22 replies to this topic

[glidrose]

The Man with the Golden Typewriter, edited by Fergus Fleming. Publisher: Bloomsbury. Pages: 384pp. Release Date: 3rd November 2015.

Publisher's blurb:

On August 16, 1952, Ian Fleming wrote to his wife, Ann, "My love, This is only a tiny letter to try out my new typewriter and to see if it will write golden words since it is made of gold." He had bought the golden typewriter as a present to himself for finishing his first novel, Casino Royale. It marked in glamorous style the arrival of James Bond, agent 007, and the start of a career that saw Fleming become one the world's most celebrated thriller-writers. And he did write golden words. Before his death in 1964 he produced fourteen best-selling Bond books, two works of non-fiction and the famous children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.

Fleming's output was matched by an equally energetic flow of letters. He wrote constantly, to his wife, publisher, editors, fans, friends and critics--and to the wife of the man whose name Fleming appropriated for his hero--charting 007's progress with correspondence that ranged from badgering Jonathan Cape about his quota of free copies--a coin was tossed and Fleming lost--to apologizing for having mistaken a certain brand of perfume and for equipping Bond with the wrong kind of gun. His letters also reflect his friendship with such contemporaries as Raymond Chandler, Noel Coward and Somerset Maugham.

This entertaining and engaging compilation traces the arc of Fleming's literary career and details the inner working of James Bond. Set against the backdrop of his Jamaican retreat Goldeneye, and a troubled marriage, Fleming's letters are filled with wit, humor and occasional self-doubt. They reveal an intimate portrait of a man, an era and a literary phenomenon.

[Major Tallon]

Sounds like good stuff.

[tdalton]

Sounds like something that should have been left alone, in all honesty.  The idea of reading someone else's correspondences that most likely weren't written with the intention of being published to the entire world really doesn't appeal. 

[Major Tallon]

I don't agree.  First, it's likely that the letters will be selected for being interesting, engaging, or entertaining.  The letters that we've seen of Fleming's show him to be a charming writer, and I look forward to seeing his correspondence with publishers, other literary figures, and just ordinary people who wrote him about Bond and their reactions to the books.  Who knows, we may gain some insights into Fleming's take on the character or the creative process.

 

I'm looking forward to it.

[Guy Haines]

Hmm. I'm in two minds about this. Reading compilations of correspondence, or diaries, can often reveal the real person more than an authorised biography or an autobiography ever can. For example, I have read the published diaries of two British politicians from opposite ends of the political spectrum - very much so! - which tell more about how politics actually works than any anodyne approved book.

 

But as tdalton points out, were these letters ever intended to be published? I'm uneasy about it.

[tdalton]

I don't agree.  First, it's likely that the letters will be selected for being interesting, engaging, or entertaining.  The letters that we've seen of Fleming's show him to be a charming writer, and I look forward to seeing his correspondence with publisher's, other literary figures, and just ordinary people who wrote him about Bond and their reactions to the books.  Who knows, we may gain some insights into Fleming's take on the character or the creative process.

 

I'm looking forward to it.

 

That's all well and good, but I don't think that it makes it right for them to publish the letters, regardless of any entertainment or other value they may possess for those of us on the outside.

 

 

But as tdalton points out, were these letters ever intended to be published? I'm uneasy about it.

 

I'm very uneasy about it as well.  Seems like a rather shameless cash grab, since Fleming isn't around to stop the publication of his private correspondences.  

[glidrose]

Sounds like something that should have been left alone, in all honesty. The idea of reading someone else's correspondences that most likely weren't written with the intention of being published to the entire world really doesn't appeal.

Seems like a rather shameless cash grab, since Fleming isn't around to stop the publication of his private correspondences.

That's all well and good, but I don't think that it makes it right for them to publish the letters, regardless of any entertainment or other value they may possess for those of us on the outside.

Private correspondence it may very well be, but *personal*, potentially embarrassing correspondence it presumably will not be. The Fleming family would not permit anything that reflects badly on IF.

On a side note, if any of you ever get the chance to read The collected letters of Kingsley Amis - authorized by his son Martin - go for it. Truly an entertaining read.

 

I don't agree. First, it's likely that the letters will be selected for being interesting, engaging, or entertaining. The letters that we've seen of Fleming's show him to be a charming writer, and I look forward to seeing his correspondence with publishers, other literary figures, and just ordinary people who wrote him about Bond and their reactions to the books. Who knows, we may gain some insights into Fleming's take on the character or the creative process.

I'm looking forward to it.

Me too.

