Devil May Care (The New James Bond Novel )
by Sebastian Faulks
|
List Price: Our Price: $0.75 You Save: $24.20 (97%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Devil May Care (The New James Bond Novel )
Book Review: Bond. James Bond.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a new novel featuring 007- and the third author to write a Bond novel since Fleming passed away.
In some ways I would say this was an astonishingly good emulation of the originals. The author quite understood whose style he was emulating, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me he'd written this one with a stack of the Fleming Bond novels cracked open with sentences diagrammed and plot elements carefully analyzed on every page.
On the other hand, though, Mr. Faulks' attention to the stylistic and plot specifics of the earlier Bond novels has created one problem: this one wouldn't translate forward of the late 60s at all easily, as the plot revolves around situations present in that era, which no longer exist in our world. The world of Fleming's Bond is very specific to the era of their publication- the Cold War was unfolding in a very particular way based on the geopolitics of the time.
Overall, though, I found this book a fun read, and a more than fitting 100th birthday present for Mr. Fleming.
Book Review: Shadows of James Bond
Summary: 2 Stars
Unless you are awfully bored for a new Bond adventure, you could skip this book. It's a below-average spy story that employs some of the Bond characteristics without mastering the story telling to make it work. I would rather re-read a Bond original than read this story. But, alas, no one warned me. You have no excuse.
Although many of Ian Fleming's signature elements are present in this story (an unbalanced villain, unspeakable assistant to the villain, rigged competitions, beautiful damsels in distress, and the world's peace at stake), it's all too leisurely and gentlemanly to be a Bond adventure. This Bond doesn't even know he wants to be Bond.
The book started off in promising fashion as Bond is recalled early to face a threat and is directed to meet with Dr. Julius Gorner. Their meeting and confrontation is reasonably exciting, but after that the story goes downhill in terms of threat, excitement, and pacing. I won't bore you with any more information.
Book Review: Bring on the Bond...
Summary: 4 Stars
Having been a long-time James Bond fan, and one that continues to see the new movies as they're released, I wanted to give the new book from Sebastian Faulks a try. I expected it to be similar to the resurrected Bourne series by Eric Van Lustbader.
While, in my opinion, taking up a series, like Bond, and trying to rekindle it is a difficult thing. While Sebastian Faulks isn't Ian Fleming, he does a decent job or portraying the Bond character. Sebastian Faulks, I think, does a decent job of retaining the overall "Bond" feeling throughout the book, but doesn't quite do it with the nitty gritty details--primarily those that only Ian Fleming could accomplish.
Still, all that being said, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, and definitely a page turner. I throughly enjoyed it, and would easily consider reading another of Sebastian Faulks' Bond books. With Daniel Craig resurrecting the Bond movie series, Mr Faulks may have jumped into the game at just the right time.
Book Review: not quite Fleming
Summary: 3 Stars
I really give this 2 1/2 stars.
Faulks takes the most basic of Fleming plots, and does a fairly admirable job of emulating his style in creating a 'homage' to Bond. The decision to keep Bond in the 60's works fairly well.
However, the book has strange character motivations, and the villian is not much of a threat despite the hard sell, and his henchman side-kick a rip-off of Oddjob. The plots mixes Goldfinger with Moonraker and carries with it a 'twist' everyone can see coming a mile away. That twist also makes it seem like M does not completely trust Bond to do his job properly. Felix Leiter seems like he was added in late to get him in the book somewhere, he has little to do with the plot.
Despite these problems, the book is a relatively enjoyable read and seems like a real Fleming novel that was found unpublished and unpolished.
My hope for any more Bond novels: be original and not derivative. Even Fleming's novels are not this formulaic.
Book Review: SOMETHING WILTED THIS WAY COMES
Summary: 2 Stars
No.Sorry. This is not Ian Fleming stuff, this is junk Bond. If you took scenes from Fleming books, Bond movies, put them in a blender with plain yogurt,(or yoghurt as Fleming would write), you have a pretty good idea of the flavor of this pistachio pastiche. Is it terrible? No. Is it gripping? No. This author seems like he was phoning this one in on a tight schedule to coincide with Fleming's birthday, and of course to get publicity from the movie, Quantum of Solace, which itself, was not like vintage Bond. John Gardner got it right from the start with License Renewed. This book is more like literary license revoked. Maybe it's time to stop--the books anyway. Make the money with the movies, but don't have anybody writing more Bond books as Ian Fleming. Fleming is dead, Gardner is gone. Let Bond RIP on the shelves.