32 replies to this topic

[Mister Asterix]

The Impossible Job: DoubleShot

_{Part 4 of Jacques Stewart's Benson Book Review Series}

[spynovelfan]

Classic classic (ever-so-slightly insane) stuff.

In the spirit of the article - which was rather touching, I found, in a strange fashion - I now want Jim to become the next adult Bond continuation novelist, *not* because he's a brilliant writer and he is actually made out of old Morland's wrappers, but because we would then have a rather spectacular trumping of the situation whereby the incoming writer had critiqued his predecessor and then had to diplomatically downplay it a touch. But while Mr Benson managed the feat of making his 'fast food' comment disappear, I just so so so so want to see Mr Stewart interviewed on Jonathan Ross, and Ross presenting him with this article, and recording the resulting six and half minutes on my DVD and watching it repeatedly. Just imagining Woss weading out highlights from this article from his slide projector is having me reaching for the tissues. It's surely worth camping outside IFP's offices for a month to see that such an event occurs in our space-time continuum.

Make it so!

(For what it's worth, there is precedent for the theory: Robert Ludlum's THE ROAD TO GANDOLFO, while sold as a pastiche of the genre, was in fact a deliberate and at least semi-self-aware project of the author's to mine his own ability to improvise dreadful action scenes at the highest speed possible. Ludlum's greatest strength was that this kind of spontaneous writing created a bizarre kind of self-perpetuating suspense - "Can it get any worse? I must just read another chapter" - while his greatest weakness was that he couldn't write halfway convincing dialogue or create even one-dimensional characters. In TRTG he used this by taking all the suspense he could generate, but pretending he was taking the piss with all the other stuff. It's a very clever book by a very clever man who wrote like a seven-year-old. Anyway, I'll have to read DOUBLESHOT now.)

[marktmurphy]

Bless you Jim; fulsome though your vocabulary is, 'brevity' appears to be a word that has never troubled it!

[zencat]

So you liked it.

Me too.

[Jim]

So you liked it.

Yes. Yes, I liked it.

Bless you Jim; fulsome though your vocabulary is, 'brevity' appears to be a word that has never troubled it!

In all things, plentiful girth.

[TortillaFactory]

Dear Jim.

I am, as always, simultaneously envious and appalled.

♥.

[David Schofield]

For all that it probably is Benson's best, I know its me, but my biggest recollection of Doubleshot is that the denoument revolves around the size of Bond's nob.

Now this may not be the first time Bond's sexual tool has helped save the world, but it is the most explicit.

But then, Fleming would be writing Bond's sexual conquests as explicitly now if he were writing the novels still, wouldnt't he.

[TortillaFactory]

But then, Fleming would be writing Bond's sexual conquests as explicitly now if he were writing the novels still, wouldnt't he.

We may never know, but we can be damn sure they would at least succeed on the level of smut. Benson's succeed...well...not at all. Though the one from NDOD is a decent gynecology lesson.

[David Schofield]

But then, Fleming would be writing Bond's sexual conquests as explicitly now if he were writing the novels still, wouldnt't he.

We may never know, but we can be damn sure they would at least succeed on the level of smut. Benson's succeed...well...not at all. Though the one from NDOD is a decent gynecology lesson.

Tortilla

I'm being sarcastic: Fleming would never have resorted to such unsuble methods as that in Doubleshot and NDOD you mention.

Sadly, Benson's whole approach to sex has the whiff of the schoolboy obsessive. And that evidences itself in his infatuation with Bond's sexual prowess - the most obvious example of Benson's "love" for Bond being his remark, on entering the party at Quarterdeck in the second book (hell, I've forgotten the damnn title!), that Bond looks absolutely stunning in his three piece Brioni dinner suit in dark blue that all eyes turned to him...

Take a cold shower, Raymond.

[Simon]

As ever, superlative stuff.

But, dear boy, it is 'menage a trois', not trios. Three chocolate biscuits would get ever so messy.

Another discussion point?

