2226 replies to this topic

[bondrules]

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John le Carré

James Bond will always remain my favorite pulpy spy. But if you want to read about life like spies, John le Carré is your man. In The Spy Who Came In From The Cold the double crossings are rampant and unexpected. The very end is completely shocking. This novel is so gripping and exciting, that you can't put it down. Double agents, The Iron Curtain. This is by far the best espionage novel I have ever read.

[Joyce Carrington]

I've just started on the new Karin Slaughter novel, "Broken". I'm trying to pace myself because I usually rip through these babies in a day or two. Now I want to make the experience last as long as possible.

[Kilroy6644]

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John le Carré

James Bond will always remain my favorite pulpy spy. But if you want to read about life like spies, John le Carré is your man. In The Spy Who Came In From The Cold the double crossings are rampant and unexpected. The very end is completely shocking. This novel is so gripping and exciting, that you can't put it down. Double agents, The Iron Curtain. This is by far the best espionage novel I have ever read.

One of my all-time favorites. I'm long overdue to read it again. It's been a long time since I've seen the movie, too, and that's also excellent.

[jrcjohnny99]

"Imperial Bedrooms" by Bret Easton Ellis;
Classic Ellis revisiting the characters from "Less Than Zero"; thoroughly enjoyed it and only wish he'd write more...

re; The Magus; that really was a terrific book, tho I've never read the revised version;
as for the movie; very poor...stick with the book,,,,,,

[bondrules]

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John le Carré

James Bond will always remain my favorite pulpy spy. But if you want to read about life like spies, John le Carré is your man. In The Spy Who Came In From The Cold the double crossings are rampant and unexpected. The very end is completely shocking. This novel is so gripping and exciting, that you can't put it down. Double agents, The Iron Curtain. This is by far the best espionage novel I have ever read.

One of my all-time favorites. I'm long overdue to read it again. It's been a long time since I've seen the movie, too, and that's also excellent.

Went out yesterday and got me Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy , The Honourable Schoolboy , and Smiley's People.


I'm done with TTSS. Not as good as TSWCIFTC, but it's bloody fantastic. I read they are making a movie out of it. TBCH I don't think there's enough meat in there for a movie unless they use some stuff from THS, which I'm currently reading and is without a doubt better than TTSS. I am very keen on having Colin Firth play Jerry Westerby, and maybe Scarlett Johannsen play Lizzie Worthington? What do you think?

I'm gonna kill this novel off tonight and get on Smiley's People right away. I swear man, le Carré put drugs on these pages. I'm hooked. I can't stop reading!

[volante]

The Lesson of her Death - Jeffery Deaver

Spurred on to read an example of the next Bond writer; I picked this book up at the local library.

I found getting into the story, quiet difficult; as the story introduced a lot of characters in environments new to my reading taste.

BUT...once inside the story; the twists and turns began to enthrall me.
Suddenly 200 pages in; I was hooked, I was able to empathise with characters I didn't realise I knew anything about; but of course this is a skill of the writer; able to slip a fact or snipet of personal information, which naturally becomes a major element as the story unfolds.

If this is an example of how Project X will read; I'm very excited.

The story took me along the sucker path of suggesting the killer; which of course was another red herring; but this one came with an emotional tie, which made the characters even more vulnerable.

Mr. Deaver is visiting the UK,to promote his new book; I for one will be attending a session.

In summary, a real thriller; not to be missed.

Oh well back to the library for the next instalment

[dodge]

Nothing to Lose by Lee Childs.

Child is a smooth, accomplished writer who knows how to deliver the action. That said, I was appalled by the First Blood rip-off (right, right, 'homage), with the taciturn vagrant hero walking into a town to get a cup of coffee and being run out. Then going back. Childs is far too good a writer to stay too long in Rambo territory, but a nod to David Morrell certainly seems called for here.

Also: is anyone else put off by laconic, loner heros who are 6'4" and weigh 250 lbs and are invincible in fights?

[bondrules]

John le Carré

Honourable Schoolboy. 5 stars. Much better read, as far as plot and character development than TTSS.

Smiley's People. 3 1/2 stars. I was somewhat disappointed with the final encounter with Karla. Expected more of a showdown. At least verbally.

[Gogol Pushkin]

The Executioner by Chris Carter.

