Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories

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Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories (James Bond (Extended Series) #8 and 14)

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 1,228 ratings · 108 reviews

Many of Ian Fleming's short stories have been the inspiration for the extremely successful James Bond film franchise, and included in this collection are such stories as Octopussy, The Living Daylights, and For Your Eyes Only. The title story, Quantum of Solace, lends its name to the upcoming James Bond film, slated to release in Fall 2008. This collection will be publishe...more

Paperback, 279 pages

Published August 26th 2008 by Penguin (first published January 1st 2008)

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Sep 21, 2008 Tosh rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: men who read in their bathtub

Recommended to Tosh by: It's a James Bond world, that is imagined

The ultimate bathtub or plane reading book. It goes from the eyes to the brain, but doesn't stay long there. In fact it's pure air with a promise of something else. But that something else doesn't come along.

I was raised with James Bond in the pop culture background, and it's interesting to read the original source. All the short stories here are enjoyable but at the same time it's crap.

The beauty of 'James Bond' is more important than the actual literature by Ian Fleming. But saying that I have...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Andrew Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are curious about the origins of the most successful film franchise in history but do no have the time or interest to read a spy novel, begin here. It reprints the short stories found in "For Your Eyes Only" and "Octopussy and the Living Daylights," along with difficult to find stories featured in some editions of the latter. This edition captures an amazing range of Fleming's writing and numerous insights into the character of Bond.

(the remainder of this review is shamelessly copied and...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Shaun Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-mystery, short-story-collections

I'm glad they finally collected all the James Bond short stories into one collection; Ironically, the best stories of the collection are the ones that only peripherally have anything to do with James Bond. 'Quantum of Solace' and 'Octopussy', for instance, have James Bond merely making guest appearances, but his presence is so larger than life his shadow looms over the stories of the main characters. 'The Living Daylights' and 'the Property of a Lady' are good ones, just showing a quick snippet...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because I enjoy the Bond films so much. The Bond of the book world, however, is different in some ways from the Bond of the film world. This Bond, although confident and poised, experiences some inner conflict about the things he must do to serve his country. As in the films, he is a ladies' man. The Bond women are always attractive, with just enough spice to make them interesting bed mates, but in the end, they always end up compliant. I find it an amusing portrayal of wha...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Marc rated it 4 of 5 stars

These nine stories are more realistic and less fantastic than the novels; there are no depraved villains, no evil global organizations, no elaborate plots to take over the world, no futuristic gadgets. Instead the tales are grounded in the geopolitical context of the late 1950s and early 1960s: Castro's incipient revolution in Cuba, the accelerating collapse of the British colonial empire and, most of all, the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

Most of the stories follow Bond as he carries out a di...more These nine stories are more realistic and less fantastic than the novels; there are no depraved villains, no evil global organizations, no elaborate plots to take over the world, no futuristic gadgets. Instead the tales are grounded in the geopolitical context of the late 1950s and early 1960s: Castro's incipient revolution in Cuba, the accelerating collapse of the British colonial empire and, most of all, the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

Most of the stories follow Bond as he carries out a discrete MI6 mission, but in three stories ("Quantum of Solace," "The Hildebrand Rarity," and "Octopussy") Bond plays only a minor role in relation to the central action. For readers seeking the full James Bond experience in miniature, the best choices would be "From a View to a Kill" and "Risico," both of which are exciting, tightly plotted, and manage broadly to capture the feel of a Bond novel in short story format.

I'll provide brief notes on the three stories that emerged as my personal favorites ...

"Risico"
M orders Bond to Rome to identify the source of the heroin that's been pouring into England, and to put a stop to it. Bond is told to meet with the shady and mysterious Kristatos, who points the finger at Colombo, a Roman restaurateur. But Colombo is onto both Kristatos and Bond, and neither Colombo nor Kristatos turns out to be just what he seems. The plot takes several twists and turns, moving from Rome to Venice to a ship at sea, and culminates in a dramatic dawn shootout/explosion in an Adriatic port. Some of the plot elements here were used in the film For Your Eyes Only.