[Loomis]

As ever, superlative stuff.

But, dear boy, it is 'menage a trois', not trios. Three chocolate biscuits would get ever so messy.

Another discussion point?

I wasn't going to mention it, but:

...careless proofreading (some curious Americanisms, the UK first edition has several typos in it and there

[Santa]

He does have a rather 'special' turn of phrase, doesn't he? I love it, I'd rather read Jim's entertaining review than the book itself.

[Mister Asterix]

But, dear boy, it is 'menage a trois', not trios. Three chocolate biscuits would get ever so messy.

I wasn't going to mention it, but:

...careless proofreading (some curious Americanisms, the UK first edition has several typos in it and there’s a very odd bit when referring to Orson Welles which should be followed by a comma but is instead sporting an apostrophe)....

is followed by:

I have to accept that this has to a) move the plot forward and cool.gif is a staple of any sort of detective/spy fiction....

Ugh. Pointing such things out, I feel like a STAR TREK fan.

But a great piece of work, as usual, Jim.

One wonderful thing about this Interweb is that things can be fixed post publication.

By the way, Loomis ellipses should only have three dots, not four.

[Jim]

As ever, superlative stuff.

But, dear boy, it is 'menage a trois', not trios. Three chocolate biscuits would get ever so messy.

Another discussion point?

I got carried away just thinking about it.

[TortillaFactory]

I'm being sarcastic: Fleming would never have resorted to such unsuble methods as that in Doubleshot and NDOD you mention.

Odd - this point has been raised [hur] many times on CBn; seriously, I assume. I never entirely disagreed with it. Explicit doesn't have to equal yucky or ridiculous, but it certainly can.

Sadly, Benson's whole approach to sex has the whiff of the schoolboy obsessive. And that evidences itself in his infatuation with Bond's sexual prowess - the most obvious example of Benson's "love" for Bond being his remark, on entering the party at Quarterdeck in the second book (hell, I've forgotten the damnn title!), that Bond looks absolutely stunning in his three piece Brioni dinner suit in dark blue that all eyes turned to him...

Take a cold shower, Raymond.

Ha. I actually do love Bond, and even I wouldn't write that. Sly references to Bond's all-around studliness are okay, making a plot point about it in DoubleShot isn't.

[Simon]

One wonderful thing about this Interweb is that things can be fixed post publication.

And while I am in the process of polishing the polished, the link from the article doesn't take you to the thread in question. Rather just the forums in general.

[ACE]

LOL, Jim. Expertly written, good, caustic stuff as ever.
Your bad side is a dangerous place to be!

As ever, superlative stuff.

But, dear boy, it is 'menage a trois', not trios. Three chocolate biscuits would get ever so messy.

Another discussion point?

LOL, Simon. Are Trios still on sale?

Reminds me of the joke comparing how many fingers you get in a Kit Kat with something else too rude to mention here!

Stuff punctuation - it's the Interweb! Yay!

[TortillaFactory]

I got carried away just thinking about it.

/hands Jim a sock

[Jim]

I got carried away just thinking about it.

/hands Jim a sock

Don't ask for it back.

[TortillaFactory]

Don't ask for it back.

Wouldn't dream of it. The entirety of CBn already thinks all sorts of weird things about me.

[Dunph]

Can I have it?

[TortillaFactory]

Can I have it?

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

eBay.

[Bryce (003)]

Damn....

Bidding is already up over a thousand...

*checks Ebay items*

*pouts*

No one's bidding on my sock...Oooo..wait...One bid...Oh...It's just Paul.

All sock/masturbation issues aside, Jim - Excellent and a fine read.

[TortillaFactory]

All sock/masturbation issues aside

And I really thought I would never see that phrase in print.

I suppose I didn't count on The Internet.

[David Schofield]

I'm being sarcastic: Fleming would never have resorted to such unsuble methods as that in Doubleshot and NDOD you mention.