[Major Tallon]

Historians and biographers often rely on letters for indispensable insights into the subjects of their works.  Nelson may not have intended the world to read his correspondence with Emma, but it's unimaginable that a biography of the famous admiral could be written without an analysis of the contents.  In Fleming's case, both Pearson and Lycett have already discussed material gleaned from the letters of Ian and Ann, and if memory serves, the BBC did a program where Roger Moore read the contents of some of Ian's letters to fans. 

 

Ian's been dead for more than fifty years at this point, and I'm not bothered by the letters being published, for the insights they may yield on the man, his writing, and his world view.  If the letters entertain in the process, and Fleming was often an engaging writer, so much the better.  As for the criticism that this is a "shameless cash grab," I daresay that Fergus Fleming and the publisher hope to make a profit on this enterprise.  Candidly, I'd be surprised if they didn't, and I do not understand this as a criticism.  I'm all for altruism, but a profit motive isn't necessarily a bad thing.  They're certainly going to make a ducat or two off of me.

[Call Billy Bob]

Sounds intriguing and informative. I'll probably spring for a copy.

[Revelator]

Sounds like something that should have been left alone, in all honesty.  The idea of reading someone else's correspondences that most likely weren't written with the intention of being published to the entire world really doesn't appeal. 

I understand your concern, but I can't share it because reading the correspondence of writers appeals greatly to me. Though the letters were not meant for publication, many were carefully composed to people who weren't Fleming's friends or family and can easily bear public scrutiny. As for the personal letters, enough time has passed to render privacy concerns moot. Fleming, his wife, his son, and his brothers are all long-dead, and we already know all the embarrassing information about them, especially since Ann's letters have already already published (and that edition contained several of Ian's letters too) and provided the source material for every major biographical work on Fleming.

Nor is this book just a "shameless cash grab"--if it was, it would have been published decades ago (I wish it had!). And if it sells, I hope for future cash grabs, like a collection of Fleming's scripts and treatments for the Bond TV show and Thunderball, and his notebook and drafts of unfinished stories.

 

What this book really signifies is an elevation in status, because nearly every major author has had his letters published--name one and you'll find a book of their letters. It's an accepted and valuable practice in the literary world (provided that the author is dead and that his family has granted permission). As Major Tallon notes, letters often provide invaluable insight into a writer's life and works, and I applaud the Fleming estate for making the letters available to amateur scholars like us.

 

And I have no hesitation in saying that this is going to be hugely entertaining book. Major T. is correct: Roger Moore did a radio program where he read some of those letters and it was wonderful: Moore gave one of the warmest, best performances of his career, and Ian's letters came off as wonderfully charming and witty. And even Fleming was not out to charm, his personal correspondence--sampled in the book of Ann's letters--remains still well-written and often heart-rending. No one will be hurt by this book, but it will greatly benefit the field of Fleming studies. This book is long, long overdue.

Edited by Revelator, 06 July 2015 - 07:45 PM.

[clublos]

Historians and biographers often rely on letters for indispensable insights into the subjects of their works.  Nelson may not have intended the world to read his correspondence with Emma, but it's unimaginable that a biography of the famous admiral could be written without an analysis of the contents.  In Fleming's case, both Pearson and Lycett have already discussed material gleaned from the letters of Ian and Ann, and if memory serves, the BBC did a program where Roger Moore read the contents of some of Ian's letters to fans. 

 

Ian's been dead for more than fifty years at this point, and I'm not bothered by the letters being published, for the insights they may yield on the man, his writing, and his world view.  If the letters entertain in the process, and Fleming was often an engaging writer, so much the better.  As for the criticism that this is a "shameless cash grab," I daresay that Fergus Fleming and the publisher hope to make a profit on this enterprise.  Candidly, I'd be surprised if they didn't, and I do not understand this as a criticism.  I'm all for altruism, but a profit motive isn't necessarily a bad thing.  They're certainly going to make a ducat or two off of me.

Nice reference, Horatio Nelson was Fleming's hero!

[glidrose]

I'm very uneasy about it as well.  Seems like a rather shameless cash grab, since Fleming isn't around to stop the publication of his private correspondences.

 
How, prey tell, is this a cash grab? Does anybody really think this book will do much more than break even? I assure you the Fleming family makes much more money out of EON than they ever will out of this book. Further, the Flemings are independently wealthy. Check out how much they got for selling their shares in the Fleming Bank of Scotland some time ago. Chase Manhattan got the family bank for over $7 billion in 2000.

I see this project as a labor of love, or, if you will, as a way to keep IF's legacy alive.
 
