MovieChat Forums > Dr. No (1962) Discussion > Ian Fleming's novels

Ian Fleming's novels

posted 5 years ago by TreeShaman (806)
2 replies | jump to latest

Have any fans of the Bond films tried to get into the Bond novels and been underwhelmed? I read Casino Royale a year ago and thought it was okay, but then every other Bond novel I've tried to read since then has been an abandoned project. Live and Let Die, Moonraker, and From Russia With Love have all been huge let downs and I haven't been able to get past the first few chapters of each one. Perhaps one exception is an audiobook version of FYEO that I listened to and thought was genuinely entertaining.

I just find them boring. I don't care that they are 'outdated' or 'politically incorrect' or whatever else. They are just a great snoozefest. What am I not getting about these books?

[–] Owlwise (1536) 5 years ago

Perhaps because the films swiftly became increasingly over the top blockbusters with stunts & special effects? The books, which are still smart, enjoyable Cold War entertainment, must invariably suffer for many new readers by comparison. While I appreciate the novels for their own merits, I can understand that response.

(Don't get me wrong, I also love the films.)

[–] R_Kane (15828) 5 years ago

I read all Fleming!s Bond novels, and his collection of Bond short stories, and loved them all. When you read the original fiction, you can quickly tell when the alleged screenwriters DID NOT read them. For instance, there are only 3 double-00 agents in Her Majesty’s Service: 003, 005 and 007. The novels are much richer in detail than the films. The films are like Cliffs Notes, which can probably be said about all book-to-film comparisons.

By the same token, I read The Lord of the Rings decades before any of the films was released, and the novel (singular, Tolkien write ONE BOOK that the publisher chopped into 3 pieces) provided the foundation for what I enjoyed in the movies.