Odd - this point has been raised [hur] many times on CBn; seriously, I assume. I never entirely disagreed with it. Explicit doesn't have to equal yucky or ridiculous, but it certainly can.

Sadly, Benson's whole approach to sex has the whiff of the schoolboy obsessive. And that evidences itself in his infatuation with Bond's sexual prowess - the most obvious example of Benson's "love" for Bond being his remark, on entering the party at Quarterdeck in the second book (hell, I've forgotten the damnn title!), that Bond looks absolutely stunning in his three piece Brioni dinner suit in dark blue that all eyes turned to him...

Take a cold shower, Raymond.

Ha. I actually do love Bond, and even I wouldn't write that. Sly references to Bond's all-around studliness are okay, making a plot point about it in DoubleShot isn't.

Tortilla

Don't recall such references in Fleming toward Bond's loveliness. Wasn't he a rugged, blunt instrument? Sure, fans admire Bond - that's why we read about him, watch him... and hell, some even dress like him - but I don't think such cat-walk spotlight irresistibility should be focused on Bond by someone writing his adventures (though of course that leads us to the deeper question about whether Fleming's Bond and Benson are indeed one and the same)

[spynovelfan]

Don't recall such references in Fleming toward Bond's loveliness. Wasn't he a rugged, blunt instrument? Sure, fans admire Bond - that's why we read about him, watch him... and hell, some even dress like him - but I don't think such cat-walk spotlight irresistibility should be focused on Bond by someone writing his adventures (though of course that leads us to the deeper question about whether Fleming's Bond and Benson are indeed one and the same)

Well, perhaps not 'loveliness', but I think Fleming fancied the pants off his character, and repeatedly made it clear he was a stud-muffin/ideal image of himself. CASINO ROYALE is packed to the gills with stuff about Bond's face being set in a cold hard mask and so on - but this is the equivalent, I think, of the standard GQ model's pose, which Brozmeister perfected: the steely stare, the squint, the jaw set, etc. This is the 'cool' pose, and Fleming tells us over and over how damn cool his character is. He never mentions Bond's tailor, but he sure as hell tells us he's well-dressed and cuts a dash. He also has several female characters comment on how good-looking he is - Tiffany Case does so to his face. I think CR is very much a novel about virility, and Bond is painted as the embodiment of it - that's what the torture's about.

Haven't read Raymond Benson's Brioni reference, and can imagine it might not be done as well as Fleming did it - Fleming was, after all, one of the greatest prose stylists of the twentieth century - but I don't object to the *idea* at all.

[David Schofield]

Don't recall such references in Fleming toward Bond's loveliness. Wasn't he a rugged, blunt instrument? Sure, fans admire Bond - that's why we read about him, watch him... and hell, some even dress like him - but I don't think such cat-walk spotlight irresistibility should be focused on Bond by someone writing his adventures (though of course that leads us to the deeper question about whether Fleming's Bond and Benson are indeed one and the same)

Well, perhaps not 'loveliness', but I think Fleming fancied the pants off his character, and repeatedly made it clear he was a stud-muffin/ideal image of himself. CASINO ROYALE is packed to the gills with stuff about Bond's face being set in a cold hard mask and so on - but this is the equivalent, I think, of the standard GQ model's pose, which Brozmeister perfected: the steely stare, the squint, the jaw set, etc. This is the 'cool' pose, and Fleming tells us over and over how damn cool his character is. He never mentions Bond's tailor, but he sure as hell tells us he's well-dressed and cuts a dash. He also has several female characters comment on how good-looking he is - Tiffany Case does so to his face. I think CR is very much a novel about virility, and Bond is painted as the embodiment of it - that's what the torrture's about.

Haven't read Raymond Benson's Brioni reference, and can imagein it might not be done as well as Fleming did it - Fleming was, after all, one of the greatest prose stylists of the twentieth century - but I don't object to the *idea* at all.

We'll disagree on this, Spy.

