I haven’t read any Ian Fleming since I was a
teenager, and back then I gave more time to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
(which I still love, incidentally) than to the Bond stories. But when I saw
this in the books on tape section, and thought about how much I enjoy the Bond
films in a kind of check-your-brain-at-the-door way, I decided to give it a try.
I was very surprised to find a quite different Bond in this story than one is
familiar with in the movies. The tale revolves around a single shooting
assignment, and has a grand total of only about 5 characters. Most of the time
is spent just waiting for the actual shooting to take place. Strangest of all
for those of us who cut their teeth on the film version of 007, he seems to
actively dislike his job, at least the shooting-other-people bits. So,
Bond fans, is this typical of the books? Have the movies led us astray? Or was
Fleming just getting crochety in his old age or indigested or something of the
sort?