34 replies to this topic

[Runner Under Fire]

Hey! Maybe you can all help me out, I am just curious in the age difference between Bond and Tracy in the literary OHMSS. I remember it was mentioned in the book, but I can't remember where in the book (It's been years since I've read it). Thanks!

Edited by Runner Under Fire, 12 September 2006 - 12:19 AM.

[Donovan]

I think Tracy was about 25 and Bond had to be in his early to mid-40s.

I expect the mods to move this thread over to the "Ian Fleming" folder under the literary banner.

[Runner Under Fire]

Cool, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. I lurk here a lot and barely post so I had no idea I was posting on the wrong board. I shall remember next time. Thanks again!

[marktmurphy]

I think Tracy was about 25 and Bond had to be in his early to mid-40s.

Yes, that's about right. By rights he should have been in his mid-forties, although Fleming did seem to freeze his age throughout the series.

At the least, he's ten years older than her, at the most; twenty! Shocking!

[Thunderfinger]

Why is that shocking?My wife is 12 years younger than me.
If he had banged Irma Bunt,OK, that would have been shocking.

[Santa]

I used to have a boyfriend who was 19 years older than me and, even though I was only 16 at the time, people weren't nearly as shocked about that as they seem to be about my current husband being 7 years younger than me, that seems to be a really big deal .

[Thunderfinger]

Oh?Oh,seven!

[DamnCoffee]

It dosent matter, if they were in love then it wouldn't matter

[Donovan]

I used to have a boyfriend who was 19 years older than me and, even though I was only 16 at the time, people weren't nearly as shocked about that as they seem to be about my current husband being 7 years younger than me, that seems to be a really big deal .

Whoa...19 years old or older when you were 16? A 19 year old and a 16 year old isn't a big deal, I suppose. But a 35 year old and a 16 year old is creepy.

"You put your clothes on and I'll buy you an ice cream."

[Robert Watts]

Bond would have been 40 or 41, (couldn't be 'mid forties' as the retirmement he speaks of in the novel is entirely voluntary, not the involuntary retirement he faces at 45)

Tracy, as most Bond girls, would be from roughly 25-30. I'd guess certainly on the younger end of this, any older she surely would have killed herself by then.

[Donovan]

The mid-40s comes from the fact that Fleming cited Bond's age as being 35 in 1951 (as mentioned in "Goldfinger") during the "Casino Royale" mission. Bond's obit as written by M cites Bond and Tracy were married in 1962.

[Santa]

I used to have a boyfriend who was 19 years older than me and, even though I was only 16 at the time, people weren't nearly as shocked about that as they seem to be about my current husband being 7 years younger than me, that seems to be a really big deal .

Whoa...19 years old or older when you were 16? A 19 year old and a 16 year old isn't a big deal, I suppose. But a 35 year old and a 16 year old is creepy.

"You put your clothes on and I'll buy you an ice cream."

Not creepy at all, thanks. I was a particularly mature 16 year old (I've made a point of regressing ever since ) and he was a particularly immature 35 year old. We kind of averaged out at about 21.

[Bryce (003)]

Going my old standard of Bond age/math -

In Moonraker - novel - Bond figures (based on service regs) that he has eight years before he's put on the inactive list at the madatory age of 45. That was 1955.

Hence, Bond is 37 when MR happens.

In the opening credits of FYEO, when 007 places flowers at her grave, the years on Tracy on the tombstone are 1943-1969 - So she was either 25-26.

With OHMSS set in/on Christmas of '62, Bond would have been 42.

Now, as we all bloody well know, Fleming's math and various contradictions can run the field, but I've always stuck by the above stated.

As to age playing a role in relationships, it depends on those in said relationship.

Anything is possible, but after more than a few laps around the block, I have what I like to call the "decade rule" for myself. 10 years +/-. That's it.

Nothing wrong with a fine 18-25 year old for a fling, but a relationship????

Granted, I'm speaking as a 38 year old who has "been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt" and who knows what he does/doesn't want and I'm too set it my ways and have been for 10 years.

Again, dsepends on those involved.