"The Hildebrand Rarity"
Ian Fleming displays impressive nature-writing skills, offering vivid descriptions of Indian Ocean marine life in this non-spy story set among the Seychelle islands. Bond has completed his mission, which was to investigate political conditions in the Seychelles for the British Navy, which may need to relocate its forces from the Maldives, where Communists from Ceylon are beginning to stir up trouble (Bond "concluded that the only conceivable security hazard in the Seychelles lay in the beauty and ready availability of the Seychelloises"). Now with a week to kill, Bond agrees to help out on a private expedition collecting marine specimens aboard a millionaire's yacht. The millionaire is Krest, a cruel, arrogant, alcoholic American who berates his guests and beats his pretty young wife; this domestic violence emerges as the core subject of the story.

"The Living Daylights"
A quintessential Cold War spy story. A year before the construction of the Berlin Wall, Bond is sent to Berlin to help a British agent possessing important intelligence to cross from the East back to the West. M has learned that a KGB assassin will be taking aim at the agent, and Bond's assignment is to assassinate the assassin. Fleming creates a very realistic atmosphere and includes many vivid cloak and dagger details. A key element of this story was used in the film of the same name.
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Jul 26, 2010 Christine E. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

I'm enjoying listening to this collection of James Bond short stories. It's highly entertaining pulp, full of fast cars, beautiful women, and exotic locations, as well as some quieter (but to me, equally interesting) tales about greed and love gone wrong. In a few stories, Bond is only a minor character. A couple of the stories are set in my homeland, Jamaica, where Ian Fleming owned a home and spent much of his leisure time. Those stories clearly express Fleming's love of my country's beauty, a...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Mitch Duckworth rated it 4 of 5 stars

That I truly enjoyed these short adventure gems of Mr. Bond in service to Her Majesty came as quite a happy surprise. Decidedly, I am not a fan of the Bond films (although I adore some scenes and marvel at the stunt-fest opening Albert Broccoli committed to film over his years of producing the franchise installments) and have had only limited exposure to Ian Fleming, having read Thunderball as a youngster. (And after nearly fifty-years, that is of no real value at all).

To a greater or lesser de...more
That I truly enjoyed these short adventure gems of Mr. Bond in service to Her Majesty came as quite a happy surprise. Decidedly, I am not a fan of the Bond films (although I adore some scenes and marvel at the stunt-fest opening Albert Broccoli committed to film over his years of producing the franchise installments) and have had only limited exposure to Ian Fleming, having read Thunderball as a youngster. (And after nearly fifty-years, that is of no real value at all).

To a greater or lesser degree, each tale has merit and serves to define and expand the character, the life, and times of this exceptional Cold War warrior, but one or two of the stories absolutely illuminate the human condition, especially the eponymous tale. I hope I never forget the central lesson of Quantum of Solace. In the story, Bond complains of suffering through a dull evening (but only internally; he's too wise, polite, and considerate to voice his opinion aloud) in the company of dull people leading small ordinary lives. In the end, after the other guests depart, his host recounts a most amazing tale about people whom Bond had considered too common, too comfortable, too complacent, too unremarkable; in every way, he has pronounced even the attractive older woman of the husband-and-wife couple as completely unworthy of consideration. But in this case, as his host recounts the tale within the tale, Bond is reminded of the human penchant for being far too quick to judge others, and far too harsh in our evaluations. It is too easy to glance at the circumstances of another's life and make a snap assessment. We are often guilty of hastily categorizing others, ascribing dubious qualities to them, making of them a caricature, seeing them as failing in this or that regard, and invariably finding fault; we frequently sell others short. Habitually and without shame or regret, we underestimate the obstacles and challenges others have overcome; we diminish their worthiness and accomplishments, all the while glibly overestimating and overvaluing our own. Obviously, in James Bond’s line of work, underestimating an adversary can have deadly consequences. In our own lives, the results may not be so dramatic, but then again, taken to heart, the lesson can prove invaluable. In the end, Quantum of Solace is a cautionary tale serving to remind us that an evident quantity of comfort is not always achieved with ease, or without struggling with the vicissitudes of life. Each of us who attain it have our own story that may include lessons learned and a high price paid for the accomplishment.

