Bond! The famous 007 has inspired 24 movies (with a 25th to be released this fall), which I believe is more than any other fictional hero. A dozen Bond novels were written by his creator, Ian Fleming, from 1953-1964. He wrote "only" 12 Bond novels and 9 short stories- meaning the films have gone beyond the scope of his work. I didn't realize that, but many authors since Fleming passed have picked up the Bond story and run with it. But I digress.
I chose From Russia with Love as my Fleming/Bond selection because it was the work that made Bond an icon. It's not the first Bond story- Casino Royale is the origin tale- but From Russia with Love is perhaps the best known. It's short- just over 250 pages- and a quick read. But, frankly, a disappointing one.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, or I was distracted by personal matters, but I found the story only average at best. It was very straightforward and formulaic, with some unconvincing plot devices and underdeveloped characters/situations. It had moments of greatness- I could see the seeds of modern day thrillers in some of the pages- but in the end, it didn't meet my expectations. It took me over a week to plow through due to disinterest, which surprised me. If it's the spy genre you're after, le Carre would be a better choice. I have a feeling that this was groundbreaking in the 1950s, and could see teenage boys eating these books up, but today, comparing it with similar works written decades later, I feel it deficient.
In hindsight, Bond is one of those few genres that is perhaps better presented on the big screen. I'll stick to the movies in the future.
Rating: B-
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