16 replies to this topic

[Spectre001]

I have just finished reading all of Flemings novels and I have to say there there were a couplf of things I found really annoying:

1) Everything seemed to be coloured: "Gunmetal"
2) When Bond kisses anyone it is always: "Full on the lips"

There are probably others but these were the two that really got me. Otherwise I really enjoyed (most of) them.

[freemo]

Hmm, I didn't really notice either of those, but now that you mention it I do recall "full on the lips" a number of times, although theres really only so many ways one can say "full on the lips" (I'm sure someone will come up with a list to prove me wrong )

As for things being coloured "Gunmetal", I remember perhaps a cigarette case or two were mentioned as being "gunmetal", but not that much. I guess I'm not all that observant.

[1q2w3e4r]

Yeah i suppose having Bond's Bentley, his cigarette case, lighter and guns far too much gunmetal grey for 12 books...

[Jim]

The most annoying thing is that he didn't stick around and write more.

(NB guns tend to be gunmetal in colour; clue in the name sorta thing)

[1q2w3e4r]

As opposed to silver? Or?? Gold??

Yeah Ian the inconsiderate.... Well at least he gaves us a book a year for 12 years and 2 from the grave. 3 if you count that one that. Never mind.

[Thunderbird]

You forgot the nipples 'hard with desire'.

[Jim]

I never forget such nipples.

Good point about the golden gun; walked straight into that trap with my mouth wide open.

Not the first time.

[Thunderbird]

In fact I retract my statement about the nipples, it isn't annoying at all. Nothing about the books is, except perhaps Fleming's occasional little factual error, which we can all make.

In fact, as Jim says, the most annoying thing is that the books stopped when your man died. Or did they? There was that crud about Peter Fleming having one dictated to him from Ian via a medium, though I imagine that was a bunch of hoss-****e!

[Spectre001]

Cant's say that nipples hard with desire would annoy me either but having a gunmetal sky, sea, building, car etc. does tend to get a bit monotonous. And...kissing someone "passionately on the lips is perfectly acceptable also.

Of course my views do not take into consideration the fact that I read the books 40-50 years after they were written and the english language has changed somewhat since then

[Double-0 Six]

The only annoying thing I've noticed is that everybody does things "Directly".

For example, a character says "Directly we arrive at the train station ..." or "Directly we wake up ..." (I made those two up as examples). Why not say "As soon as ..." or "When we ..." instead?

I assume this is something to do with the writing style of the time, but it sticks out like a sore thumb when I'm reading them now.

[RossMan]

I know the descriptive detail is an important part of Fleming's writing, but I get annoyed with long descriptions of little things. When reading a novel, Bond or otherwise, I don't really care what the main character is eating and how it tasted.

Agreed, it is annoying Fleming didn't have the chance to write more. I often wondered how he would have continued the books. Too bad he died before he could really see how sucsussful his creation had become.

I never heard about Fleming speaking from beyond the grave though.

[Thunderbird]

Yes there is a story that his brother consulted a medium and had a book dictated to him, I think I read this in the Benson 'Bedside Companion'.

[Thunderbird]

Just re-reading OHMSS and yep, couple of 'gunmetals' in the first few chapters....also a gratuituos pre-snog grope of Tracey's breast as she lies in bed waiting for him....

Also rape (and the "sweet tang" of it - I'm sure that's somewhere too, if not here in another book) is mentioned in OHMSS, Draco seems quite proud of it.

[KMHPaladin]

One thing I've noticed, especially in Thunderball, is that he calls a lot of things 'cafe-au-lait.' Everything from the walls at FIRCO to the tarpaulin covering the Vindicator is cafe-au-lait.

[Dortmunder]

I don't think that any of these things are annoying, but I recall people having "Blue-blonde hair" quite often. Everyone has the same colour hair, interesting. Can someone answer me what this means as well?

[1q2w3e4r]

Blue black I think you mean. Just means I guess black or really dark brunette. Everyone has their prefrences

[Tehuti 004]

Well the writting style is totaly different. I recall laughing for quite a bit during Casino Royale due to Vesper saying somthing along the lines of; "I am so gay!". I am aware of what it meant at the time, but people of my/our generation are acustomed with a totally different meaning.