26 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

What is your favourite short story from the Octopussy & The Living Daylights collection?

Although most people tend to favour “The Living Daylights”, I've personally come to really love reading the “Octopussy” short story. While more of a morality tale than action-adventure, it still somehow works. “The Living Daylights” is a close second.

[Sir Charles]

That was a toughie to vote on. I really like both TLD & POAL.

[K1Bond007]

My favorite has always been The Property of a Lady. It's my overall favorite of Fleming's short stories too.

[Sir Hugo]

Just like when Fleming dipped his quill into moral issues in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (CCBB), he did it in Octopussy. It's a great short-story, however the rest are great. For some reason I liked 007INY a lot...

[Qwerty]

Bumping this up.

[MovieMaestro]

Living Daylights is about as close to perfect as a short story can get, it ranks as one of my favorite Bond stories, short or long . EON was wise to use it faithfully in the film.

[Bwanito]

Here is the chart:

1- The Living Daylights
2- Octopussy
3- The Property of a Lady

I don't remember if i ever read the novel "007 in New York". In the French book this short stories has been never included (perhaps in the horrible collection "Bouquin" but i can buy such a thing). If someone can tell me where i could find it alone (in a newspaper or something like that), it'll be very kind.

[MarcAngeDraco]

Definitely The Living Daylights for me.

[Double-O Eleven]

"Living Daylights" for me with no competition. "Octopussy" is interesting, but not exceptional, and the other two stories just seem so minor to me.

[Qwerty]

If someone can tell me where i could find it alone (in a newspaper or something like that), it'll be very kind.

eBay seems to be the best bet. The UK/US 2002/2004 Penguin editions were the first to include it into the series.

I believe it was printed in the London Sunday Times in 1999.

[Bwanito]

If someone can tell me where i could find it alone (in a newspaper or something like that), it'll be very kind.

eBay seems to be the best bet. The UK/US 2002/2004 Penguin editions were the first to include it into the series.

I believe it was printed in the London Sunday Times in 1999.

Thank you Qwerty i'm going to check the publications of "the London Sunday times" for the year 1999.

[Qwerty]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was then. Someone else may know for certain.

Hope you find it.

[00Twelve]

Glad to see this is a close race.

[MR. BOND 93]

For some reason I liked 007INY a lot...

So did I! I have no clue why. I just liked the idea of James Bond in NY. They just... went together. But my vote was for Property of a Lady.

My favorite short story from Fleming though would have to be Risico.

[Safari Suit]

The copy I read only contained the title stories, so I wont vote for diplomacy's sake, but of the two "Living Daylights" is my clear favourite. That's not to say I didn't enjoy reading "Octopussy", I did, but "Daylights" is an instant classic.

[moorebond82]

Clearly The Property Of A Lady is my favorite story.

[Agent 0015]

The Property of a Lady then The Living Daylights

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Definitely TLD. A great, Cold War espionage story later captured perfectly onscreen(though I wish Dalton had referred to Maryam d'Abo as "Trigger" at some point) and my favorite Fleming short story overall("From A View To A Kill" from FYEO takes 2nd place).

[Qwerty]

("From A View To A Kill" from FYEO takes 2nd place).

Interesting choice in that one, Prince Kamal Khan. What did you like about that one more than the others in the For Your Eyes Only collection?

[PrinceKamalKhan]

("From A View To A Kill" from FYEO takes 2nd place).

Interesting choice in that one, Prince Kamal Khan. What did you like about that one more than the others in the For Your Eyes Only collection?

I think the Paris location. Seems like an ideal backdrop for a Bond film. Too bad both the location and the actual content of the story weren't used in the film A View to a Kill. Or maybe it was the description of Mary Ann Russell in black jeans .

Anyway, I hope that the actual content of the story ends up in a future film since none of it was used in AVTAK the movie. Perhaps in the manner of the The Living Daylights the film, the first 20 minutes involving the SHAPE motorcycle driver and Bond replacing him and finding the spy ring could be the opening departure point for a Bond film.

[Qwerty]

Bumping this up.

[MHazard]

For some reason Octopussy has always left me a little cold. It's not just that Bond seems incidental to the story, but for me, the story told isn't particularly captivating. I don't mind Fleming making Bond incidental to the story, which he does in Quantum of Solace a story I far prefer to Octopussy.

In contrast, Bond is central to the Living Daylights which explores his distaste for killing (something you would never get out of any of the movies) and shows a somewhat burnt out Bond fed up with the moral ambiguity of his profession and dealing with a colleague who has absolutely no clue what emotional price Bond pays by doing his job. All of which comes to a head when he's required to kill a beautiful girl. How he reacts to having all of these buttons pushed in him is fascinating.

But hey, it's not like I hate Octopussy as a story, I just don't view it as one of Ian's highlights.

[Cruiserweight]

I know i'm very late in replying but i just joined so hey.I enjoy the whole book but the story i enjoy the most is Property Of A Lady.It's a nice neat,short little story.

[Qwerty]

I think the Paris location. Seems like an ideal backdrop for a Bond film. Too bad both the location and the actual content of the story weren't used in the film A View to a Kill. Or maybe it was the description of Mary Ann Russell in black jeans .

At least we'll now be getting Paris back again in Devil May Care next year.

[_JW_]

Voted for Property of a Lady. I'm slightly surprised to see it has more votes than OP at the moment.

[manfromjapan]

My fave is Daylights. A perfect short story that I wish somehow could have been the introduction to a Fleming Bond novel. The film uses it brilliantly.

[sharpshooter]

It's The Living Daylights for me.