sol (or may we call you David?)

Bond (the books only) is one of my favourite series of novels. (Don't ask why - perhaps it's just the puerility of my temperament.) I couldn't leave this thread simply with the 'answer' (as I remember it). I have to add that there are at least two Bond books (IMO) which can be taken seriously in a literary sense: The spy who loved me (which Fleming decreed should never be filmed) and Casino Royale. In addition, before the 'formula' set in, there was at least one other cracking spy book: From Russia with love (also, incidentally, one of the better films).

Within the formula, of course, the following contain individually brilliant sequences: Moonraker (never has rubber bridge been so superbly evoked, and the climactic Yarborough deal is superb - a legend in bridge circles), Goldfinger (again more for the competitive sequences - the game of canasta, the golf match etc), Dr No (just for the sheer outrageous looniness of the plot and action sequences).

Bond books (primarily the later ones), that fail to impress: Thunderball (movie tie-in and it shows, though it starts impressively), OHMSS (Bond goes soap opera); You only live twice (almost good - but the soap opera theme continues) and The man with the golden gun (trashy, bored with writing, hollow viciousness).

The books of short stories are all pretty taut, and, of course, in some case more like morality plays than spy stories. Great fun.

The other books, IMO, are good for the Bond enthusiast, but not necessarily suited to anybody else. These are, of course, Diamonds are forever and Live and let die. I don't think I've missed out any. (?)

The Bond novels have been re-issued in the UK, over the past 5 or 10 years, in an edition with a charming introduction by Anthony Burgess, in which he speaks of the attraction of Bond - the obsession with 'things' - the guns, the cigarettes, the cars, the vodka with pepper thrown in, and so on. Probably worth seeking out (only if you're interested in Bond, of course).

cheer

the sunshine warrior