Bond is certainly a larger than life character, but unlike the film versions, on the printed page the outcomes hardly seem inevitable; our hero is neither infallible nor invincible. He suffers the same pangs of humanity as any of us might in his shoes; he feels remorse and is keenly aware that each action has consequences, and each extracts a toll upon his psyche. He is not impervious to the sins he commits in the name of serving and protecting his country and her allies. While Bond exhibits supreme confidence, it is not ego but his training and experience that justifies his approach; he has an unbreakable will to prevail. I'm familiar enough with that turf to recognize that it is a quality lacking in myself, which explains my failed businesses and depleted bank accounts, but that's another story. In each episode, Bond's assignment has him confronting brutality; he must carry out a potentially brutal action or prevent one from occurring. Although sometimes abstracted; the necessary acts are often brutal nonetheless, but can appear as brutality one-step removed, like bombing civilians from thirty-thousand feet, or offer mitigating circumstances, as in killing an assassin before the assassin can kill again. Naturally, there are always surprises, as in The Living Daylights, where Bond watches a beautiful young woman cellist through a high-powered telescopic sight day after day on her way to rehearsal, and is surprised to find himself feeling pangs of heartache and desire that he hadn’t felt since he was a young-young man. He is surprised to feel such things especially under the circumstances, which have placed him with the unenviable task of killing a sniper before the sniper can kill an escapee from East Berlin, crossing with valuable information. He is far more surprised at the critical moment when he sees the identity of the sniper through his scope, and yet it is vital to ‘neutralize’ the shooter.

Each contact Bond has with danger, each brush with death seems to inspire in him an elevated appreciation for life and pleasure. Surviving incredible missions with Bond is living on the high wire; each experience is heightened by uncertainty, fear, and the proximity and threat of death. He imbibes that oft-noted paradox; In Death There Is Life, and Bond not only believes in living, he believes in living pleasurably; believes in giving and receiving pleasure. There are hundreds of reasons to admire James Bond, and hundreds of reasons to desire him as a friend; hundreds of reasons a woman might want him as a lover, but more than anything, you want the man on your side. Having Bond against you may be the last thing you ever want.

The spy genre attracts its fans as does science fiction, horror, romance, and as readers and devotees of every genre, we all carry our preconceived notions to the bookshelves from which we make our selections. Recall the famous anecdote (if only I could remember the context, the speaker and interlocutor in the dialogue), wherein a reader expresses surprise: "This cannot be science fiction!" The companion glances at the book and asks, "Why is that?" Without appreciating the irony the speaker replies, "Because, I like it." Yes, well. Occasionally, we are lucky enough to broaden our horizons by stepping outside of the familiar and plunging into a different reality outside our comfort zone. We readers travel virtually to new realms, and just as a voyager in the physical world, we come back the better for our efforts, if we come back at all.

Okay. I'm willing to admit: Now that my hair is gray and my middle is expanding alarmingly, perhaps James Bond and his ilk serve the same function that the Frank Buck in darkest Africa comic book adventures served when I was seven or eight; not having experienced life at the twin-peak pinnacles of danger and pleasure, maybe I need a vicarious thrill now and then to keep my juices flowing. Fine. Whatever.

Here's the long and short of it: If you haven't tasted the Cold War up close and personal; haven't had your fill of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, The Kremlin Letter, John le Carré and the like, you could do worse than spend a day at the beach or a night in your favorite chair with Mr. Bond and M.

