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mpetty3's review against another edition
2.0
My library didn't have Casino Royale so I picked this title, because the film version is one of my favorite of the series. I was disappointed though, as the book is much less exciting and Bond himself comes across as a secondary, very flat character. If the success of the franchise had been decided on this one story, I seriously doubt we would still be watching Bond flicks 50 years later.
I liked the added back story of the villain, Red Grant, but at the same time he has so little 'screen time' that you practically forget about him, and he doesn't seem as menacing as in the film. Kerim Bey seemed to the the main character of the story, he talks and talks and Bond just follows his lead for a long time.
The sexism exhibited is, I suppose, par for the course given when the book was published, though I did think that Tatiana was a more solid character than women in other stories from the same time.
It may not be fair to compare the book to the film, but honestly the story left me feeling that Fleming had a great idea, but was just not a terribly good writer. I would still like to read 'Casino Royale' but I won't go out of my way to read any of his other Bond novels.
I liked the added back story of the villain, Red Grant, but at the same time he has so little 'screen time' that you practically forget about him, and he doesn't seem as menacing as in the film. Kerim Bey seemed to the the main character of the story, he talks and talks and Bond just follows his lead for a long time.
The sexism exhibited is, I suppose, par for the course given when the book was published, though I did think that Tatiana was a more solid character than women in other stories from the same time.
It may not be fair to compare the book to the film, but honestly the story left me feeling that Fleming had a great idea, but was just not a terribly good writer. I would still like to read 'Casino Royale' but I won't go out of my way to read any of his other Bond novels.
roblucasstevens's review against another edition
5.0
The Bond journey continues and finally hits its stride properly. It’s been intriguing seeing Fleming grapple with how to not just rewrite Casino Royale over and over but his experiments thus far have been completely hit and miss. Moonraker saw the absence of a Bond girl and a Bond not going abroad, Diamonds are Forever completely exiled the Cold War aspect. Here Fleming’s main experiment is that we don’t hear from Bond himself untill a hundred or so pages in, which serves to extenuate the Cold War aspect and give us the full details of a plot Bond is figuring out on the fly. It’s the longest of the books so far, but Fleming has settled into his sweeping just-one-more-chapter style that means you don’t feel the comparative length at all.
It’s also interesting to see the ending, in which Fleming Reichenbach falls his hero. His takes it back even more quickly than Doyle did but it’s fascinating that Fleming is clearly tiring of his iconic character already. Fascinating that he didn’t just write about an adjacent character in the same world but continued to try and fix the problem. This one fills me with hope that we’re going on a golden age run regardless
It’s also interesting to see the ending, in which Fleming Reichenbach falls his hero. His takes it back even more quickly than Doyle did but it’s fascinating that Fleming is clearly tiring of his iconic character already. Fascinating that he didn’t just write about an adjacent character in the same world but continued to try and fix the problem. This one fills me with hope that we’re going on a golden age run regardless
spaceyasay's review against another edition
4.0
The movie followed the book much closer than any of the previous four.
mslingercarreer's review against another edition
1.0
Third James Bond I've read and it's the worst one yet.
Basically no story. The book is 80% description of people (especially women) and just spy lingo. Fleming went out his way to give you all this information and then did nothing with it.
Basically no story. The book is 80% description of people (especially women) and just spy lingo. Fleming went out his way to give you all this information and then did nothing with it.
phinewines's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I’ve been reading these books back to back and I’m loosing steam. Fleming’s prejudices were at first, while upsetting, a welcome challenge while attempting to tackle 70 year old books. Now it feels incessant, obnoxious and breaks my engagement with each novel.
The cartoonish portrayal of Soviet Russia in the books first half was amusing/entertaining, but then enter Bond with his infantilization of women and his dismissal of any culture other than white/western as backward, animal, or savage. His adoration for a character with a history of human trafficking and sex slavery is meant to be taken in earnest as rugged charm. It never ends. It’s exhausting.
The plot was contrived. The book moved slowly. The last bit on the orient express was entertaining, especially the climax, but I feel like after 5 books it’s resoundingly clear that Bond is actually a pretty fucking awful spy. The main villain, when he reappears, was interesting and threatening enough to hook me back in for the last few chapters.
All in all I’m glad that Fleming originally envisioned this as the last Bond book, so the cliffhanger ending makes it easy to let Bond die in my own head cannon. . It gives the completionist in me an easy out from drudging through the rest of the series.
The cartoonish portrayal of Soviet Russia in the books first half was amusing/entertaining, but then enter Bond with his infantilization of women and his dismissal of any culture other than white/western as backward, animal, or savage. His adoration for a character with a history of human trafficking and sex slavery is meant to be taken in earnest as rugged charm. It never ends. It’s exhausting.
