James Bond

Is anyone else a fan of James Bond? I wane in interest, of course, but I'm finding Spectre revived my interest. Weird, considering I was disappointed.
All that said, I just listened to the audiobook for Casino Royale and really liked it. The voice actor did a great job, but the story was better told than I'd feared. I read Man with the Golden Gun years ago and thought it was poorly written.
Any thoughts/recommendations on books that are particularly interesting? I've skipped around, read License Renewed and a few other Gardner books, no Raymond Benson. Some comics.
I really like Never Say Never Again, too. That might tell you how weird I am about it.

I've always liked the movies, at least until the most recent ones, but having read several of the books, I wasn't impressed with them; Fleming is not a particularly good writer, his plots are fine but his style is turgid, and his version of Bond is deeply unlikeable. "My" Bond, really, is the one I was most invested in as a child, Roger Moore! Bond needs a bit of humour for his character to work, I think, something to offset his ruthlessness, and Moore captured that perfectly.

tony ingram wrote:but having read several of the books, I wasn't impressed with them; Fleming is not a particularly good writer, his plots are fine but his style is turgid

I agree about his writing. I just don't think it works at all.

tony ingram wrote:"My" Bond, really, is the one I was most invested in as a child, Roger Moore! Bond needs a bit of humour for his character to work, I think, something to offset his ruthlessness, and Moore captured that perfectly.

I don't know, I can see what you're saying. I loved Moore as a kid, he WAS Bond for me then, but as an adult I don't like his movies. His version of Bond seems a bit goofy. I like the harder edged version, it makes more sense given the stakes.

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:but having read several of the books, I wasn't impressed with them; Fleming is not a particularly good writer, his plots are fine but his style is turgid

I agree about his writing. I just don't think it works at all.

tony ingram wrote:"My" Bond, really, is the one I was most invested in as a child, Roger Moore! Bond needs a bit of humour for his character to work, I think, something to offset his ruthlessness, and Moore captured that perfectly.

I don't know, I can see what you're saying. I loved Moore as a kid, he WAS Bond for me then, but as an adult I don't like his movies. His version of Bond seems a bit goofy. I like the harder edged version, it makes more sense given the stakes.

Yes, it makes more sense! But...it's dull!!!

I don't find it dull, but my tastes are notoriously odd.

Mbast1 wrote:I don't find it dull, but my tastes are notoriously odd.

I'm just not really an action hero kind of person.

tony ingram wrote:I'm just not really an action hero kind of person.

I definitely can be. Grew up reading a lot of "men's adventure" fiction, along with comics.

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:I'm just not really an action hero kind of person.

I definitely can be. Grew up reading a lot of "men's adventure" fiction, along with comics.

I was always more one for SF and fantasy. I remember trying to read Biggles as a kid and thinking how much it would be improved by the addition of a time warp and some aliens.

tony ingram wrote:and thinking how much it would be improved by the addition of a time warp and some aliens.

Well, sure, but that's true of ANYthing!

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:and thinking how much it would be improved by the addition of a time warp and some aliens.

Well, sure, but that's true of ANYthing!

"What's that, Lassie? There are strange creatures stalking out of a glowing portal on Old Man Jackson's top field? And they're vivisecting Timmy!!!?"

tony ingram wrote:"What's that, Lassie? There are strange creatures stalking out of a glowing portal on Old Man Jackson's top field? And they're vivisecting Timmy!!!?"

I have never had the slightest interest in watching Lassie. THAT, though, I'd binge-watch all the way through!