Now, then. Where are my George Smiley novels?(less)

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Sep 30, 2011 Sean Kottke rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, adult-recreational

What's good about this book is that it collects every short story Ian Fleming ever wrote about James Bond, including everything from For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and The Living Daylights. What's not so good is that it's a pretty mixed bag, with some really good mystery stories ("From a View to a Kill" and "Risico") and some fairly ho-hum pieces in which Bond doesn't do anything more than listen to people talk ("Quantum of Solace," for example, in which Bond listens to the story of an unhappy...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Sandy Vaughan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: listened

Do you like Ian Fleming?
I have liked most all the movies based on his novels since I first saw Gold Finger while I was in high school. I had never read Ian Fleming, which of course Scottish born DH had. I didn't want to be left behind, so when I saw Quantum of Solace on special at Audible.com, and read this publisher's summary, I had to get it. About 8.5 hours long, Quantum of Solace is a compilation of several short stories. I listened to one each night before sleeping.
Narrator, Simon Vance, d...more

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May 08, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's been a few years since I've read any of Ian Fleming's work, and I'd forgotten how enjoyable of a writer he is. His collection of James Bond short stories was a delight to read though definitely not for everyone.

Fleming's 007 should not be confused with the Bond of the silver screen. Readers looking for gadgets or shootouts or wild car chases will be disappointed. Most of these short stories are suspenseful, but not particularly action-oriented. And, in some, Bond is nothing more than a pass...more It's been a few years since I've read any of Ian Fleming's work, and I'd forgotten how enjoyable of a writer he is. His collection of James Bond short stories was a delight to read though definitely not for everyone.

Fleming's 007 should not be confused with the Bond of the silver screen. Readers looking for gadgets or shootouts or wild car chases will be disappointed. Most of these short stories are suspenseful, but not particularly action-oriented. And, in some, Bond is nothing more than a passing character, a sounding-board for someone else's story. This collection, more than anything, is a series of tales of the human psyche.

Fleming is a master writer, and all the stories were engaging. I will admit that some were harder to get into than others. While "From a View to Kill" (the most stereotypically cinematic entry), "Risico" and The Living Daylights" draw you in from the start, others such as "Octopussy" and the titular entry "Quantum of Solace" took a bit to gain my interest. These are the two entries in which Bond is furthest removed from the central story, appearing by and large in passing, and though Fleming renders flawless and vivid descriptions, I felt as though I was waiting for something to happen during most of their narratives.

Fleming's James Bond is complex, intellectual, a bit of a snob, and he has reservations about the parts of his job that require killing. One of my favorite passages came from "The Living Daylights," where an officer assigned to assist Bond criticizes him for having a drink before getting down to business:

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"Look, my friend," said Bond wearily, "I've got to commit a murder tonight. Not you. Me. So be a good chap and stuff it, would you? You can tell Tanqueray anything you like when it's over. Think I like this job? Having a Double-O number and so on? I'd be quite happy for you to get me sacked from the Double-O Section. Then I could settle down and make a snug nest of papers as an ordinary staffer. Right?" Bond drank down his whiskey, reached for his thriller [novel]—now arriving at an appalling climax—and threw himself on the bed.

It is hard to imagine the Bond of cinematic fame saying anything silimar, and it is passages like this that made the book particularly enjoyable. It is interesting to see such an iconic character humanized and built layer by layer. I am looking forward to revisiting more of Fleming's works and getting reacquianted with Bond in his original form.
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Mar 20, 2013 Sarah Lu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story-collection, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. From a View to a Kill: Fairly straight to the point short story. 4 stars

For Your Eyes Only: This story is a bit longer, and has more to it. There is a good deal of description to this story, to the point where it is very easy to imagine the surroundings or imaginings of Bond. I liked how Bond was trying to keep his mind occupied on his hike, with random questions coming to mind. It made him feel very real. However, his interactions with Judy Havelock were insulting and downright disturbing. I ho...more From a View to a Kill: Fairly straight to the point short story. 4 stars

