Tag: Ian Fleming

The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming

” The Spy Who Loved Me ” is a spy thriller written by Ian Fleming and published in the early 1960’s .

Vivienne Michel accepts a job at ” The Dreamy Pines Motor Court” after several romances gone bad . When vacation season ends , Viv is put in charge of looking over the motel at night , so the owner can take inventory and close it up for the winter . Two mobsters , who work for the owner , arrive to burn down the place for insurance money . Before they do that however , they treat Viv very cruel , and attempt to rape her but they are interrupted by James Bond coming in to get a room . The rest of the novel follows Vivienne as she watches Bond take on the two gangsters in a battle of wits, violence , and the fallout that follows .

” The Spy Who Loved Me” is a unique James Bond novel for several reasons . The first reason is that the novel takes place completely from Vivienne’s point of view . Another reason is that the book largely takes place in one location . One more reason is that Bond himself doesn’t come until the last third of the novel . It’s relatively short compared to the other novels and it’s probably the most sexually explicit as well . I find it to be a fun experimental Bond novel and if you’re a fan of the character , read it .

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

Casino Royale is a spy novel by Ian Fleming originally published in the 1950’s . It’s the first James Bond novel .

James Bond is sent by M ( the head of the British Secret Service ) to play and win a baccarat game at the Royale-les-Eaux Casino in France with the goal of bankrupting Le Chiffre . Le Chiffre being a paymaster for SMERSH. Vesper Lynd is assigned to help Bond and Bond has a companion in the C.I.A. ( Felix Leiter) whom is also playing . Now Bond initially loses the game but luckily Felix lends Bond some money . From here Bond gets the win despite some attempts on his life but the story does not end there . The rest of the story involves kidnapping , torture , death , blackmail , double crossing , and suicide .

Something I’d like to point out is that this is a lot more realistic James Bond than the one used in a lot of the movies . He can lose , he doesn’t wisecrack after every kill , and he is overall a more cruel character . This novel is set at a good , fast pace with strong tension throughout . It’s one hell of an introduction for the character . If you like spy thrillers , or if you’re just interested in checking out the origins of one of cinema’s greatest franchises , I’d give this one a look at .