs]

...I say 'sort of' as, frankly, no author really seems to be able to write quite like Fleming.

Has anyone here read British author Bernard Cornwell? He writes historical novels with a strong action element. He's best known for his "Sharpe" series of novels about a British officer in the Napoleonic wars (filmed for television with none other than 006 Sean Bean himself in the lead role).

It occured to me when reading Sharpe's Siege recently that Cornwell's flowing style of prose, which is at its best when writing action scenes, feels a lot like Fleming.

Now I'm no literary scholar, but, if you catch my drift, whilst I don't know literature, I know what I like. And Cornwell & Fleming are two of my favourite writers. I can't explain how the Fleming sweep works or what it is, but reading Cornwell reminds me of it.

Anyone else spotted this?

[Qwerty]

No I haven't. You seem to very much recommend his works, so I think I'll keep my eyes open for them in the near future.

Right now, (since I'm finished with the James Bond novel series), I'm starting to read the books of Raymond Chandler, another action/detective writer who always highly appraised Fleming's work.

BTW, welcome to CBn Wilbs.

[Wilbs]

Thanks it's nice to have discovered this place :-)

Actually, if you read anything by Cornwell, I'd recommend "Sharpe's Waterloo" first- but you can read any of them in any order really.

I haven't tried Chandler yet, I recall him getting mentioned in relation to Fleming before, so I'll have to give him a try. Chandler seems to be unknown here in Australia though...

[Qwerty]

Alright, I'll take your recommendation. If you do start with Chandler, I recommend starting with his first- 'The Big Sleep.'

[Cesari]

I've read all Chandler's novels and short stories.
Like Fleming, he is one of my favourites writer of thrillers.
Yes The big sleep is great.
You have to read too "the high window", "the Long goodbye" and many others.
One think that surprised me when I discovered Chandler books is that he wrote short stories first that were published. Then he mixed two of these short stories to make one new book. Very strange but very interesting.

[Wilbs]

D'oh......! THAT Chandler.... the one who wrote the Phillip Marlowe character, filmed with Bogart in the role? Gawwwwd, I'm so slow I didn't pick up who you meant...

I'll have to add him to my must-read list then.

I seem to recall that Fleming met him (I think Pearson's book on Fleming says so).

[Cesari]

Yes they met many times. They were friends.
There was another famous writer who was Fleming friend. It is Paul Gallico.
When I was a young teenager I was practicing some fencing in Antibes in south of France.
There was an old man training there whose name was Paul Gallico. My parents told me he was a famous writer and I played some fencing fights with him.
He signed for me two or three of his books like The Poseidon adventure or The day Jean-Pierre went round the world.
I was yet a James Bond fan and I had read all the Fleming books when I was 13 years old.
But many, many years later when Paul Gallico was dead a long time ago I read Fleming's biographies by John Pearson and Andrew Lycett.
I discovered Ian Fleming and Paul Gallico knew each other very well.
One of the biggest regret of my life is not to have known that before and not to have asked Paul gallico many questions about Fleming.

[Wilbs]

Well, on the positive side, you've got to admit- practicing fencing with one of Fleming's friends is pretty cool!

Is Lycett's bio good? I've only read Pearson's.

[Cesari]

Yes it is a very good biography too!
You have to read it.
Pearson wrote hiq biography in 1966 and Lycett in 1996. So the way to look at wokrs and life of Fleming is different 30 years later.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by Cesari
I discovered Ian Fleming and Paul Gallico knew each other very well.
One of the biggest regret of my life is not to have known that before and not to have asked Paul gallico many questions about Fleming.

Paul Gallico of The Poseidon Adventure fame? :eek:

Gee, never knew this!

What a missed oportunity there, Cesari.

[Cesari]

Yes Blofeld's Cat himself!!
Yes what a missed oportunity! :-(

[Derringer]

Originally posted by Wilbs
...Anyone else spotted this?

Wilbs,

Thanks for the heads-up on this. I will put him on my reading list. Welcome to the forum, and that's a good initial contribution.

[Qwerty]

Originally posted by Cesari

You have to read too "the high window", "the Long goodbye" and many others.

So far, I only own his first two, but I'm hoping to complete the collection. Yes, so far, I'm liking the series, it's no Bond novel, but they're pretty good.

[Cesari]

Except the books above, the others Raymond Chandler novels or shot stories that I have read are:
The little sister
Killer in the rain
Bay city blues
Try the girl
Lady in the lake
May be they are others

[Qwerty]

How is 'Lady In The Lake" supposed to be? I saw for a very cheap price at a bookstore the other day, but was hesitant to get it. Would you recommend the buying?

[Cesari]

It is one of my favourite.
You can read all the Chandler books without problems.
I don't think that they are bad Chandler books.
The only problem you can get with one of them is to read it as a novel and read it again as two different short stories in another book with other titles.