36 replies to this topic

[RossMan]

One really minor thing that Gardner that added to his description of Bond was having him frequently thinking back to his wife Tracy. Nearly every other Gardner book mentions her somehow which makes Bond seem more human and three dimensional by showing that he'll always be haunted by the image of Blofeld shooting her. One Gardner books has Bond sitting up in bed after spending the night with a girl and he pictures Tracy laying next to him, imagining what his life would be like had she lived.

The only such remark we get in a Benson novel is when he states that "the worst disaster" was when Tracy was shot. Of course, not meaning to complain about Benson, like I said it is minor and Benson already does an excellent job of describing Bond who is pretty much the same as Fleming's orginal spy.

[General Koskov]

Got additions for Jim's list of things that happen more often than not:

Bond's stomach 'turning'.

M. and his Chief-of-Staff inexplicably turing up in the field to inform Bond that 'the bad guy is... bad'.

M.'s inability to brief Bond by himself.

'James & Miles'' first-name basis, except when M. calls him '007', though the 00 section was disbanded.

Not 'more often than not', but why does M. make a deal about Bond being 'racist' to the Frogs when they discussed the merits and demerits of black people in LALD?

'I think they're [good enough], except when they've had a bit too much to drink.'  Okay.  

'Frogs in the ointment'  You racist bastard, 007!

[Kronsteen]

I have read these so far:


Licence Renewed - a good start for Gardner. More like a film than a book, but still quite Fleming-like.

For Special Services - A very good novel, with interesting plot and good villains.

Icebreaker - not good. Pretty boring and not really a proper plot. Feels kind of weak, despite great girls and villains.

Nobody Lives Forever - Gardners weakest effort so far on a original novel. Lacks of tension and many other things, like a good girl or villain

Never Send Flowers - John Gardners absolutely best one! This is outstanding, and despite the original plot this novel is Fleming-like. Great girl, great villain and great climax!

Licence To Kill - so poor. This one is certainly not good at all, even worse than the film!

[Grubozaboyschikov]

About the Russians named Kolya.

Funny. Sometimes, Gardner gives the reader some quite credible information on Russia, and at the same time he makes dreadful mistakes about most widespread Russian names and nicknames.

And when it comes to IB and NDMB, even a person who doesn't speak Russian can spot them, providing being very attentive. Let me show you. In IB, we've got a KGB guy called Kolya, and it is said that his full name is Nicolai. Ok, Kolya is indeed the nickname for Nicolai. (Trust me. I'm Russian). And in NDMB we've got also a KGB general called Kolya, and his full name is Konstantin Nikolaevich Chernov (Konstantin - is his first name, and Nikolaevich - his surname, meaning his father was Nikolai). Obviously, Gardner confused the first name and the surname. As for the name Konstantin, its nickname is Kostya. So the General should be called Kostya.

Another name that annoys me is Nikki Ratnikov - the Russian gril in WLOD. There's no such a Russian name. To a Russian ear, it sounds masculine and foreign.

[Tehuti 004]

The other day I bought a couple of firsr editions from a second hand shop, costing a total of

[kevrichardson]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tehuti 004
The other day I bought a couple of firsr editions from a second hand shop, costing a total of

[SirMiles83]

I enjoyed Gardner's novels very much. Although he pales in comparison to Fleming, some of his books were very good: For Special Services, No Deals, Mr. Bond, Scorpius, Win, Lose or Die, Brokenclaw, and Never Send Flowers. I like Benson a little better than Gardner though, his plots were more interesting overall, whereas Gardner sometimes followed a formula.