Pretty grisly serial killer thriller, a follow up to the author's previous novel, The Crucifix Killer, following the exploits of an intelligent LAPD detective called Robert Hunter who uses his training in psychological profiling to catch violent murderers. In this one he investigates when a Priest is found decapitated, his head swapped with that of a dog, putting him on the trail of a killer who turns the worst nightmares of his victims into a chilling reality. Read the first 200 pages or so and it's all very enjoyable and gripping, but very nasty and dark too.

[jwheels]

Been making my way through Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series. I'm on Executive Power right now. Been enjoying them so far, though the last one, Separation of Power, was pretty much lacking in the action department, aside from the middle, and the ending.

[dodge]

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose.

[Ambler]

The Looters by John Reese

Always thought Charley Varrick was a criminally underrated film, so I was interested to see whether its source material was as good. Well, it's not. Indeed, The Looters is a routine effort and, opening bank raid apart, the book and the film don't have much in common.

Reese seems to be forgotten these days, which is probably as it should be. Don Siegel's film is another matter though; check it out if you get the chance.

[OmarB]

Just read "The Bankroft Strategy" by Robert Ludlum. I've had it sitting around for years because it was his last book and the finality of reading it is not something I wanted to deal with. Much like when I went years without reading the last Douglas Adams.

Turns out The Bankroft Strategy was a pretty awesome book. Great action, nice pacing, all the good stuff you expect from Ludlum. The plot is something we have seen before, but it's in the way it's done where it wins. I'm also a fan of longer spy/thriller novels and this one came in at 708 pages which was great for me. I just hate when a book I'm enjoying ends too soon. I hope Deaver does his thing and makes the new Bond thriller in that vein and clocks in somewhere over 500.

[Harmsway]

I finally, after much procrastinating, finished John Fowles' THE MAGUS. What a marvelous novel. I was a bit unsure of it for the first quarter or so, but it proved itself.

Now I've started Ray Bradbury's THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES. Delightful stuff. I've not read much Bradbury--only FAHRENHEIT 451--but I'll be sure to read much more in the future.

After this, I'm not sure what I'll turn to next. Options abound, including, but not limited to, MATTER by Ian M. Banks, DEMONS by Fyodor Dostoevsky, THE GIFT by Vladimir Nabokov, THE FLIGHT TO LUCIFER by Harold Bloom, and THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE by Douglas Preston.

[Jaws0178]

Just finished reading the omnibus edition of The Union Trilogy by Raymond Benson, and noticed something rather humorous. Apparently, Benson ran out of names because he uses the name Dan Duling in both Never Dream of Dying and the short story Blast from the Past. Good stories though.

[elizabeth]

Confessions of a Radical Industrialist by Ray C. Anderson. Apparently required reading for English majors. Interesting read about going green and sustainability in the business world.

[Ambler]

The Bedford Incident by Mark Rascovich

This was the basis for the excellent cold war film starring Richard Widmark.

The novel is well written, yet Rascovich seems to have left no trail. Anyone here know what became of him?

Edited by Ambler, 27 July 2010 - 08:47 PM.

[DaveBond21]

I've just finished "Incarnate" by the wonderful Ramsey Campbell.

When an experiment in prophetic dreaming begins to go wrong, it is immediately aborted. Eleven years later, the 5 original participants have shut out the experience, and tried to get on with their lives. But they are slowly starting to dream again, and something wants them to re-convene.....

I heartily recommend this novel, a slow-burning, multi-layered, eerie tale.

-

[Harmsway]

THE BALL AND THE CROSS by G. K. Chesterton.

A brisk, entertaining, humorous, and thoughtful read. I must confess that I have not read much of Chesterton's fiction. Before this, all I had read was the thoroughly delightful THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY, which is something of a favorite of mine, but I daresay I enjoyed this novel even more.

[Jackanaples]

The Bedford Incident by Mark Rascovich

This was the basis for the excellent cold war film starring Richard Widmark.

The novel is well written, yet Rascovich seems to have left no trail. Anyone here know what became of him?

I can tell you from checking my resources at work that he was born in 1918 and died in West Palm Beach, FL on December 11, 1976. That's all I got though.

[Jackanaples]

Nothing to Lose by Lee Childs.