The plot was contrived. The book moved slowly. The last bit on the orient express was entertaining, especially the climax, but I feel like after 5 books it’s resoundingly clear that Bond is actually a pretty fucking awful spy. The main villain, when he reappears, was interesting and threatening enough to hook me back in for the last few chapters.
All in all I’m glad that
tatis_tatguy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
davidiwilliams's review against another edition
5.0
SMERSH has decided that it must strike back against the West. Leaders of the organization decide that in order to redeem recent setbacks that a British agent must die. The agent chosen is none other than James Bond, Agent 007. It is not enough to simply kill Bond, they need to discredit him and embarrass London as well. A clever trap is set for Bond using a beautiful Russian agent.
To do the killing SMERSH decides to use their best killer. This man is an Irish psychopath known as Red Grant who enjoys killing. It is what he lives for. This man is the perfect killing machine. Will Bond be able to see the trap before it is too late?
This has all the great stuff that makes a Bond novel. You have the beautiful woman, the cold blooded killer, the evil Soviet organization, the intricate plots. This novel was a bit different in one way. The first third of the novel tells the story of Grant and the SMERSH plot. So you don't even see the main character until the second part of the book. Overall it's a great story and is quite enjoyable.
To do the killing SMERSH decides to use their best killer. This man is an Irish psychopath known as Red Grant who enjoys killing. It is what he lives for. This man is the perfect killing machine. Will Bond be able to see the trap before it is too late?
This has all the great stuff that makes a Bond novel. You have the beautiful woman, the cold blooded killer, the evil Soviet organization, the intricate plots. This novel was a bit different in one way. The first third of the novel tells the story of Grant and the SMERSH plot. So you don't even see the main character until the second part of the book. Overall it's a great story and is quite enjoyable.
april_does_feral_sometimes's review against another edition
4.0
I accidentally touched four stars when I intend to rate ‘From Russia with Love’ three, but I will let it stand. The action is wonderful - bombings, car chases, shootings, secret underground grotto, gypsy girl-fight with knives - and actual spying, for once, by Turks.
If you have seen the movie, you will know everything about the plot of the novel, the fifth in the James Bond series. For once, the book and the movie are very closely synced. The hot Russian babe Tatiana Romanova - innocent secretary of SMERSH, Rosa Klebb -ruthless Head of the Operations unit of SMERSH (Otdyel II), and Kronsteen - chess champion and the Head of the Planning Department of SMERSH, are all involved in a nefarious Russian Communist plot to shame James Bond by secretly filming him in a sex tape. The sight of a naked James in action shagging a Russian spy will destroy England’s Secret Service once SMERSH has made the video public, or so goes the thinking in Russia’s spy-assassination department. SMERSH is certain the morale of Bond’s fellow secret agents will plummet, and M will palm his face in shock on seeing Bond’s bobbing ass (James would be the top, naturally, I think). To add to the Secret Service’s pain, SMERSH plans to murder Bond by their best assassin, Donovan Grant, Chief Executioner, after the taping. Grant is to make the ass-asination look like a suicide, since Bond presumably will be supposedly emotionally devastated after he has deflowered Tatiana, an assumed serious and unforgivable breach of British manners for England’s upper-crust and the world. In addition, the bait used as an excuse to bring Tatiana and Bond together, a Russian cipher machine, The Spektor! will be offered up as Tatiana’s passport to defect to England. Tatiana will be given one of The Spektors, filled with explosives, to hand over to Bond once he has arrived in Istanbul, where she wants to meet him. The machine will hopefully explode once in M’s hands (M is Bond’s boss).
Gentle reader, I have no doubts now that the worldly and sophisticated author, and survivor of World War II military operations, Ian Fleming, knew he was writing books of pure silliness and farce despite their surface appearance of playing it straight. Unless any of you Goodreads members who are also British tell me different, I am assuming the Brit’s know young military men have unmarried sex, especially those Brits who are athletic adventurers traveling in Europe on the famous Orient Express. Would the reaction to a sex tape starring a handsome and virile British agent boffing a gorgeous naked woman be a source of national horror, even in 1957? Would James be stripped, so to speak, of his High Table privileges? Let me know.