 

As for the criticism that this is a "shameless cash grab," I daresay that Fergus Fleming and the publisher hope to make a profit on this enterprise.  Candidly, I'd be surprised if they didn't, and I do not understand this as a criticism.  I'm all for altruism, but a profit motive isn't necessarily a bad thing.  They're certainly going to make a ducat or two off of me.

Agreed.

 

Nor is this book just a "shameless cash grab"--if it was, it would have been published decades ago (I wish it had!). And if it sells, I hope for future cash grabs, like a collection of Fleming's scripts and treatments for the Bond TV show and Thunderball, and his notebook and drafts of unfinished stories.

You know what? I think you're right. I do think we will see those other works published, provided there are no copyright problems. Tho' don't hold your breath for those unfinished stories. Our Charles Helfenstein reported some time ago that there was no trace of them in the Fleming archives. Apparently nobody has seen them since John Pearson quoted them in his 1966 IF bio.

[Revelator]

You know what? I think you're right. I do think we will see those other works published, provided there are no copyright problems. Tho' don't hold your breath for those unfinished stories. Our Charles Helfenstein reported some time ago that there was no trace of them in the Fleming archives. Apparently nobody has seen them since John Pearson quoted them in his 1966 IF bio.

 

 

How strange and unfortunate. I wonder if Pearson might be able to help recover those documents.

My Flemingian Holy Grail would be the recovery of the Moonraker film script Fleming wrote for Rank. I'm hoping against hope that it's still somewhere in the studio's archives, wherever they might be.
 

Edited by Revelator, 06 July 2015 - 08:46 PM.

[glidrose]

Now available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co...lden typewriter

[Guy Haines]

Uneasy as I was earlier - I've still gone and bought a copy of it today. I guess I'm on the lookout for information the biographies didn't provide. I haven't started reading it but the chapters are mostly named after the Bond books, so I assume the correspondence in each relates to each particular book. We shall see. I hope it is as good a read as the last book I bought about Fleming - "Goldeneye; Where Bond was born - Ian Fleming's Jamaica" by Matthew Parker, which I read over a weekend and did enjoy.

[Guy Haines]

I've started reading this and at this early stage the correspondence reveals a certain pre-occupation with his publisher and money.

I'm looking forward to reading some of the fan mail he received.

[MarkA]

I have started to read it and it is wonderful. What comes across is Fleming's humour and humility especially when one of his readers is writing in to correct a Fleming error. Also the deep interest that Fleming had in every aspect of the publication of his books, from cover design, advertising and print run. The various letters he wrote to experts when he was researching his books are also fascinating. A superb read.

[Major Tallon]

My copy arrived today and the reading has begun.  Good stuff so far.

[glidrose]

Interview with Fergus Fleming.

http://www.publisher...us-fleming.html


And two letters by IF went on sale.

http://www.finebooks...g-letters.phtml

[Revelator]

There's also a good interview with him at Artistic Licence Renewed:

http://literary007.c...s-bond-letters/

 

I haven't begun reading the letters yet--I'm saving them for last in my holiday Bond reading. So far I've gone through almost all of Fleming's Sunday Times journalism (which I'll begin sharing with this board and others next year) and the Taschen Bond book. I'm now reading Harling's memoir, which is slightly tough going, due to its stilted style and my unease with his reconstructions of half century old conversations.

 

As for the letters--Fergus Fleming says they're mostly business oriented. Yet Mark Amory published several of Fleming's personal letters to Ann. Are the latter documemts in a separate collection or has Fleming's estate decided to keep them private?

Edited by Revelator, 22 December 2015 - 08:21 PM.

[Connerybond]

At first thought, I wanted this to remain private within his family.  But, on second thought, he became my favourite novelist in 1958, when I read his Novel Dr No, first. These letters have historical value. His typewriter created unique output each year. 

[ggl]

Take a look. Great book:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8McOFycCZoo#t=65

Edited by ggl, 26 December 2015 - 07:22 PM.

[Major Tallon]

I should long ago have set out some of the delightful elements I found in this charming book.  There are many letters from people who had caught out some of Fleming's various technical inaccuracies.  One of my favorites concerns Bond's early meeting with Goldfinger, about which one of Fleming's friends complained that Ian had inaccurately referred to Piesporter Goldtropfchen as a Moselle rather than a Hock.  Fleming's reply was amusing and delightful.  More intriguing was a letter to William Plomer, a friend and reader for Jonathan Cape's publishing house, regarding The Spy Who Loved Me.  Fleming wrote that the book had presented "an excellent opportunity to kill off Bond, appropriately & gracefully," and that although he had refrained at the present from doing so, he felt that "the time has come."  Interesting and intriguing.