163 replies to this topic

[Guy Haines]

I agree, especially when you consider that the events of Goldfinger are taken as having happened - far fetched as they were, though enjoyable in a Bond novel.

What Pearson could have written was that the events of Moonraker were based upon a real security situation Bond was involved in, stopping sabotage by foreign elements of the UK's actual missile defence system. Drax could still have been a fictional character, but the idea that the whole thing was made up could have been avoided.

In the end though, Moonraker deserved better in the book than to be dismissed as disinformation. If Bond's opponents knew about the books, a "fictional" one wouldn't suddenly make them think he didn't exist.

[ggl]

Can you explain what Pearson says about MR?? Not afraid of spoilers. Thanks.

[Guy Haines]

OK, here goes

 

Spoiler

In the Pearson biography all the other Bond adventures are "real" - as in related to Pearson by Bond, and written up by Bond's friend  and colleague, Ian Fleming. The idea being to keep the enemy guessing as to whether Bond is a real agent or a character of fiction, by publishing his missions as fiction. But to re-inforce the point, "Moonraker" really was a work of fiction, to disinform the opposition still further. It is described in a précis of the plot on Wikipedia as hiding Bond's activities "in plain sight" by making it appear he is a figment of Fleming's imagination, but for it to work, one of the stories, "Moonraker", really was.

 

Hope that made sense!

 

We are also told that Fleming didn't write "The Spy Who Loved Me", rather he had published the account which Vivienne Michel sent him, which is what is claimed in the novel anyway.

[ggl]

Thanks, @GuyHaines. Really interesting point of view from Pearson, although I'm not sure what Fleming would have thought of that...

 

All this about Pearson's bio reminds me what Baring Gould did with Holmes in 1962: http://www.amazon.co...g/dp/051703817XHe introduced the character as a real person and Doyle as his editor.

 

A influence for Pearson's work? Quite probably.

Edited by ggl, 02 September 2015 - 10:46 AM.

[Guy Haines]

Indeed. But if you've read the novel You Only Live Twice, the penultimate chapter "Obit" is Bond's obituary, penned by M and added to by Mary Goodnight, in which at one point mention is made of a series of fanciful novels based around Bond and written by a former service colleague. M thunders on that "It is a measure of the disdain in which these fictions are held at the Ministry that action has not yet - I emphasise the qualification - been taken against the author and publisher of these high flown and romanticized caricatures of episodes in the career of an outstanding public servant."

I think that was the starting point for the Pearson biography of Bond, although certainly having written a biography of Fleming beforehand was an advantage.

Of course, "Obit" features briefly in Skyfall, though no mention of a series of "high flown and romanticized films" from M! ;-)

[ggl]

Then I'm thinking that perhaps Baring-Gould could have been an inspiration for Fleming himself!

[ChickenStu]

That and the dumb idea of giving Bond an older brother.

 

Why is that a dumb idea? I have an older brother, it does happen! 

[Single-O-Seven]

That and the dumb idea of giving Bond an older brother.

Why is that a dumb idea? I have an older brother, it does happen!

Small world...

[Double-Oh Agent]

 

That and the dumb idea of giving Bond an older brother.

 

Why is that a dumb idea? I have an older brother, it does happen! 

 

Because I believe in one of Ian Fleming's novels (I'm afraid I cant remember which one), he stated that James Bond was an only child. So why would John Pearson give Bond a brother? It's just wrong. That is far and away my biggest problem with Pearson's fictional 007 biography, and it still rubs me the wrong way. I still love the book though. Very well done otherwise, although I too wish he'd done something different with Moonraker.

[Guy Haines]

Ian Fleming had an older brother, Peter, who was regarded by many as the more successful of the two, at least to begin with. I wonder if the idea of Bond having an older brother was to re-inforce the supposedly similarities between Fleming and Bond, which become apparent if you read the books and have read about Fleming's life?

If so, I think it wasn't necessary. By reading the Bond novels it becomes apparent that, whilst Bond may have been based on more than one real-life secret agent, his tastes and the like for the most part reflect the author's. There was no need to hammer home the message "Bond is a lot like Fleming" by giving Bond an older sibling - the novels make plain certain similarities between author and creation.

[ChickenStu]

 

 

That and the dumb idea of giving Bond an older brother.

 

Why is that a dumb idea? I have an older brother, it does happen! 

 

Because I believe in one of Ian Fleming's novels (I'm afraid I cant remember which one), he stated that James Bond was an only child. So why would John Pearson give Bond a brother? It's just wrong. That is far and away my biggest problem with Pearson's fictional 007 biography, and it still rubs me the wrong way. I still love the book though. Very well done otherwise, although I too wish he'd done something different with Moonraker.

 

 

Yeah fair cop. One thing that confused me was that in Pearson's book he has an older brother - yet in Higson's Young Bond books he is an only child. I can't remember Fleming mentioning Our Man being an only child in the books - but I take your word for it. 

You know - I'm wondering if that's who Christoph Waltz ends up being in Spectre. 

[billy007]

Pearson did 007's older brother to tie in with James Bond Jr

[sharpshooter]

Pearson did 007's older brother to tie in with James Bond Jr

I didn't like this revelation at first, but in terms of the concept we're provided I think it works. It's another way Pearson shows the 'reality' behind the fantasy.

[glidrose]

That and the dumb idea of giving Bond an older brother.

Why is that a dumb idea? I have an older brother, it does happen!

Because Fleming said Bond was an only child. And more important: Bond has the psychological profile of an only child.

Pearson did 007's older brother to tie in with James Bond Jr

Er, no. Besides, the Calder-Marshall book claims that Bond's father died in 1964. Probably an in-joke given who else died that year.

FWIW, Pearson says the older brother's name is Henry. Calder-Marshall says it's David.