Meanwhile, Fleming managed to add two more groups of people (in one stroke!) to the list of explicit prejudices the characters in the Bond novels have: intellectuals. Not because they are pointed-headed, gentle reader (pointed heads being an American slander directed at intellectuals). But because all intellectuals are gay! or so the Secret Service believes; and thus the Service rejects hiring intellectuals, especially since the Service believes the Americans will hate British intellectuals. For once, Bond protests against this prejudice, maybe because it is one he does not have very strongly? Or he thinks the benefits outweigh the negatives? Idk. Anyway, Bond appears to like intellectuals even if (or because) they are “pansies soaked in scent”. And bald. I forgot, all the acceptable intellectuals are also assumed to be only the bald gay men, rather than the long-haired gay men. Bond thinks the Americans will be good to go with the bald smelly gay men who are intellectuals, too.
Wait. Did Bond actually toss in yet another backhanded slap at Americans? After five books (start reading the series with book one, [b:Casino Royale|3758|Casino Royale (James Bond, #1)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497801490s/3758.jpg|2503304], if you dare) of explicit racial slurs, and name-calling and insults directed at most of the nations around the earth, I am definitely having trouble keeping up.
; p
If you have seen the movie, you will know everything about the plot of the novel, the fifth in the James Bond series. For once, the book and the movie are very closely synced. The hot Russian babe Tatiana Romanova - innocent secretary of SMERSH, Rosa Klebb -ruthless Head of the Operations unit of SMERSH (Otdyel II), and Kronsteen - chess champion and the Head of the Planning Department of SMERSH, are all involved in a nefarious Russian Communist plot to shame James Bond by secretly filming him in a sex tape. The sight of a naked James in action shagging a Russian spy will destroy England’s Secret Service once SMERSH has made the video public, or so goes the thinking in Russia’s spy-assassination department. SMERSH is certain the morale of Bond’s fellow secret agents will plummet, and M will palm his face in shock on seeing Bond’s bobbing ass (James would be the top, naturally, I think). To add to the Secret Service’s pain, SMERSH plans to murder Bond by their best assassin, Donovan Grant, Chief Executioner, after the taping. Grant is to make the ass-asination look like a suicide, since Bond presumably will be supposedly emotionally devastated after he has deflowered Tatiana, an assumed serious and unforgivable breach of British manners for England’s upper-crust and the world. In addition, the bait used as an excuse to bring Tatiana and Bond together, a Russian cipher machine, The Spektor! will be offered up as Tatiana’s passport to defect to England. Tatiana will be given one of The Spektors, filled with explosives, to hand over to Bond once he has arrived in Istanbul, where she wants to meet him. The machine will hopefully explode once in M’s hands (M is Bond’s boss).
Gentle reader, I have no doubts now that the worldly and sophisticated author, and survivor of World War II military operations, Ian Fleming, knew he was writing books of pure silliness and farce despite their surface appearance of playing it straight. Unless any of you Goodreads members who are also British tell me different, I am assuming the Brit’s know young military men have unmarried sex, especially those Brits who are athletic adventurers traveling in Europe on the famous Orient Express. Would the reaction to a sex tape starring a handsome and virile British agent boffing a gorgeous naked woman be a source of national horror, even in 1957? Would James be stripped, so to speak, of his High Table privileges? Let me know.
Meanwhile, Fleming managed to add two more groups of people (in one stroke!) to the list of explicit prejudices the characters in the Bond novels have: intellectuals. Not because they are pointed-headed, gentle reader (pointed heads being an American slander directed at intellectuals). But because all intellectuals are gay! or so the Secret Service believes; and thus the Service rejects hiring intellectuals, especially since the Service believes the Americans will hate British intellectuals. For once, Bond protests against this prejudice, maybe because it is one he does not have very strongly? Or he thinks the benefits outweigh the negatives? Idk. Anyway, Bond appears to like intellectuals even if (or because) they are “pansies soaked in scent”. And bald. I forgot, all the acceptable intellectuals are also assumed to be only the bald gay men, rather than the long-haired gay men. Bond thinks the Americans will be good to go with the bald smelly gay men who are intellectuals, too.
Wait. Did Bond actually toss in yet another backhanded slap at Americans? After five books (start reading the series with book one, [b:Casino Royale|3758|Casino Royale (James Bond, #1)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497801490s/3758.jpg|2503304], if you dare) of explicit racial slurs, and name-calling and insults directed at most of the nations around the earth, I am definitely having trouble keeping up.
; p
thevidiot's review against another edition
4.0
The first quarter of the book focused on Russian intelligence (SMERSH) planning an operation. It wasn't super interesting. Numerous characters were introduced who were barely or never referenced again. Will they reappear in book #6 "Dr. No"? Considering the number of chapters I spent reading about them, I hope so.
Once the story moved on to Bond himself it became much more entertaining.
Once the story moved on to Bond himself it became much more entertaining.