14 replies to this topic

[IndyJones]

I am currently reading Icebraker by John Gardner. This is the fifth Bond novel I am reading which is by Gardner. His books are getting better. I have nor been reading them in order. So far I like Icebraker but all of Benson's original novels are better. My favorite original Bond novel by Gardner is Scorpius. I am wondering what is everyone's favorite and least favorite original Bond novel by Gardner and why is the certain novel everyone's least favorite and favorite.

[Bryce (003)]

You're reading my favorite Indy. I'd also suggest For Special Services. Good stuff!

[1q2w3e4r]

Yeah i think FSS is easily Gardners best novel.

[Felix's lighter]

Never much cared for Gardner personally - by the time he took over, it had become nearly impossible for any author to completely divorce the literary Bond from the film Bond (ever notice how there's much more excessive womanizing in Gardner's novel's than Fleming's)? A quick glance at the Benson books bares that out as well.

[zencat]

ICEBREAKER is my fav... I also really like FOR SPECIAL SERVICES, LICENSE RENEWED, NEVER SEND FLOWERS, and BROKENCLAW. I find Benson's books to be much better, however.

[RossMan]

My favorite Gardner book is a tie between Icebreaker and Brokenclaw. Other notable mentions are Never Send Flowers, which is too under rated I think, and Nobody Lives Forever. I'm also fond of Role of Honor.

Worst? I have to go with Death Is Forever.

[DLibrasnow]

My favorite Gardner book is really without doubt "Icebreaker." I know that it has been much criticized. Raymond Benson in his book "The James Bond Bedside Companion" was quite harsh in his assessment of the novel, but I really liked it.

[kevrichardson]

the book For Special Services is the best over all gardner Bond novel. From the begining to the end a excellent ,thrilling Bond novel. Gardner deal with the return of SPECTRE, and Blofeld in a very unique way. And forces Bond to deal with emotions and issue that have been left hanging,since YOLT the novel. the revenage motive on the part of both Bond and Blofeld made the tension more so.

[General Koskov]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
My favorite Gardner book is really without doubt "Icebreaker." I know that it has been much criticized. Raymond Benson in his book "The James Bond Bedside Companion" was quite harsh in his assessment of the novel, but I really liked it.

Benson also wrote TMWTRT. I wonder how he'd criticise that one.

Icebreaker is tied with Licence Renewed for the best Gardner (yet, haven't read them all), in my opinion. Hence my wish for the remake of DAD as Icebreaker.

Win, Lose, or Die was rediculous, though. Why does Bond need to be promoted? Why does he need to operate a Harrier jet so he can be head of security for that ship?

No Deals ['for'?] Mr Bond is quite a good story, and without the shoot-'em-up ending, it was a good 'mystery Bond' which was very realistic.

[Grubozaboyschikov]

My favourite ones are ICEBREAKER, NO DEALS MR. BOND, THE MAN FROM BARBAROSSA and WIN LOSE OR DIE.

Being Russian, I find the villains in the first two books quite original. I think, they have the essential grotesqueness of Fleming

[DLibrasnow]

Yes NO DEALS, MR. BOND was an excellent Bond novel, despite the terrible title.

[General Koskov]

No one even says the line!

As for Nobody Lives Forever, I found this to be more of a shoot 'em up (and the end was practically the same as NDMB) but I liked the roving around Europe as it is reminiscent of Goldfinger.

TMFB was okay, but the ending was terrible. Rather than stop a coup d'etat of Russia directly, Bond saves troops in Iraq. Whoop de do, thanks for the nuclear bomb plot device Mr Gardner.

Brokenclaw was half breifing, one quarter good old Fleming, and one quarter of rediculousness. So Bond doesn't just shoot Lee, he willingly goes along and gets impaled by wooden stakes. I know Gardner was trying to make an older Bond, but he ought not to be loosing it.

Reading Never Send Flowers; looks quite good by chapter 7.

[Kronsteen]

I have just read some of Gardners books, but his best is NEVER SEND FLOWERS. That book is excellent and much better than any other.

I actually thought ICEBREAKER was pretty boring. It was okay, but not more than that.

What I think is Gardners strengh is that he can write great twists. He has several in almost all of his books and they make the books more interesting.

[Dr Noah]

My local library for some reason used to get in every new Gardner book, which I used to devour, but I must admit that after awhile it became a hard chore to read each one.

I liked the first two or three, but unlike the Fleming classics I cannot remember a thing about them.

[kevrichardson]

The title of this post says it all . by the 1990's John Gardner just ran-out of ideas . What was the reason for close to 16 Bond novel by him , when only about half are good and just 4 are great. Most of us will agree that the first 4 novels are great . The remaining ones are hits or misses. Many of them are also out of print and hard to find . Will they be re-print this year since it's the 50th annversity of Casino Royale? Does any one have answer.