For Your Eyes Only: This story is a bit longer, and has more to it. There is a good deal of description to this story, to the point where it is very easy to imagine the surroundings or imaginings of Bond. I liked how Bond was trying to keep his mind occupied on his hike, with random questions coming to mind. It made him feel very real. However, his interactions with Judy Havelock were insulting and downright disturbing. I honestly can't see why Judy would want anything to do with him afterwards, except as someone to get first aid from. If I were her, I would have shot him with an arrow even when he agreed to let her take point in the mission. 3.5 stars

Quantum of Solace: Bond and a Governor have a conversation. 3 stars

Risico: Double-crosses, smuggling, and lots of action. 5 stars

The Hildebrand Rarity: Bond covers up the murder of an annoying man to protect both a beautiful woman and a friend, during an expedition to find a rare fish. 2.5 stars

Octopussy: The story of a man who killed someone important to Bond. 3 stars

The Property of a Lady: Capturing a Russian operative through an auction house. 2 stars

The Living Daylights: Bond is such a whiner in this story! Why doesn't the man just quit if he doesn't want the job? I would've been able to enjoy this story a lot better if he didn't whine and complain so much. 1 star

007 in New York: Cute little story about what Bond would like to do in New York if his plans are uninterrupted. Amusing, at least. Not much of a story, but a nice way to pass the time. 4 stars

I have to say, it is interesting how Fleming is portraying Bond's character. At one moment, he seems to regret his job decision, wishing that he didn't have to take others' lives, and then another moment, he is itching for another job. Admittedly, the stories that these sentiments are featured in I believe are several years apart, so that could have something to do with his change in attitude.

What does not seem to change, however, is his attitude towards women. All women are girls to him and if their fates are never his business. If they are getting beaten by their husbands, it isn't his business, he won't step in and try to help, because obviously if she didn't want to get beaten, she would have left her husband by now. If a woman is to be killed, oh well, it had to happen. But if it is a man, or an animal? Then he has regrets. Then he second guesses himself, tries to think of ways to save the man or animal. But never a woman. This really does make me curious. (edit; 'The Living Daylights,' Bond does care about the fate of a woman, opting to only injure the left hand of a female KGB operative instead of killing her, despite his orders. However, he still rationalizes her fate away. In the end, he simply hopes that by fouling up the mission, he'll be stripped of his Double-O status and be put to paperwork, which is apparently what he really wants to do at this point in his career...)(less)

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Jun 22, 2011 Phil Mc rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An interesting and entertaining collection of vignettes which initially left me hankering for the longer narrative of a novel. Indeed, many of the stories, either in part or in whole, have since been adapted into films bearing their names; thus allowing for greater expansion of some quality ideas; however, By the third story I began to see this as "Bond: The T.V. Series" and, in this way, there is much to interest anyone with an interest in Fleming's spy.

The only sour note would be the final st...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Eva Nickelson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found these short stories entrancing. I will admit, I was more than willing to be entranced, and I was not disappointed. Mired in the Cold War, but without enough time for a thoroughly complex plot, these short stories give a nice glimpse of James Bond on assignment. Whether he lounging with the governor of some British Caribbean Island or sniping across the border into the DDR, Flemming brings to life the conflict of right and wrong to the forefront of Bond's (and occasionally M's) narrative....more

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Jan 29, 2009 P.Sannie rated it 3 of 5 stars

The original James Bond stories are an interesting read if you want to see what the character was originally like. Ian Fleming's written style is very easy, but I have to say, the stories are at points hilariously dated due to overt un-PC comments for today's standards. One great example from the short story "Quantum of Solace":

Bond says he wouldn't mind having a flight attendant girlfriend because "...it would be fine to always have a pretty girl tucking you up and bringing you drinks and hot m...more

