2121 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Says Deaver, "I'm quite excited about returning to Dubai to take part in this James Bond-inspired Emirates Lit Fest event. During my last trip, I found Dubai to be a truly inspirational city - a place of awe-inspiring sights, fascinating cultures and remarkable people."

Stupid American.

[David Schofield]

Says Deaver, "I'm quite excited about returning to Dubai to take part in this James Bond-inspired Emirates Lit Fest event. During my last trip, I found Dubai to be a truly inspirational city - a place of awe-inspiring sights, fascinating cultures and remarkable people."

Stupid American.

I guess this was probably a dig at me, so...

Different things stike people differently. i.e my view of the place is probably the opposite interpretation of Deaver.

I personally found Dubai to be soulless and sterile. There is nothing "genuine" about the whole place.

But there are some imaginatively designed buildings, like Vegas.

But hey, different folks, different views. Just that no one was paying me to like the place.

Zen, we know how close you and JD have become so I guess we know which version you'll have had decided for you. Perhaps you should get over there and judge for yourself, though?

[zencat]

Hey, I'd love to go to Dubia.

I enjoy things that are theatrical. I like Vegas because it's theatrical. I like the theatrical nature of Bond. True, the theatrical can be unsophisticated, but I don't mind if it's powered by real imagination and, yes, I can be wowed by scale. Maybe that makes me a rube, but it's not that I can't recognize the tackiness of it all. I just don't mind. It's fun and outrageous. And I know there's still high culture out there. I'll come to your house for that.

[Santa]

Theatricality requires some kind of inspiration. Dubai is about as inspirational as the piece of old cheese I found at the bottom of the fridge this afternoon. Not powered by imagination, powered by money and the desire to try and be more like what they imagine America and Americans to be, yet missing out entirely on some American fundamentals such as democracy, civil liberty, free speech...
Vegas? Now that is inspired tackiness. Love it.

[Jim]

Zen, we know how close you and JD have become so I guess we know which version you'll have had decided for you. Perhaps you should get over there and judge for yourself, though?

Given a number of the demerits identified by the revered Santa, I have no intention of going there, but have every intention of allowing Mr Deaver to sell me his interpretation of the place, should he pick it. Bearing in mind it's a work of fiction. Just as I allow Mr Fleming to sell me his impressionistic Jamaica and Kent and Istanbul which, knowing all three pretty well, are way off the truth.

I do not expect Project X to be a documentary.

Thankfully.

[Santa]

Zen, we know how close you and JD have become so I guess we know which version you'll have had decided for you. Perhaps you should get over there and judge for yourself, though?

Given a number of the demerits identified by the revered Santa, I have no intention of going there, but have every intention of allowing Mr Deaver to sell me his interpretation of the place, should he pick it. Bearing in mind it's a work of fiction. Just as I allow Mr Fleming to sell me his impressionistic Jamaica and Kent and Istanbul which, knowing all three pretty well, are way off the truth.

I do not expect Project X to be a documentary.

Thankfully.

Good point. I'm not ready for chav-Bond.

To be fair to JD, I usually am happy to be sold an author's version of a place. I just find it too difficult to do that when I've lived in the place and know it too well. Same with London.

[zencat]

Yes, excellent point, Jim. This philosophy should also extend to the films, I think. It sure used to.

But, again, we don't even know if Dubai is a location. This news is just about a book event in Dubai.

[Santa]

To me, that alone is off-putting enough.

[CardShark]

I am very interested in reading Project X when it comes out.

[Righty007]

But, again, we don't even know if Dubai is a location. This news is just about a book event in Dubai.

Dubai is certainly going to be one of the book's locations. You can quote me on that.

Holding a Project X event in an exotic location that isn't going to be used in the book would be akin to EON Productions holding the Quantum of Solace press conference in Japan.

[Loomis]

I may have posted this before a few months ago, but here's a fascinating and frightening article on Dubai. Just for anyone who's interested, like.

http://www.independe...ai-1664368.html

[OmarB]

Yeah, there was an episode of Tony Bordain's show "No Reservations" on Dubi. It was pretty enlightening, especially the class system and what it means to live there being one or the other.

[Santa]

That is one of Dubai's biggest problems and, while I don't mean to play down such a serious issue, my main problem with Dubai as a Bond location is that most of it is so damn ugly. It's usually compared to Las Vegas and I can see why but actually I find Dubai far more resembles Benidorm than Vegas. Ugh.

[zencat]

Bit of news from my helpful Simon and Schuster contact. U.S. release date of June 14 is confirmed (for now). That means we'll have to wait two weeks after the UK release. Amazon page count of 448 is just an estimate.

[Harry Fawkes]

I may have posted this before a few months ago, but here's a fascinating and frightening article on Dubai. Just for anyone who's interested, like.

http://www.independe...ai-1664368.html

Very interesting read. No. On second thoughts that sounds really pathetic and quite disattached. It wasn't an interesting read. It was a stomach-turning read! What a place!

HF

[OmarB]

Bit of news from my helpful Simon and Schuster contact. U.S. release date of June 14 is confirmed (for now). That means we'll have to wait two weeks after the UK release. Amazon page count of 448 is just an estimate.

Wow, that's totally bad news for me. I'm going to have to avoid this web site for a couple weeks it seems. I guess I will be late in entering the discussion of the book.

[CardShark]

I agree with Mr Omar. Shame I was honestly hoping to be able to enjoy the book sonner rather then later. 448 pages sounds like a good estimate to me.

Edited by CardShark, 04 January 2011 - 06:14 PM.

[quantumofsolace]

Dubai is a horrible tacky place.
Holding the US release back by 2 weeks is irritating.
Still, I believe the book will be mostly great. Can't wait.

[Matt_13]

Well, so much for avoiding spoilers. Wish they wouldn't do that. Two weeks is a fair chunk of time.

