4 replies to this topic

[RossMan]

Was there anyone actually surprised at the end of For Special Services to see who the new Blofeld really was? I wasn't. That chapter where the meeting of the new SPECTRE takes place, Gardner does not use either him, he, her, she, etc. to describe Blofeld which seems really awkward. Though we're meant to think that Blofeld is Bismaquer, I just knew it was Nena as soon as she came in.

It would have been good had Gardner used Blofeld's daughter in Role of Honor and Nobody Lives Forever instead of bringing in Tamil Rahani as the new SPECTRE leader. Nena Blofeld would've made a good returning villain. We found out the idenity of the new Blofeld in FSS and she gets away to haunt Bond later.

[Mister Asterix]

She was a little bit of a surprise, but not a huge one. I don't remember why, but I do remember when the surprise ending came I reacted with a 'hmmm' and not a 'Oh my God! It can't be.'

And I agree Tamil Rahani never seemed a very special villain. John should have kept Nena--she was one of Gardner's most interesting villains despite sort of being a Fleming retread.

[scaramanga]

Personally, I found it a bit weird when Bond/Gardner stated that he found Nena having only one breast to be erotic. However, the description of her identity as Blofeld was clumsy and could have been described much better. And, why-o-why does she sleep with Bond? Because she isn't getting any from Markus Bismaquer?

[zencat]

Yes, I agree Gardner's avoidance of using "he" or "she" pretty much points the way to Nena, but he did do a nice job of using Walter Luxor as a red herring. I did like Nena and I would have liked her to stick around for a few more books. It was very hip for Gardner to have a female villian in '82. Nena was a little Electra-like, wasn't she?

[General Koskov]

Yeah, but Elektra was missing an ear-lobe, not a breast! ^_^