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May 08, 2010 Benjaminxjackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

this collection of short stories shows James Bond as a Cold War Spy, dealing with the Soviet Block, cleaning up issues left over from World War II, and having a few side adventures in his off hours. (James Bond finds a rare fish for the Smithsonian.) The book's stories have a mixture of cloak and dagger, some stories are more cloak than dagger. There are no gadgets, evil villains stroking cats, or cheesy one-liners. Instead, there are stories about finding enemy agents, sniping, and a recipe for...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Josh rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a collection of James Bond short stories by the man who invented the character. Each is a short self-contained unit. Like many reviewers have stated, it is interesting to see where inspiration for different James Bond movies names and certain events originated. However, none of the stories are exceptional and they are pretty easily forgotten shortly after you listen. They are the kind of story you might expect to read in a magazine series. They are better than the recent James Bond book...more

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Nov 22, 2009 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

As the title suggests, "Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories" has everything but the novels -- and Ian Fleming did write mostly 007 novels, so this is a relatively brief collection. While the stories vary somewhat in quality, they do demonstrate that Fleming was a talented writer with a good eye for description, a sharp wit, and strong sense of pacing, even in the tighter format of the short story.

I'm not sure what's suggested by this, but the two best stories in the collecti...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Mimi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Much different from what I expected. Many of the stories in this collection center around characters other than James Bond. The other characters are fairly well developed for stories of this length. The Bond in this collection is not the same Bond represented in the earlier Bond films. He's much more conflicted, especially about assassination assignments. Much of his time is spent daydreaming about the normal life he does not have. Fleming also dedicates a lot of time to setting the scene, thoug...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: britlit, fantasy-historical, stories-novellas

What a fun little book! It has the expected thrills, foreign travel, high class living, and touches of misogyny one might expect from a collection of stories about James Bond. The real pleasure, however, is in overhearing Bond's thoughts when he is alone: his romantic fantasies, his unease about taking human life, his love of highly specific luxury products, and his nostalgic daydreams about the perfect day in a given city.
Interesting to note: the title story has absolutely nothing to do with th...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, 2011-challenge

I want to first say that I love, LOVE, love James Bond. Okay, let me correct myself. I love, LOVE, love James Bond MOVIES. I've never read Ian Fleming before and since I do enjoy short stories I expected this to be the perfect book for me to introduce myself to 007's creator.
Ian Fleming is very dry. I had to drag myself through this book. After the first couple of stories it became work to finish the book. There are some movie titles you might recognize:
A View to Kill
For Your Eyes Only
Quantum of...more

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Jul 29, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, thriller, spy, british-literature

I found Ian Fleming to be an unexpectedly good writer; his short stories are tight and the descriptions are beautifully detailed, especially when it comes to setting and location. Even though these stories were written almost fifty years ago, they're still great classic spy thrillers. However, if you're expecting the James Bond of the movies, you'll be disappointed. There are no high-tech gadgets and no superheroics, just pretty straightforward action and espionage (and usually more of the latte...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Johnsergeant rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiblecom, audiobook, short-stories, mystery, thriller

An enjoyable listen - lightweight - dated in a quaint way - almost period pieces

8 hrs and 26 mins

Narrated by Simon Vance

Publisher's Summary

Bringing together all of the James Bond short stories in one volume for the first time, this is the ultimate celebration of suave and deadly secret agent 007.
Whether he's making an unexpected discovery in the Bahamas, hunting down a Cuban hit man in wild country, smashing an international drug ring in Rome, or on the trail of a murderous assassin in Berlin's...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Seizure Romero rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, library

Nothing too revolutionary here... what I find most interesting is how little the the movies have to do with the original stories and how Bond is almost a peripheral character in a few of them. I haven't seen Quantum of Solace yet, but the original tale is about Bond having a drink with someone who tells him a story about two other people. Bond's mission has already been accomplished and is mentioned almost as an afterthought. The entire thing takes place in the drawing room of a government build...more

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Sep 22, 2009 Benjamin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-mystery

The book-Bond has very little in common with movie-Bond. There is very little of the suave, sophisticated martini-drinking Bond as portrayed by countless actors. In fact, the book-Bond is pretty close to the brute enforcer as portrayed by Daniel Craig in the most recent movies. Overall, these short stories bear little resemblance to the movies of the same name (especially the Quantum of Solace story the is used as the title of this collection).

