1 reply to this topic

[IndyJones]

With the Benson original Bond novels I understand the character of 007. I am still reading The Man With The Red Tattoo and it is good but not as good as other Benson Bond novels. I think Benson should go into greater detail of the character of 007 in his 2003 original novel. I can't wait for his next original 007 novel and I hope it is better than The Man With The Red Tattoo and as good as Doubleshot or Never Dream Of Dying. The plot for the 2003 novel should be more original then the plot for The Man With The Red Tattoo because a lot of the story for The Man With The Red Tattoo is like the story of The Facts Of Death by Raymond Benson by both books being about a deadly virus and I loved The Facts Of Death but the stories are so much alike and it would The Man With The Red Tattoo would be better with a story for 007 that is not alike another 007 story.

[Double-0 Six]

Zero Minus Ten was the first Bond novel I read and I really enjoyed the style used by Raymond Benson - the book is obviously set in the world of Flemings novels, but has enough elements in it to appeal to fans of the movies who had never read a Bond novel.

Bensons Bond seems to be a good mix of both the Bond of the novels and the Bond of the movies, he is certainly more of a mix than the Bond we see in the other Fleming successors' novels.

I agree with you that The Man With The Red Tattoo is not Benson's best work. Parts of it seem to repeat whats gone before and other parts seem to lead you along without actually going anywhere (I found the last few chapters very unsatisfactory because of this). However, TMWTRT was an improvement over Never Dream of Dying which for me anyway didn't feel anything like a true Bond novel.

I'm sure Bensons next novel will be a further improvement and like you I am very much looking forward to it!