As a pretty big fan of the Bond movies from very early days growing up, I was wrapped that in my second year of Uni I could chose a subject that studied ‘Dr. No’ as part of a look at genre fiction. Since then, I have read ‘Quantum of Solace and other stories’ but never really found the time to get stuck into the series, much to my disappointment. However, thanks to audible I have been able to rectify this situation, conveniently fitting things around my busy schedule.
Complexity and Realism
Fleming’s novels have so much in common with the films but also have a greater level of complexity, realism, and depth than many would expect. He writes with such vivid descriptions of the different settings from Jamaica to London that each place is well defined and comes alive for the reader. Added to this the little details like the slang used in different parts of the world anchor the books in a real world that a lot of the older film adaptations simply lack with their overly gimmicky gadgets or use of one liner. However, this isn’t to say the characters or stories are not recognisable to fans of the movies as villains like Scaramanga are instantly recognisable with his golden gun and some books like “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” are faithful adaptations.
Character development
Perhaps the biggest difference between Fleming’s novels and the films that highlight the level of narrative craft and realism is the development of Bond himself. In the films we are used to an almost untouchable figure that is always confident and seemingly leaves the most physical conflict almost unhurt. It has only been the recent films with Daniel Craig where we the human fragility of 007 both emotionally and physically, this portrayal is much more in keeping with the character in Fleming’s novels. Yes, he remains the smooth-talking womaniser which everyone knows well from the franchise but in each novel, he has his doubts and doesn’t seem to always have the answer, additionally he is never left untouched by an encounter and is nearly always in the novels taken to the physical brink.
Audible
These books speak for themselves, but audible collection of Fleming’s work is presented by a host of the best British actors including Kenneth Branagh (Best Shakespearean actor of his generation), Hugh Booneville, Jason Isaac, Tom Hiddlestone, Bill Nighy and (my favourite Dr) David Tennant. All of which have their own unique method for playing the world’s most famous spy but are all diversly talented that it is a pleasure to listen to their difference accents and portals of some of the most icon villains that have every been brought to life on screen. Additionally, each of the recordings end with a brief discussion with the recording artists often touching on their experiences with the movies and as well as their insights about the specific book and the franchise. These snippets offer a tremendous insight into the nuances of Flemings writing like sentence length, description and language but also highlights the cultural significance of the Bond novels. Listing to these recordings is worth the membership, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Read my snapshot on another espionage writer – Graham Greene
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