Child is a smooth, accomplished writer who knows how to deliver the action. That said, I was appalled by the First Blood rip-off (right, right, 'homage), with the taciturn vagrant hero walking into a town to get a cup of coffee and being run out. Then going back. Childs is far too good a writer to stay too long in Rambo territory, but a nod to David Morrell certainly seems called for here.

Also: is anyone else put off by laconic, loner heros who are 6'4" and weigh 250 lbs and are invincible in fights?

I read all the Reacher novels up until PERSUADER. While I enjoyed the character of protagonist Jack Reacher, Lee Child very quickly turned him into Superman and I lost some interest in the series. Will probably pick up on it later though.

Reacher is so big, so smart, and such the consummate badass that he needs to be set against some truly frightening villains. You know, the kind of threats that would send other heroes away screaming. Sadly, I find most of Child's villains are unmemorable. A hero like Jack Reacher should have a more distinctive rogue's gallery I think, like Bond.

Edited by Jackanaples, 02 August 2010 - 09:20 PM.

[elizabeth]

Finished Confessions of a Radical Industrialist. Boring as hell, but taught me a lot of good lessons about green business.

[Loomis]

COLONEL SUN........never read it before. I think I'm going to read DEVIL MAY CARE next, to try and keep up the timeline continuity.

Well, you're in for a treat with COLONEL SUN. It remains probably the best of all the continuation novels and even takes down some of the Flemings.

As for DEVIL MAY CARE, though, don't bother. At all. Read something else by Faulks.

[Loomis]

I"m going to read all the Bond novels, hopefully before PROJECT X comes out. That means all the Gardner and all the Benson.

Good grief. You are a brave, brave man.

I can't imagine not watching a Bond film or reading a Bond novel, even if it's not a personal favorite.

Well, you've lasted this long without reading all the novels. What's brought on this sudden completist urge? The thing about the films is that there are only 22 of them and they all require no more than a couple of hours' time investment. As for the novels, though, there are fifty or so, and believe you me a lot of them are very heavy going.

Besides, DEVIL MAY CARE can't be that bad, can it?

You wait. You just wait. The best that can be said for DEVIL MAY CARE is that it's superior to some of the very worst examples of Bond fanfiction.

And I say that as a tremendous admirer of Sebastian Faulks who counts some of his other novels as among the best I've ever read.

[Kilroy6644]

Night Over Water, by Ken Follett.

[DaveBond21]

I have just finished "Eclipse" (1980) Aka "Unity Penfold" by Margaret Tabor.

Unity Penfold comes home from a day out to find her house has gone. It no longer exists. Nobody has heard of her husband, and the school doesn't know who her kids are.....

Well worth reading.

[Harmsway]

COLONEL SUN is okay...so far.

After COLONEL SUN, it's all downhill, so brace yourself.

I recently threw out all my continuation novels. Gardner, Benson, Faulks... all straight into the bin.

[Johnboy007]

Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal

I have about 50 pages to go, and I'll be mighty sad once it's over.

[Ambler]

The Bedford Incident by Mark Rascovich

This was the basis for the excellent cold war film starring Richard Widmark.

The novel is well written, yet Rascovich seems to have left no trail. Anyone here know what became of him?

I can tell you from checking my resources at work that he was born in 1918 and died in West Palm Beach, FL on December 11, 1976. That's all I got though.

Thanks. I was thinking more of his writing career. There were a few other credits, but none worth mentioning.

[tdalton]

Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal

I have about 50 pages to go, and I'll be mighty sad once it's over.

I remember reading that book many, many years ago, with a similar reaction as I got closer and closer to the end. Great novel, although I don't remember much about the novel beyond the fact that I found it to be quite good. May have to pick it back up and give it another read.

After COLONEL SUN, it's all downhill, so brace yourself.

I recently threw out all my continuation novels. Gardner, Benson, Faulks... all straight into the bin.

I'd have to agree for the most part, although there are some good continuation novels by Gardner and Benson. They're outweighed by a significant amount of bad ones, but there's some good stuff in there. I quite enjoyed FOR SPECIAL SERVICES and ICEBREAKER from Gardner and DOUBLESHOT and NEVER DREAM OF DYING from Benson. DEVIL MAY CARE, though, I gree with you 110% on.