23 replies to this topic

[Athena007]

From CBn's Main Page...

Looking Back: Never Send Flowers
John Gardner's twelfth James Bond 007 novel

[Lazenby880]

Informative article once again Devin. I have thoroughly enjoyed Mr Gardner's work though have yet to read Never Send Flowers. Let's just say that the whole EuroDisney thing doesn't exactly inspire a huge deal of confidence.

[Qwerty]

Thank you. I hope you like it though, even with the Disney factor, I find this to be a good book.

[British Assasin]

Nice overview, although I've never read any of the books, the majority of the reviews are negitive. (Especially the Eurodisney thing )

[Qwerty]

Those are only some of reviews selected. I recommend reading the books.

[Kronsteen]

Great article on my favourite non-Fleming novel.

[zencat]

This is a terrific bit of trivia. I never knew this before so I checked my NSF paperback and, yep, sure enough, it's true.

The US paperback of Never Send Flowers includes a teaser for John Gardner's next original James Bond novel SeaFire, citing the upcoming villain as Sir Maxwell Lustig. However, the villain came to be known eventually as Sir Maxwell Tarn.

Wonder why the change? I like Lustig.

[tdalton]

I liked Never Send Flowers. It was one of the first James Bond novels that I read, and I thought that it was a decent Bond adventure. Not sure about the whole EuroDisney thing, but it's good to see different ideas and settings in the Bond universe every once in a while.

[Qwerty]

This is a terrific bit of trivia. I never knew this before so I checked my NSF paperback and, yep, sure enough, it's true.

The US paperback of Never Send Flowers includes a teaser for John Gardner's next original James Bond novel SeaFire, citing the upcoming villain as Sir Maxwell Lustig. However, the villain came to be known eventually as Sir Maxwell Tarn.

Wonder why the change? I like Lustig.

Ditto. Something to someday ask Mr. Gardner me thinks...

[Kronsteen]

Wonder why the change? I like Lustig.

I actually don't fancy the name Lustig. In Swedish "lustig" means "amusing", so for me that names just appears ridiculous.

[zencat]

Wonder why the change? I like Lustig.

I actually don't fancy the name Lustig. In Swedish "lustig" means "amusing", so for me that names just appears ridiculous.

Hey, maybe that was the reason for the change?

[Kronsteen]

Wonder why the change? I like Lustig.

I actually don't fancy the name Lustig. In Swedish "lustig" means "amusing", so for me that names just appears ridiculous.

Hey, maybe that was the reason for the change?

I'd doubt it. Not that many knows Swedish, and SeaFire wasn't even released in Sweden. But who knows?

[Qwerty]

Publishers stepping in again?

[Skin 17]

I liked Never Send Flowers. David Dragonpol was one of Gardner's best villains if not the best. His plot was nothing more than to kill and not that plots to destroy the world are bad but we needed a break from that and Gardner delivered.

[TortillaFactory]

....was I the only one upset by the fact that Bond drank tea in this book?

Anyone?

All in all, as Jim said, a very odd book. But I'll give it this - it kept me reading. At times I had to force myself through, say, Win, Lose, or Die - most of the time, I couldn't put NSF down. However, I thought I had THE TWIST figured out halfway through, and when it turned out to be something different and not entirely comprehensible, I was slightly miffed. Not Gardner's fault, maybe, but still.

I didn't particularly like Flicka, and I found the whole "wedding bells?" "maybe!" thing a bit baffling. Isn't that just a little hasty?

Liked...er...what's her name, though...the bisexual one. Interesting idea for a character, and I thought Bond's reaction was amusing.

I'm a bit hazy on the details with this one, as I only had it from the library. I thought the whole recurring "theme park" idea was slightly strange, and random without a good cause. If you must put Bond in Disney, at least don't say he likes it. Maybe he would like it, it's just...no. It hurts.

[terminus]

Ah, the one Gardner book I've not read.

[Qwerty]

Ah, the one Gardner book I've not read.

Definitely recommend you give it a try.

[marmaduke]

Never Send Flowers.
I have just read my first Gardner Bond novel: Never Send Flowers.
Awful. Not a bad novel (but certainly not a good one either) but certainly an awful Bond novel. Who is this character that Gardner calls James Bond? Certainly not the Ian Fleming character. This person refers to the police as

[Flash1087]

[quote name='marmaduke' date='23 October 2005 - 09:21'] Never Send Flowers.
I have just read my first Gardner Bond novel: Never Send Flowers.
Awful. Not a bad novel (but certainly not a good one either) but certainly an awful Bond novel. Who is this character that Gardner calls James Bond? Certainly not the Ian Fleming character. This person refers to the police as

[BondReader 007]

[quote name='Flash1087' date='13 December 2005 - 21:49'][quote name='marmaduke' date='23 October 2005 - 09:21'] Never Send Flowers.
I have just read my first Gardner Bond novel: Never Send Flowers.
Awful. Not a bad novel (but certainly not a good one either) but certainly an awful Bond novel. Who is this character that Gardner calls James Bond? Certainly not the Ian Fleming character. This person refers to the police as

[BondReader 007]

Nice overview, although I've never read any of the books, the majority of the reviews are negitive. (Especially the Eurodisney thing )

The Eurodisney scenes were not bad at all. Pretty good in fact, the most rediculous thing was,... Would Lady Di's bodyguards have allowed her to go, knowing the was a planned assisnation attempt? Would she really have put her childeren in danger like that? That is what bothered me about the entire episode.

[marmaduke]

I have just completed John Gardner

[Qwerty]

[quote name='marmaduke' date='15 January 2006 - 16:42']I have just completed John Gardner

[Jim]

[quote name='marmaduke' date='15 January 2006 - 21:42']I have just completed John Gardner