50 Books in a Year: Book #52 Dr. No

OK, so this is James Bond book #6 on the list of original books written by Ian Fleming and, so far (I've read 8) this my least favorite. I enjoy campiness and, in relation to James Bond novels, I can tolerate misogyny, racism and impossible plot structures and devices. I could not do that with this book...and, I find it strange that Eon Films elected to pick this book as it's first Bond film (I like the film way loads better), I'm sure that had something to do with Honey Ryder, but I digress.

I'm trying really hard to find something that I liked about this book (and, have just successfully lowered it's stars from 3 to 2), I suppose I can start with what I didn't like.

1] Honey Ryder...there's no white bikini in this book and she spends half her time half-naked looking to James to save her. Now, usually this works and I find myself thinking, yes, James should be in charge here. However, I'm supposed to believe that Honey is so inculcated into the culture that she can live on her own, can go to this remote island alone to fish et cetera, but once James comes along she's weak and helpless...

2] The setting...a remote island off of Jamaica where Chinegros (a Fleming word, not mine...really, I would never use the word Chinegro, what a word!) work for this strange man. The only thing stopping him from taking over the world...bird poop.

3] Dr. No...he sounds asexual and weird and not in a good Blofeld kind of way...I was not scared of this man, nor could I pretend to be intimidated, I was too grossed out.

What I liked (see I knew that if I started writing about what I didn't like these things would come to me):

1] that it's set in Jamaica, I love reading about this country through the eyes of Ian Fleming. I have no desire to go to Jamaica, too darned hot, I have no desire to live in Jamaica, too darned hot, and I also dislike the beach, however, every time I read a passage describe this road or that restaurant I feel a little yearning in my heart.

2] The opening sequence and every detail seems to have been used precisely in the movie. What a fun opener...

Anyway, I could really take or leave this book...and, that makes me sad. I guess out of 14 books, I couldn't be expected to love them all, right!?

50 Books in a Year: #2 You Only Live Twice...um...continued...

You only live twice:
Once when you're born
And once when you look death in the face.

— You Only Live Twice, epigraph

          I am still reading this novel. It really isn't a book that can be picked up and read 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there...I will be more purposeful this week, so I can talk about a different book next week.

          The tiny tot also tore out a page of the book. She thinks it is her book and is drawn by the cover. I'm a little disturbed by this fact, seeing as the cover is not the strange frog one (first edition), or the first time in paperback edition, but the one with the half naked lady and the strange mask and skulls.

          But, I digress...

          In looking for covers of the book, I found out that BBC Radio 7 rebroadcast the 1990 radio version of the novel. And, I found out that the movie version of this novel is the first to take a complete deviation from the novel. This probably explains why I don't really like the movie. I prefer my Bond full of scars and inner turmoil, not campy and self-depricating.

          I am enjoying the book, although my favorite is On Her Majesty's Secret Service, I just don't have the time! :)

Here's a little info to take up your time...not only have times since James Bond changed, but so have the drinks.

Just incase you don't have time to read the WHOLE article here's their recipe for a very modern Bond martini.

The Vesper, 2006

Shake (if you must) with plenty of cracked ice:

• 3 oz Tanqueray gin
• 1 oz 100-proof Stolichnaya vodka
• 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1/8 teaspoon (or less) quinine powder or, in desperation, 2 dashes of bitters

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and twist a large swatch of thin-cut lemon peel over the top. Shoot somebody evil.

         

More Bond beverages...@

Enjoy!

50 Books in a Year: #2 You Only Live Twice

"Shaken, not Stirred.”

I didn't really realize how much I liked James Bond until a friend of mine and I decided to teach a summer school class about the action hero the Summer of 007.

Spending 19 six hour days talking about the British spy made for an interesting summer. We read excerpts from 4 Bond novels and related fiction excerpts from books like King Solomons Mine, Sharpe's Tiger,  chapters from books like Licence to Thrill and essays about Bond, action heroes and The Cambridge Five. We watched 5 Bond films, "39 Steps" featuring Richard Hannay, the first British spy man, "Indiana Jones", USA's answer to the success of the James Bond serial movies, and other movies starring action adventure heroes. We analyzed James Bond's influence on American culture, his old-fashioned views of women and minorities and his effect on the 'Cold War'. IT WAS A BLAST!

I started reading the Bond books because I figured they would be a fun, easy read. While they are fun, they are not as easy as I imagined. Fleming used the knowledge he aquired while working for British Naval Intelligence to create a complex character unlike the character we see in earlier Bond films starring Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Fleming's Bond knows French and German (and, probably other languages that I've yet to discover), eats and knows all about fine foods and alcohol, he knows how to play detailed card games, understands skiing, diamond manufacturing, cars, politics, law and, of course, women. Many times I had to look up words and google Fleming's allusions and the more I did this, the more I learned and the more I fell in love with these intricate spy books.

This week I am tackling You Only Live Twice, the book that takes place after Vesper's death in Casino Royale and Tracey's death in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I'm hoping that with grading and baby, I can have this sucker read by next Monday. I'd like to read all of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming and hope to do so before the 23rd film comes out.

I'm an elitist about a lot of things, reading books by the original author is one such thing...below you will find a list of James Bond books affiliated with Ian Fleming:

Of Note

According to Michael Reed (reed55@core.com), you need to take note of the following:

The books follow a chronological sequence, and later books occasionally
refer to other earlier books, but you can read most of them in any order you
like. However, it is highly recommended that you at least read "From Russia,
With Love" before "Doctor No" and please be aware that "Thunderball", "On
Her Majesty's Secret Service", "You Only Live Twice", and "The Man with The
Golden Gun" form a 'quadrilogy' that should be read in order.

It is worth mentioning that Fleming last worked on "The Man With The Golden
Gun". "Octopussy" was released posthumously as well, but "Gun", which picks
up directly from "You Only Live Twice", is the true swan song of Fleming's
character.