Since these are short stories, they are somewhat "li...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Mario Kroll rated it 4 of 5 stars

My first read of Ian Fleming's James Bond stories after decades of having watched the movies and being a pretty serious fan. (My father introduced me when I was a pre-teen and I've seen every James Bond movie made). After Daniel Craig became 007, I thought I would go back and see how Ian Fleming envisioned the character. This is a nice, quick read that doesn't have all the high tech gadgets popularized in the movies, but focuses on great action and suspense. Each story has a very different tone...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book of James Bond short stories is fun and interesting. Because of the short story format, Fleming has no time to get lost in long and expansive plot twists. Instead, the scene is set, the action begins, and the story is concluded. I enjoyed this collection more than the full-length James Bond novels I've read.

Also, the short story form gives Fleming a little more room to experiment. For example, in two of the stories, James Bond is not even really a main character. So, all in all, a fun,...more

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Dec 20, 2009 rabbitprincess rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 007 fans

Shelves: gift-card, 2009

Since there are nine different stories in this collection, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, I shall give each one a review and star rating, then average the ratings out for the collection as a whole.

From a View to a Kill: 4 stars. Top-notch action, definitely kept me in suspense, and left me wanting to know more about the bad guys. I would not be surprised if this were an aborted novel. It seemed to have room for development, but perhaps Fleming was not in the right mindset to finis...more Since there are nine different stories in this collection, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, I shall give each one a review and star rating, then average the ratings out for the collection as a whole.

From a View to a Kill: 4 stars. Top-notch action, definitely kept me in suspense, and left me wanting to know more about the bad guys. I would not be surprised if this were an aborted novel. It seemed to have room for development, but perhaps Fleming was not in the right mindset to finish it.

For Your Eyes Only: 3.5 stars. Liked the setting of Jamaica and Canada!!! yeah!!!! (RCMP HQ in Ottawa, even.) The story itself was okay, and I was very sad about the old people at the start of the book. And oh the rampant sexism from Bond, calling the girl a silly bitch. :O Yes, I am aware Bond is not very civilized in the books, but it's still kind of shocking.

Quantum of Solace: 4.5 stars. Not much happens in the story, but it is certainly less boring than I thought it would be. Some very interesting relationship psychology and thoughts on the workings of human nature. I predicted the final twist just before Bond did, which makes me awesome. And for some reason all the Bonds I picture in these stories are Roger Moore. Is this a bad thing?

Risico: 5 stars. Seriously. This was pure, unadulterated, fluffy silly Bond. Adventure, intrigue, some key knowledge on the part of the reader that Bond was ignorant of until later, and of course explosions! Gotta have the explosions. Also the implication of sex with a random woman at the end. Actually, the title story is the only one so far that HASN'T ended with naughty implications for Bond. But yeah, I loved Risico. It was a lot of fun.

The Hildebrand Rarity: 2 stars. Didn't really like this one that much. I thought the Krest guy was a little too over-the-top in his assholishness and the wife was not really there very much as a character, other than to be pretty and vulnerable and eventually shagged by Bond. (You just know that that will happen later.)

Octopussy: 4 stars. Very good character definition with Major Smythe, and great description of ocean life. Nice twist at the end too. Perhaps one could see it coming if one paid attention, but there's only so much you can do to keep things mysterious within the confines of a short story.

The Property of a Lady: 3.5 stars. 3 for the story and an extra half star for the description of the Emerald Sphere itself. Sounds absolutely gorgeous.

The Living Daylights: 4.5 stars. Classic Cold War kind of plot and setting, good solid twists and a few chuckle-worthy moments (at the expense of Mr. Sender... wonder how many people made jokes about his name once the Elvis song "Return to Sender" came out). Also liked seeing James read pulpy thrillers. It's very fitting. Actually, adding an extra half star for the descriptions of the various guns. Very educational.

