Devil May Care (The New James Bond Novel ) by Sebastian Faulks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Devil May Care (The New James Bond Novel )
Book Review: Disappointing pastiche that Bond fans will find all too familiar...
Summary: 3 Stars
Anyone who has read and enjoyed Fleming's Bond (as opposed to the filmic incarnation) would have had high hopes for this book which takes Bond back to his 60s roots. But without giving away any spoilers it's a fairly limpid effort by Faulks. It's not parody I'll give it that - it takes itself very seriously - but it's a pastiche or perhaps a rerun of any half good moment from Fleming's novels. The difference is Fleming did not feel the need to rehash his own stories whereas Faulks, unfortunately, has chosen to rehash pretty much all of them in some misguided notion that this is what we call "a tribute" these days. The problem with this is that Fleming would often allude to other missions that Bond had undertaken, suggesting that we were only catching a glimpse of his world (a case in point being the brilliant "The Spy Who Loved Me"). For Faulks, Bond only exists within Fleming's 14 or so novels. Unwittingly, rather than making his Bond authentic, Faulks has awkwardly foregrounded his fictionality.
Only on a few occasions does he capture a hint of Fleming's style (Faulks is rather bizarrely credited as "writing as Ian Fleming" which has to be the most curious disclaimer for literary channeling I've ever seen!!!). Faulks has basically got Bond's tone of speech and behavior right and noteworthy is the tensely written tennis match as well as the off-handedly meancing turn of dialogue between JD Silver and Bond when he tries to warn Bond off the case. But there are so many moments that fall flat. Perhaps the worst for me is when Bond meets Darius and asks him about the villain, Gorner. Darius basically says "I'll tell you about him but first listen to my backstory for 2 pages..." Sloppy exposition. This sequence is compounded by an appalling niteclub sequence that really is so far off the mark for Fleming that I can't even begin to explain. The villain of the piece, Dr Gorner, is your usual run-of-the-mill deformed megalomaniac with an OTT plan and some of the weakest character motivation that I'll just let the reader discover for themselves. A lot of hype surrounded this book and it would seem that hype alone and not plot will sell it.
Book Review: Dollar Store Rip Off
Summary: 1 Stars
Devil May Care (James Bond)
I was so excited to hear there was a new book for Bond fans, but this one is a cheap rip off of old ideas from Goldfinger and other Bonds. This book is such a let down :( I was reading Spycraft at the same time and Spycraft is the most AMAZING book on real spys and the history of the World of Spying. Anyway, a much better read. Hope I saved you $20Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda
Also don't fall for the Quantum of Solace short story. It is about 3 pages of junk. Not sure how they made a movie from this, but I'm sure it will be awesome.Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories
Bond books seem to be the only ones that the MOVIE is BETTER than the books. lol
Book Review: Entertaining novel that covers all the basics, nothing new, but still fun
Summary: 4 Stars
I've seen all the Bond movies, and read all the Gardner and Benson novels, but only one Ian Fleming novel. So, I'm a big Bond fan, but a casual fan of the novels. I can't compare Devil May Care to any Fleming novels, but I can compare it to the James Bond universe in general. The new Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks fits right in.
The novel is set in 1968, which really makes no sense unless Faulks is continuing Fleming's series and setting the novel at the time of the earliest movies. But with Bond, you can't get caught up in the timeline. You'll get nowhere with that.
This novel has a plot that covers all the basis. You have a madman with a physical deformity bent on destroying Britain. This madman has a henchmen who feels no pain (like Renard in the World is not enough.) You have Bond and the bad guy Gorner matching wits in a game of tennis (Goldfinger and golf). You have a battle to the death in a plane that is pilotless and about to crash (Living Daylights). You have a beautiful partner named Scarlett Papava and Felix Leiter and Rene Mathis also helping Bond. You also have a few chapters where Gorner gives a play by play detail of what his evil plans are when it would be easier just to kill Bond.
I breezed through this novel. It is nothing new and all of it is very familiar, which can be good and bad. I didn't particularly care for the weakness Bond showed or for his weakness with a woman early in the novel. Still, it is nice to have Bond back in novel form and I recommend this book as something to hold fans over until the new movie comes out this fall.
Book Review: Excellent Bond Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a Bond fan since I can remember, watching the movies, and reading the Fleming books from the time I was 8 years old. I felt this was much better than some of the more recent and more modern approaches to Bond. I really enjoyed this book, great job, wish Faulks would keep them coming. Great summer read if you like Bond.Book Review: Excellent!
Summary: 5 Stars
Faulks did a great job. The book reads exactly like a Fleming novel. I dare say the plot and pacing of the book are slightly better than a Felming novel. Fans and non-fans alike will enjoy it.