Goldfinger, by Ian Fleming: Book Review

I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. Here we have it: the first Bond book by Ian Fleming that I actively disliked. Fleming churned one book out every year once he started writing about 007’s adventures in 1953 so it was really just a matter of time before he repurposed some of … More Goldfinger, by Ian Fleming: Book Review

James Bond in From Russia With Love: Book vs. Movie

President Kennedy himself professed to be a big fan of the novel From Russia, With Love–including it in his ten favorite books. The film adaptation was the last movie he ever saw, as he had it screened in The White House just before his fateful trip to Dallas. Untimely death aside, that seal of approval helped … More James Bond in From Russia With Love: Book vs. Movie

From Russia With Love, by Ian Fleming: Book Review

“Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make bored.” Following the somewhat lackluster novel Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia, With Love nicely sets everything right in the world of James Bond. Following the events of that diamond-smuggling adventure, James Bond has found himself living ‘the soft life.’ Work has been slow and he’s been keeping … More From Russia With Love, by Ian Fleming: Book Review

James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever: Book vs. Movie

Like Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever was one of my least favorite movies in the Bond series. Unlike Moonraker, the book didn’t improve things. Moonraker was one of my favorite books in the novels so far, but Diamonds is among the worst. The plot of the book and the movie have the same basic set-up (James Bond pretends to be Peter … More James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever: Book vs. Movie

Book Review: Diamonds Are Forever, by Ian Fleming

“Death is forever. But so are diamonds.” You may recall from my last review that Moonraker turned out to be a terrific little book that was adapted into a seriously terrible movie. As fate would have it, I also despised the movie version of Diamonds Are Forever, but while Moonraker became my favorite book in the series so … More Book Review: Diamonds Are Forever, by Ian Fleming

James Bond in Live and Let Die: Book vs. Movie

The movie version of Live and Let Die was used to introduce a new actor, Roger Moore, playing 007, but on the page it was pretty much just another adventure. Unlike Casino Royale, there are many differences to be found between the source novel and the film adaptation. Both find 007 investigating Mr. Big, an African American crime … More James Bond in Live and Let Die: Book vs. Movie