007 in New York: 3 stars that is more for the description of NYC and the hell that is going through airports. The line "plenty of squalling children" made me laugh in sympathy. Poor Bond. But yes, apart from the description there's not much else going on in the story, and the ending is rather rushed.

Overall rating: approximately 3.5. Damn, the Hildebrand Rarity really affected my rating. Ignore that story. (And I'll round the Goodreads rating up to 4 to compensate.) Read this collection for the others.(less)

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Sep 16, 2008 Joshua rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any looking for cerebral spy stories

Shelves: mystery-thrillers, quote-literature-unquote

The rating reflects only the Penguin addition and not the stories contained inside .

In many ways, the literary Bond is quite different from the film Bond, and liking one doesn't necessarily mean one will like the other. Bond on film is the Bond I know best. He is charming, abrasive, over-the-top, and bullets bounce of him. The literary Bond acts more how a spy should act-- unseen, more human and thoughtful, good with the ladies, but with more misogyny. If you thought the Bond from the films is...more The rating reflects only the Penguin addition and not the stories contained inside .

In many ways, the literary Bond is quite different from the film Bond, and liking one doesn't necessarily mean one will like the other. Bond on film is the Bond I know best. He is charming, abrasive, over-the-top, and bullets bounce of him. The literary Bond acts more how a spy should act-- unseen, more human and thoughtful, good with the ladies, but with more misogyny. If you thought the Bond from the films is a misogynist, wait till you read about Bond. Wow. These books can push the feminist movement back decades. Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is that if you're looking for big action Bond like in the movies, you'll be sorely displeased. The Bond here is more cerebral, more a secret agent.

I bought this collection because I wanted to read Quantum of Solace before the movie is released. The one thing I have found out about reading the Bond stories is that in many ways the movies are in name only, and nothing like the stories. This is a Bond story without Bond, and it was my favorite-- especially the reasoning for the title: Quantum of Solace. It is quite poetic and from looking at the movie trailers, it looks like the movie is keeping the same theme. This collection contains 9 short stories, and is a must read for any literary Bond fan.

I have a big grip with Penguin's re-releasing of the Bond books to coincide with the centennial of Ian Fleming’s birth. My grip stems from the three short collections released by Penguin: For Your Eyes Only , Octopussy and the Living Daylights and Quantum of Solace . First off if you bought For Your Eyes Only and Quantum of Solace , you are buying the same 4 short stories twice. Quantum contains all the stories in For Your Eyes Only as well as five additional stories. So you just got ripped off. Both even contain Quantum of Solace, which is the title of this book! Secondly, Quantum of Solace contains both Octopussy and the Living Daylights, which the second collection is titled, so if you buy the short story collection Octopussy and the Living Daylights you are getting those stories twice. That is why this is titled the Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond short stories . The Complete James Bond short stories tag is in small print on the cover of the book, which I didn't even notice until I finished reading the book. While it is great that all the short stories are collected here, there is barely any distinction explaining so.

Good stories, better effort needed on Penguin's part.(less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: spies

So basically, the only thing these stories have in common with the movies are some titles and the fact that the main character is named James Bond. It's not even the same Bond. The one in these stories has ethical dilemmas, and worries about whether he'll survive things, and is, basically, a somewhat believable human being. The stories also have nothing whatsoever to do with the movies - there are no memorable villains, just counter spies and revolutionaries who end up on the wrong end of Bond's...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Osho rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

A little pulp adventure genre cotton candy rendered even fluffier by the brevity of the pieces. While the literary Bond is a more interior fellow than his film avatar, there's still not a lot going on here. The stories aren't that salacious, though some make reference to more provocative literature, such as a novel Bond reads, the cover of which features a woman bound to a bed. It's always hilarious to see how movies diverge from the story; here, the short story "Octopussy" bears no resemblance...more

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About Ian Fleming

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Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Second World War Navy Commander. Fleming is best remembered for creating the character of James Bond and chronicling his adventures in twelve novels and nine short stories. Additionally, Fleming wrote the...more

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Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories (James Bond (Extended Series) #8 and 14)

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