Bond always had a weakness for the "bird with a wing down" bit, but Tracy carried herself (IMO) as a woman of the world no matter what and she was the perfect match for Fleming's 007 of that time.

[marktmurphy]

In the opening credits of FYEO, when 007 places flowers at her grave, the years on Tracy on the tombstone are 1943-1969 - So she was either 25-26.

Tracy's age is mentioned in the book; from memory she's 24 or 25.

[Robert Watts]

The mid-40s comes from the fact that Fleming cited Bond's age as being 35 in 1951 (as mentioned in "Goldfinger") during the "Casino Royale" mission. Bond's obit as written by M cites Bond and Tracy were married in 1962.

Yes, the obit also changed Bond's birthdate from which was originally conceived in Casino Royale. I think for the age factor to work in setting an age for Bond, you need to set a solid birthdate. 1921 works well, has Bond at 30 in CR (yes - a *tad* young, but it still works), by the end of TMWTGG he'd be roughly 42, making him about 41 when he marries Tracy. (Wow Bryce's working out worked out -- only flaw, while Moonraker was published in 1955, it was conceived and therefore *fair* to have been set in 1953)

[DamnCoffee]

Its not that big of an age gap, just thank the lord its not like AVTAKs

[superado]

On the Bond/Tracy age difference, let's not forget that Fleming was an unabashed male chauvinist! His views were not really novel during that era, and it's still an active and prevalent male fantasy!

If I remember correctly, several of the Bond girls were in their 20's like Judy Havelock, Vivien Michaels and even "tough and experienced" Tiffany Case, though they were represented as relatively mature women by today's standards, IMO; what these latter two experienced during their 20's up to when they met Bond IMO are things that today's progressive women would not envision themselves doing at that age. During Fleming's time, women in their 40's seemed to be normally portrayed either as matronly or domineering, and on film Bette Davis and Joan Crawford come to mind.

To this day, despite of the PC'isms and the evolution of the independent Bond girl, ahem, woman in both film and print, the nymphette fantasy angle still survives, and if not in a blatant display of oozing youth, it's in the ever present template of ravishing beauty.

Edited by superado, 15 September 2006 - 08:57 PM.

[FlemingBond]

Well in Bond's obituary in YOLT Bond is listed as being born in 1924, which would have made him 38 in OHMSS.

To be honest, Fleming played fairly loose with Bond's age. Of course, havn't the movies as well?

[Skudor]

I used to have a boyfriend who was 19 years older than me and, even though I was only 16 at the time, people weren't nearly as shocked about that as they seem to be about my current husband being 7 years younger than me, that seems to be a really big deal .

Shocking. You have a toy boy!!

[Santa]

Not at all shocking. In fact there are some huge advantages...

[DamnCoffee]

if your in love you have all the time in the world

[Skudor]

Not at all shocking. In fact there are some huge advantages...

Don't get my filthy mind started on that, Mrs Robinson

[Santa]

Yes, well, we know it doesn't take much to get you started.

[Skudor]

I think everyone should marry someone younger than they are.

[DamnCoffee]

Agreed, i dont feel like been a Toy Boy

[Santa]

I think everyone should marry someone younger than they are.

But if one of the two is younger, then the other always has to be older, so not everyone can marry someone younger. It's like my flatmate's theory that men are always sleeping around and women aren't. If the women aren't doing it, then who are these men all sleeping around with Statistically it just doesn't add up.

Oh, and mharkin, you don't know what you're missing

[Skudor]

I think everyone should marry someone younger than they are.

But if one of the two is younger, then the other always has to be older, so not everyone can marry someone younger. It's like my flatmate's theory that men are always sleeping around and women aren't. If the women aren't doing it, then who are these men all sleeping around with Statistically it just doesn't add up.

Oh, and mharkin, you don't know what you're missing

You don't say?

I know what you mean about sleeping around though - clearly it's a two way thing unless all the men are just sleeping with each other.

[Santa]

Maybe that's what they're doing.

[Skudor]

It's possible. I don't sleep around so wouldn't know.

[DamnCoffee]

Same here