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hoarderreader's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
dcbev's review against another edition
4.0
This is a good one, with a minimum of the clangingly awkward references (e.g. “negress”) that characterized the earlier books. Still, it was written in 1956 and it shows. The New York mob crew Bond must contend with is called the Spangled Gang, which sounds to contemporary ears like the Wet and later Sticky Bandits from the Home Alone movies. Speaking of movies, this is the novel that introduces Kidd and Wint, the two idiosyncratic assassins who were so memorably portrayed in the movie, referring to each other on film by the titles “Mister.” Damien Lewis’s narration of the audiobook shows admirable commitment, utilizing a wide and entertaining range of character voices, and doing a pretty good (though occasionally inconsistent) job of switching from his very British accent to a number of American dialects.
lauras_rambles's review against another edition
4.0
In reality it's a 3.5 star rating. This is the fourth book in the series and the fourth Bond book I’ve read. You can read most of this series out of order and still be fine, but my OCD kicks in and I NEED TO READ BOOKS IN ORDER.
That being said, this wasn’t my favorite of the series so far. It seemed VERY slow in the beginning and I was worried it would be the same slow pace throughout. The most exciting parts were reading about all of Bond’s meals and drink orders. Eventually the book does pick up when Bond gets to Las Vegas and tracks down the big bad. From that point on there is a lot of action and the reason for the 4 star rating.
As for the Bond girl in this story… Tiffany Case had a good backstory, but was a bit annoying. She was CONSTANTLY flipping from having feelings for Bond, then would shut herself down emotionally because she reminded herself she didn’t trust anyone, especially men. Just pick a feeling!
If you are interested, Moonraker is my favorite Bond novel so far. Diamonds are Forever didn’t top that book, but it was still a quick read after it finally picked up momentum halfway through.
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That being said, this wasn’t my favorite of the series so far. It seemed VERY slow in the beginning and I was worried it would be the same slow pace throughout. The most exciting parts were reading about all of Bond’s meals and drink orders. Eventually the book does pick up when Bond gets to Las Vegas and tracks down the big bad. From that point on there is a lot of action and the reason for the 4 star rating.
As for the Bond girl in this story… Tiffany Case had a good backstory, but was a bit annoying. She was CONSTANTLY flipping from having feelings for Bond, then would shut herself down emotionally because she reminded herself she didn’t trust anyone, especially men. Just pick a feeling!
If you are interested, Moonraker is my favorite Bond novel so far. Diamonds are Forever didn’t top that book, but it was still a quick read after it finally picked up momentum halfway through.
OTHER PLACES I LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Art, Crafts, & Books: Blog | Instagram
Travel Stories & Tips: Blog | Instagram
Classy Cats in Classics: Tumblr | Instagram
joshparr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
kim_reads87's review against another edition
3.0
I just didn’t connect with this one. I didn’t even connect with James Bond let alone the other characters. Usually I can connect the book with the film but I couldn’t this time. It just felt bland. I’m hoping the next one, From Russia With Love’ is better.
andreastopit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jamiecrook's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Not my favourite book from the series so far. Story wasn’t very exciting for the most part and there are a few bits that don’t age particularly well. All in all, an okay read.
sams84's review against another edition
3.0
I was actually rather surprised by how much I enjoyed this as I was expecting a very action driven story that didn't have much in the way of character depth or development, but I can safely admit I was wrong on that one. Fleming does have a good amount of action in his work (as proven by the movie versions) but he does put in more in the way of character information, depth and development than the films reflect and this makes for a very good read. The story follows Bond as he tries to uncover the depths of a diamond smuggling ring traveling from the mines of Sierra Leone to the skyscrapers of New York and bright lights of Vegas. This is a classic spy story (of course) that keeps you engrossed from start to finish with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing but not too many that you get confused. Overall a rather good read and I'm now looking forward to reading the rest of Fleming's novels.