Sure, Bond was a perfect version of Fleming: however, I think Fleming fancied HIMSELF enough not to need to "big up" Bond in that sense. Fleming was also pretty good with women (of the type likely to be attracted to him). Its Bond's ruthlessness and resourcefulness - his action man toughness - that Fleming admired. In the good looks, satorial elegance and sophisticated knowledge (or if you prefer)and pulling stakes, Fleming could compete well enough with Bond. From some old timers images of Bond - before Connery BECAME Bond - most reviewere happily imagined Fleming's face as Bond without fear.

Also, I've never perceived Fleming Bond as the squnity, CQ Brozza image, more the rugged Connery/Craig/Horak model. The CQ image is that which has developed ALONGSIDE Bond since the movies began and hs sadly - IMO - become interpreted as the "real" Bond. Hence, overdressing in action scenes and lots of tie straightening. This is the perception of Bond many have and a great part of the reason Craig's new image is taking a kicking from some. I think Benson has been sucked into believing in this perfect image of Bond also: there is no real need to emphasise Bond's "irresistibility": he's James Bond, for god's sake, and his list of conquests provides clear evidence of looks. I feel very much, though, that Benson wouldn't mind actually being this version of Bond - together with his sexual prowess - ... though from some contributors to this site (and not just thoes who put forward themselves as perfect casting for the next Bond)he's not alone...

Me? I'm with John Le Carre on the subject: Bond is pørnographic in his ability to make people want to be him

[spynovelfan]

But whether or not Fleming looked more like Bond than Raymond Benson is irrelevant, surely? I was simply saying that Fleming *also* did this thing of letting the reader know - explicitly - that his character is a very good-looking, very well-dressed, very smooth, cool, bon vivant ruthless secret agent. Perhaps he did it with more subtlety and sophistication, but he certainly did it. I don't have MOONRAKER at hand, but at the scene in Blade's, there's a passage about everyone wondering who this tall, dark, tanned chap must be. Stuff about how much of an outsider he is, etc. He doesn't specificall say - 'they all wished they were as suave and good-looking as Bond' - but it's certainly the impression Fleming wants us to take away, I think.

Anyway, roll out the flags. Jim is a Benson fan!

[David Schofield]

But whether or not Fleming looked more like Bond than Raymond Benson is irrelevant, surely? I was simply saying that Fleming *also* did this thing of letting the reader know - explicitly - that his character is a very good-looking, very well-dressed, very smooth, cool, bon vivant ruthless secret agent. Perhaps he did it with more subtlety and sophistication, but he certainly did it. I don't have MOONRAKER at hand, but at the scene in Blade's, there's a passage about everyone wondering who this tall, dark, tanned chap must be. Stuff about how much of an outsider he is, etc. He doesn't specificall say - 'they all wished they were as suave and good-looking as Bond' - but it's certainly the impression Fleming wants us to take away, I think.

Anyway, roll out the flags. Jim is a Benson fan!

Sure, its irrelevant that Fleming looked more like Bond than Benson - but my point is that Fleming felt the equal of Bond in that regard and comfortable with it. It was not - IMO - the area of Fleming's envy of Bond. I think the Moonraker passage emphasises Bond's toughness - that which Fleming did envy of Bond and that stands out in the Blades atmosphere. It is a given, surely, he is a bon vivant like Fleming, that he should be smartly dressed in that environment. My reading of that does not draw my attention to great physical beauty on Bond's part: the Benson extract does. Fleming does not write, "Looking absolutely gorgeous and knowing it full well, James Bond pursed his lips into a pout and strode across the main room at Blades. He could feel the arrows of the eyes of envious pot-bellied, ruddy faced, ex-military, colonial and new-money types burning into his back." This is the glossy magazine image of Bond that has grown up around him and is not, I submit, Fleming's creation.

Sure, Fleming wants us to to admire Bond... but to want to be him!? Even without the killing, its taking the fan-fixation a bit too far.

[Jim]

Anyway, roll out the flags. Jim is a Benson fan!

You write the sweetest things.