[Dustin]

http://www.guardian....2011?CMP=twt_gu

Starting to wonder there. Isn't that just that little bit too absurd? Deaver already made that Guardian advert-dressed-as-list of best books of 2011? Without anyone having read even a single line as yet? I'd think that would be certainly more convincing if it was based on at least a first read. This way it come across somewhat forced.

[Matt_13]

Nah it's just a list of anticipated books. A new Bond novel is always something to be excited about.

[TheREAL008]

I'm going to admit it right now, I'm terrified of Bond going to Dubai. That article alone is just unbelievably appalling in so many levels to me that I'm imagining Bond getting caught and tortured worse than what he experienced in Casino Royale.

And speaking of Dubai, what are the chances the novel could get 'blacklisted' in that region if Mr. Deaver shows it in a negative light? I'm probably overthinging it, but there's always the slim chance that the actual citizens of Dubai might think that some 'arrogant' American is trying to bad mouth them all.

I'm not going to rant on what I believe should happen in Dubai, but I have a feeling that this might be a touchy subject for the place when it's got so much infamy buried deep while almost everyone in the world looks the other way.

Be sure if Gardner were mentioning or alluding to SUN CITY in his novels back in the day there might be either eyebrows or questions raised.

Edited by TheREAL008, 08 January 2011 - 06:06 AM.

[David Schofield]

if Mr. Deaver shows it in a negative light? I'm probably overthinging it, but there's always the slim chance that the actual citizens of Dubai might think that some 'arrogant' American is trying to bad mouth them all.

I'm not going to rant on what I believe should happen in Dubai, but I have a feeling that this might be a touchy subject for the place when it's got so much infamy buried deep while almost everyone in the world looks the other way.

I suspect - though I'm happy to be wrong - that as Deaver is being effectively 'sponsored' to be in Dubai for that first Project X do, and has seemed very effusive in his praise for the regime that runs the place, that there won't be any bad mouthing but plenty of sanitised looking the other way.

The is NOT going to be Deaver's "State of Excitement; Impressions of Kuwait".

Instead, bet on a $$$$$s super-car chase round the places highways and streets. (Jeff'll have seen Top Gear, I reckon).

[Loomis]

I suspect - though I'm happy to be wrong - that as Deaver is being effectively 'sponsored' to be in Dubai for that first Project X do, and has seemed very effusive in his praise for the regime that runs the place, that there won't be any bad mouthing but plenty of sanitised looking the other way.

Agreed. If anything, Dubai will come across as a perfectly delightful place where social problems are nonexistent. The same will be true in December's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL, which I understand features an action scene in Dubai. Neither Deaver nor Tom Cruise will be taking a probing, critical look at the place - it's there purely to provide an "exotic" backdrop for a few pages/a few minutes of screentime. There won't be any awkward questions asked or political or controversial topics raised.

You won't find any knocking of countries from Eon Productions or Ian Fleming Publications, unless we're talking about countries that are on the official list of villains, e.g. Cuba and North Korea. I don't recall anyone (other than the bad guy, Guy Thackeray) banging on about Chinese democracy and human rights in ZERO MINUS TEN.

[zencat]

I don't require reality from Bond. In fact, I require unreality. I want the fantasy.

[Santa]

I don't require reality from Bond. In fact, I require unreality. I want the fantasy.

I'd agree with that but surely there are limits to suspension of disbelief? I don't think I could take Bond riding to his next mission on a giant, fluffy, flying horse while wearing a Barbie-pink leather catsuit, for example.

[Loomis]

I don't require reality from Bond. In fact, I require unreality. I want the fantasy.

I think fantasy works best when it's grounded in reality. One of the great things about the Fleming novels is that he tends to give the reader all the good points and bad points about a country. He tells it like he sees it, and there's a richness and an authenticity there.

The best example I can think of is Japan in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. There are many wonderful things about Japan, and also some unpleasant aspects (like everywhere, I guess), and Fleming uses both the good and the bad to paint an astonishingly vivid picture of the country. Reading YOLT, one really feels as though one is learning a lot about Japan.

Sure, no one expects Deaver to behave like a crusading journalist with regard to Dubai and just rip the whole place to shreds (it's not his job and it's not really what a Bond novel needs to be about), but at the same time if it turns out to be just a "Gee, isn't Dubai just amazing?" puff piece that might as well have been written by a government-run tourism bureau, then there'll certainly be a sense of wasted opportunity. And it'll probably be pretty dull to read as well.

(Mind you, I imagine that Fleming's Bond would have absolutely no problem with things like the exploitation of Asian construction workers, the subjugation of women, millionaire bankers living lavish tax-free lifestyles, etc.)

[David Schofield]

Sure, no one expects Deaver to behave like a crusading journalist with regard to Dubai and just rip the whole place to shreds (it's not his job and it's not really what a Bond novel needs to be about), but at the same time if it turns out to be just a "Gee, isn't Dubai just amazing?" puff piece that might as well have been written by a government-run tourism bureau, then there'll certainly be a sense of wasted opportunity. And it'll probably be pretty dull to read as well.

(Mind you, I imagine that Fleming's Bond would have absolutely no problem with things like the exploitation of Asian construction workers, the subjugation of women, millionaire bankers living lavish tax-free lifestyles, etc.)

It would be nice if Deaver had the sense to treat Dubai with much the same contempt as Fleming/Bond had for the Mob-run falseness of Las Vegas in the '50s, wouldn't it?

[zencat]

It would be nice if Deaver had the sense to treat Dubai with much the same contempt as Fleming/Bond had for the Mob-run falseness of Las Vegas in the '50s, wouldn't it?

Yes, actually, that would be nice. True to Bond's inner voice.

[zencat]

One week to Dubai.