Summary: Bond fights the bad guy, tries to get the girl
I feel like I watched a lot of James Bond movies growing up. But when I go back and watch old James Bond I do not remember many. So maybe I watched the same ones several times?
I have not actually read any of the original books before. Other than the original Jason Bourne books, I have not really read any of the old spy novels. I have enjoyed some of the newer, post-cold war spy novels.
When I saw this on sale, I figured I would give it a try. It was a fairly quick read. And although I honestly do not think I have watched this particular James Bond (Dr No is a very recognizable name, but unless the movie was very different from the book, I have not seen it), there was not really anything surprising about the basic plot.
I have heard that the books are darker than the movies, and that is certainly true. Bond is questioned in the beginning of the book about whether he is up to the task of being a 00 agent. M is more cold and calculating than I remember in any of the movies. Bond drinks as much as the movies, but it seems like he is hiding (and maybe has a drinking problem) in the book.
Like the early movies, the books is suggestively sexy without actually coming out and showing much. (Later movies certainly have been more than just suggestive.) The book is no more than PG 13 by today’s standards.
Bond is a quintessential hero, and I like hero stories. But while I like the more human Bond of this book, I am not sure I am going to read many more. It would make a fine beach read. But not much too it other than that.
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I picked this up on sale from a Kindle with Special Offers deal for $1
Dr No by Ian Fleming Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook
