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James Bond (Original Series) #4
Diamonds Are Forever
‘The twentieth century looked out at him from the piece of newsprint and bared its teeth in a sneer’
From the diamond mines of Sierra Leone to the jewellers of Hatton Garden, from race track to casino, Bond must infiltrate and destroy the criminal network of the Spangled Mob in Fleming’s fourth 007 adventure.
From the diamond mines of Sierra Leone to the jewellers of Hatton Garden, from race track to casino, Bond must infiltrate and destroy the criminal network of the Spangled Mob in Fleming’s fourth 007 adventure.
309 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 1956
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10313 people want to read
About the author
Ian Fleming
746 books3,358 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Fleming was married to Ann Fleming. She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Ann had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in the official film series.
Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English writer, best known for his postwar James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and, briefly, the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through several jobs before he started writing.
While working for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units: 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. He drew from his wartime service and his career as a journalist for much of the background, detail, and depth of his James Bond novels.
Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, at age 44. It was a success, and three print runs were commissioned to meet the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two collections of short stories followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels centre around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond is also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
Fleming was married to Ann Fleming. She had divorced her husband, the 2nd Viscount Rothermere, because of her affair with the author. Fleming and Ann had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and succumbed to heart disease in 1964 at the age of 56. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times, portrayed by six actors in the official film series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,433 reviews
June 20, 2022
(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: James Bond fights evil American capitalists, escapes by road, air, rail and sea, and has his profanities bleeped in-text.
Notes: James Bond fights evil American capitalists, escapes by road, air, rail and sea, and has his profanities bleeped in-text.
September 2, 2023
Has Bond gone soft?
That's what she said.
The Bond girl, Tiffany Case, feels more like a real human woman and James treats her as such. Bond likes her, respects her, and because he has information about a trauma in her past actually treats her with kid gloves.
He even takes the time to think about what it would mean to her if they slept together!
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JAMES?!
Don't get me wrong, I liked it.
Mostly.
We also get a more badass Bond.
While the movies show him as a slick fighter, I've gotten kind of used to him getting a really thorough (dare I say embarrassing?) beatdown at least once per adventure.
This reads a teeny bit more like the movies but not enough to ruin my gleeful exploration of these books.
This is Bond's second trip to Florida and Felix Leiter is right there with him again, only this time he's a Pinkerton.
They team up to take down diamond smugglers who are stealing from the British government and working with a group of American mobsters.
This is fun because we get lots of fun mobby hijinks in this one.
Fixed horse racing, Vegas gambling trips, and terrifying mud baths.
Classic.
This book turned some kind of a corner.
Not sure whether or not it's a lasting corner, or even if I would enjoy these books so much if James wasn't such a piggy little ass. It's part of the, we'll call it charm, of these books.
Just this unfettered look into what a boozy, sexy, sexist, secret spy supposedly had running through his head in the 50s. Because (and I mean this honestly) that's just some fun shit to read.
This was a good installment in the series and it really held my interest. And yes, I know some of his views might be considered a tad outdated, so these might not be for everyone.
Recommended for fans of cheesetacular secret agent men.
That's what she said.
The Bond girl, Tiffany Case, feels more like a real human woman and James treats her as such. Bond likes her, respects her, and because he has information about a trauma in her past actually treats her with kid gloves.
He even takes the time to think about what it would mean to her if they slept together!
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JAMES?!
Don't get me wrong, I liked it.
Mostly.
We also get a more badass Bond.
While the movies show him as a slick fighter, I've gotten kind of used to him getting a really thorough (dare I say embarrassing?) beatdown at least once per adventure.
This reads a teeny bit more like the movies but not enough to ruin my gleeful exploration of these books.
This is Bond's second trip to Florida and Felix Leiter is right there with him again, only this time he's a Pinkerton.
They team up to take down diamond smugglers who are stealing from the British government and working with a group of American mobsters.
This is fun because we get lots of fun mobby hijinks in this one.
Fixed horse racing, Vegas gambling trips, and terrifying mud baths.
Classic.
This book turned some kind of a corner.
Not sure whether or not it's a lasting corner, or even if I would enjoy these books so much if James wasn't such a piggy little ass. It's part of the, we'll call it charm, of these books.
Just this unfettered look into what a boozy, sexy, sexist, secret spy supposedly had running through his head in the 50s. Because (and I mean this honestly) that's just some fun shit to read.
This was a good installment in the series and it really held my interest. And yes, I know some of his views might be considered a tad outdated, so these might not be for everyone.
Recommended for fans of cheesetacular secret agent men.
February 7, 2014
If I were a woman, I might conduct a séance, and then throttle the spirit of Ian Fleming. He’s not a bad guy, mind you, but just once, I’d like to see a female character give James Bond a run for his money. So far I’m still waiting for a return on my initial investment. And I know this is one investment that probably won’t pan out, but I can still hold onto a faint glimmer of false hope.
Vesper Lynd did come close, but she ultimately failed when paired next to Bond’s wit and charm. Tiffany Case, however, pales in comparison. But you don’t read James Bond to gain profound insights into the female psyche, unless you want to end up several miles in the wrong direction with a broken radiator and a flat tire.
I do find it interesting that once again Bond is tortured, and once again the reader completely misses out on the experience. Mr. Fleming must have decided that he couldn’t top the scene in CASINO ROYALE, which brought a whole new meaning to the word punishment, so he decided to not even try. Life, though, proves a whole lot more interesting and fun and exciting, when you toss a cement wall in the middle of the highway every once in a while.
While I enjoyed DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, the main bad dude felt a bit nebulous, almost like an evil presence more than an evil person. And while the action was present and accounted for, it felt a bit less than full throttle, and the scenes seemed to end much too quickly.
I’ve enjoyed the Bond study thus far, simply because of his vast influence, and I’m happy to continue my journey, but I am thankful there’s no test at the end.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
Vesper Lynd did come close, but she ultimately failed when paired next to Bond’s wit and charm. Tiffany Case, however, pales in comparison. But you don’t read James Bond to gain profound insights into the female psyche, unless you want to end up several miles in the wrong direction with a broken radiator and a flat tire.
I do find it interesting that once again Bond is tortured, and once again the reader completely misses out on the experience. Mr. Fleming must have decided that he couldn’t top the scene in CASINO ROYALE, which brought a whole new meaning to the word punishment, so he decided to not even try. Life, though, proves a whole lot more interesting and fun and exciting, when you toss a cement wall in the middle of the highway every once in a while.
While I enjoyed DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, the main bad dude felt a bit nebulous, almost like an evil presence more than an evil person. And while the action was present and accounted for, it felt a bit less than full throttle, and the scenes seemed to end much too quickly.
I’ve enjoyed the Bond study thus far, simply because of his vast influence, and I’m happy to continue my journey, but I am thankful there’s no test at the end.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
January 23, 2023
Book four in the James Bond series.
This is a funny series really, four books in and you think we'd be starting to know Bond a bit better by now however there's no character development here, Bond is as surface level as he was in book one.
It's been said a million times, these books are a product of their time, women and race are handled very badly. That aside there is something very readable about these books.
I will continue to pick these books up as and when I want a lighter read.
Three stars.
This is a funny series really, four books in and you think we'd be starting to know Bond a bit better by now however there's no character development here, Bond is as surface level as he was in book one.
It's been said a million times, these books are a product of their time, women and race are handled very badly. That aside there is something very readable about these books.
I will continue to pick these books up as and when I want a lighter read.
Three stars.
August 25, 2021
This is my 90th book of the year thus completing my reading challenge. Unlike my 300th read of all time, this one wasn't a massive steaming pile. Oh Evelyn Hardcastle, how you keep appearing in my reviews I'll never know.
When I started reading this novel I instantly thought "Why didn't they make a movie of this one?" Well they did and it's in the top 5 worst. Seeing as this is only my second dive into the world of Bond books I'm not much of a judge, but I did like it more than Casino Royale (ever slightly). That one oozed more suspense, but that second half was a bloody (pun intended) mess.
In this book's first half, Bond seems to be on his best behavior and doing exactly what the bad guys tell him. As soon as the reader gets a bit suspicious, good ol' James flips the script for a most fun second half. Cars were at a bare minimum (unless taxi cabs count). Gadgets were non-existent. Maybe Q was on vacation or something. Guns and gun play were plenty.
I'm still looking for that Bond book that will blow me away and make me understand why they made 26 movies out of the series. Also as a FYI: De Beers coined the "A diamond is forever" phrase in 1946 and this book was published in 1956. A chicken and the egg situation except the answer is crystal or should I say diamond.
When I started reading this novel I instantly thought "Why didn't they make a movie of this one?" Well they did and it's in the top 5 worst. Seeing as this is only my second dive into the world of Bond books I'm not much of a judge, but I did like it more than Casino Royale (ever slightly). That one oozed more suspense, but that second half was a bloody (pun intended) mess.
In this book's first half, Bond seems to be on his best behavior and doing exactly what the bad guys tell him. As soon as the reader gets a bit suspicious, good ol' James flips the script for a most fun second half. Cars were at a bare minimum (unless taxi cabs count). Gadgets were non-existent. Maybe Q was on vacation or something. Guns and gun play were plenty.
I'm still looking for that Bond book that will blow me away and make me understand why they made 26 movies out of the series. Also as a FYI: De Beers coined the "A diamond is forever" phrase in 1946 and this book was published in 1956. A chicken and the egg situation except the answer is crystal or should I say diamond.
November 13, 2024
Bond, James Bond. I have probably watched every movie multiple times, and at this time of year, my husband and I enjoy watching the Daniel Craig films on Saturday nights. My husband is a huge fan of Craig as Bond but will watch the Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore installments of the franchise. My dad, on the other hand, will only watch those original films starring Sean Connery as 007. As a teen, he ushered at a fancy movie house in downtown Chicago and got to watch the first few movies while at work. Not a bad gig, and he was hooked and managed to watch most of the Connery films. Growing up I saw these as reruns on tv because my dad is not the type to rent mainstream movies. Regardless, I have seen most if not all of the Bond films and enjoy them immensely. Supposedly, Aaron Taylor Johnson has been tabbed as the next Bond, but the movie studio is keeping tight lips so we fans wait with bated breath for the next film. In the meantime, I periodically read Ian Fleming’s original Bond books, the ones he churned out once a year, and listed JFK as an early fan of his work. Diamonds are Forever was one of Connery’s early films in the Bond franchise, and I desired to see how Fleming’s work matched up to Bond on the silver screen.
As with most of these books occurring during the days of the Cold War, the action starts slow. There is always the threat of SMERSH but the Russians are notably absent from this installment. What I enjoy as the action gets started is Bond’s conversations with M. At this time 007 has not yet achieved the peak of his notoriety, and M questions if he is up for a case against the American mafia, who can be ruthless. From what Bond understands, the Americans are Italians who eat spaghetti by day and order killings by night; however, the mob, specifically the Spangled Gang, is much more organized and brutal than that. The brothers Spang have made a fortune by creating a pipeline to smuggle diamonds from points in Africa to be sold in America at a considerable profit. London is a key jumping off point, so M has been informed by his Chief that MI-6 should get involved even though this case should be in the jurisdiction of the CIA. Knowing that the CIA during the Cold War could be just as brutal as the mob, I prefer Bond going undercover with his license to kill only if necessary. His job is to pinpoint where the pipeline starts and ends and to eliminate the perpetrators only if needed. As in other cases set during the Cold War, Bond is off to America, traveling in a ritzy business class variety.
Being in America could only mean one thing: collaboration with old friend Felix Leiter. The two make a formidable pair and provide humorous conversation. Injured on an earlier job with Bond, Leiter now works on contract for Pinkerton, who happen to have a network located all over the country. He drives a souped up Studebaker-Cadillac hybrid, which Bond claims has nothing on European cars, and he is probably right. But what is a James Bond movie/book without a car chase. Here, Bond and Leiter fight the Spang Gang from New York to Saratoga Springs to Las Vegas in its early days as a gambling den paradise. From as early as Casino Royale, fans know that Bond is an astute gambler who usually wins unless there is a fix on. It is tough to say if the Spangs know of Bond’s true identity early on, but they are on to him in the form of two goons who do their heavy hitting. These men known as Wint and Kidd follow Bond around the globe; they are merely thugs, and I prefer the cunning of the Russians to the brawn of the Americans. At least in this case, the Bond girl aptly named Tiffany Case- diamonds- is fearful of all men and knows how to protect herself in a fight. In this regard, she provides a better backup for Bond than his usual girl, who usually falls for him immediately and stands aside while he wins skirmishes against thugs. Not Tiffany Case so that is a refresher for the bulk of the action.
Bond eventually gets his men, foils the diamond pipeline, and returns to work. Even Tiffany Case, who is fearful of all men, succumbs to Bond’s advances in the end. If she didn’t submit to him, it would not be a classic James Bond case. At only a little over two hundred pages, there was not much space for the action to build up and then resolve itself. By the fourth book in the series, Fleming found his formula and stuck with it. Eventually he would write fourteen Bond books before his premature death and then other writers with good intentions took over the series, an eye on each book becoming the next blockbuster Bond film. Bond stands out in America, yet this case lacks the intrigue of his cases involving the Russians. Such is the nature of a franchise that began during the Cold War and needed the presence of the Russians as a necessary evil. With the Spang brothers out of the way, Bond can return to MI-6 and go back to fighting SMERSH, and, of course, Spectre, who is mentioned in passing with the name of a hideout town run by the Spangs. At this point, Spectre had yet to make their first appearance in the series, but Fleming must have had an inkling here of the direction that the Bond series would go in. Reading from a 21st century lens, I appreciate his foresight in developing an overarching series as he wrote a single book. Little did he know how enduring his hero would become.
As I wait impatiently for the next Bond film, I know that I can always go back and watch my favorite films and read through the books. I do not read these for their literary prowess, simply because I need a Bond fix in between movies. Craig remains my favorite, and, as much as I have tried to convince my father to watch those, he remains partial to Connery. Hopefully, the next Bond will measure up to both. Diamonds are Forever must have appeared more sultry on screen with Connery chasing thugs halfway across the globe and ending up with a formidable girl. Reading these are pure brain candy but fun and make me pine for fall weekend evenings where my family tunes into whichever Bond film floats our fancy. I will have to make Diamonds are Forever our next Bond family movie night. I have a feeling that 007 will exude more of his manly charm on screen than he did in print. Bond, James Bond.
3.75 stars
As with most of these books occurring during the days of the Cold War, the action starts slow. There is always the threat of SMERSH but the Russians are notably absent from this installment. What I enjoy as the action gets started is Bond’s conversations with M. At this time 007 has not yet achieved the peak of his notoriety, and M questions if he is up for a case against the American mafia, who can be ruthless. From what Bond understands, the Americans are Italians who eat spaghetti by day and order killings by night; however, the mob, specifically the Spangled Gang, is much more organized and brutal than that. The brothers Spang have made a fortune by creating a pipeline to smuggle diamonds from points in Africa to be sold in America at a considerable profit. London is a key jumping off point, so M has been informed by his Chief that MI-6 should get involved even though this case should be in the jurisdiction of the CIA. Knowing that the CIA during the Cold War could be just as brutal as the mob, I prefer Bond going undercover with his license to kill only if necessary. His job is to pinpoint where the pipeline starts and ends and to eliminate the perpetrators only if needed. As in other cases set during the Cold War, Bond is off to America, traveling in a ritzy business class variety.
Being in America could only mean one thing: collaboration with old friend Felix Leiter. The two make a formidable pair and provide humorous conversation. Injured on an earlier job with Bond, Leiter now works on contract for Pinkerton, who happen to have a network located all over the country. He drives a souped up Studebaker-Cadillac hybrid, which Bond claims has nothing on European cars, and he is probably right. But what is a James Bond movie/book without a car chase. Here, Bond and Leiter fight the Spang Gang from New York to Saratoga Springs to Las Vegas in its early days as a gambling den paradise. From as early as Casino Royale, fans know that Bond is an astute gambler who usually wins unless there is a fix on. It is tough to say if the Spangs know of Bond’s true identity early on, but they are on to him in the form of two goons who do their heavy hitting. These men known as Wint and Kidd follow Bond around the globe; they are merely thugs, and I prefer the cunning of the Russians to the brawn of the Americans. At least in this case, the Bond girl aptly named Tiffany Case- diamonds- is fearful of all men and knows how to protect herself in a fight. In this regard, she provides a better backup for Bond than his usual girl, who usually falls for him immediately and stands aside while he wins skirmishes against thugs. Not Tiffany Case so that is a refresher for the bulk of the action.
Bond eventually gets his men, foils the diamond pipeline, and returns to work. Even Tiffany Case, who is fearful of all men, succumbs to Bond’s advances in the end. If she didn’t submit to him, it would not be a classic James Bond case. At only a little over two hundred pages, there was not much space for the action to build up and then resolve itself. By the fourth book in the series, Fleming found his formula and stuck with it. Eventually he would write fourteen Bond books before his premature death and then other writers with good intentions took over the series, an eye on each book becoming the next blockbuster Bond film. Bond stands out in America, yet this case lacks the intrigue of his cases involving the Russians. Such is the nature of a franchise that began during the Cold War and needed the presence of the Russians as a necessary evil. With the Spang brothers out of the way, Bond can return to MI-6 and go back to fighting SMERSH, and, of course, Spectre, who is mentioned in passing with the name of a hideout town run by the Spangs. At this point, Spectre had yet to make their first appearance in the series, but Fleming must have had an inkling here of the direction that the Bond series would go in. Reading from a 21st century lens, I appreciate his foresight in developing an overarching series as he wrote a single book. Little did he know how enduring his hero would become.
As I wait impatiently for the next Bond film, I know that I can always go back and watch my favorite films and read through the books. I do not read these for their literary prowess, simply because I need a Bond fix in between movies. Craig remains my favorite, and, as much as I have tried to convince my father to watch those, he remains partial to Connery. Hopefully, the next Bond will measure up to both. Diamonds are Forever must have appeared more sultry on screen with Connery chasing thugs halfway across the globe and ending up with a formidable girl. Reading these are pure brain candy but fun and make me pine for fall weekend evenings where my family tunes into whichever Bond film floats our fancy. I will have to make Diamonds are Forever our next Bond family movie night. I have a feeling that 007 will exude more of his manly charm on screen than he did in print. Bond, James Bond.
3.75 stars
April 29, 2015
James Bond vs. the American Mafia. James Bond's beloved M gives him the assignment to destroy a diamond pipeline. In going after the diamond smugglers, Bond travels to America and is paired up with a woman working for the diamond smugglers - one Tiffany Case. He travels to New York City, Saratoga Springs, and then to Las Vegas.
...
The book, as so many Bond books do, focuses heavily on gambling. We have copious amounts of, not only card playing, but horse racing in this novel. If this bores you, I suggest you skim these pages, Fleming tends to go into excruciating detail.
...
RACISM: The book contains slurs regarding Jews, Italians, blacks and gays. Not to the extent of CR or LALD, but still, it's noticeable.
...
WOMEN: I felt like James Bond was on his best behavior for me regarding his treatment of women in this book. I appreciate his efforts to please me.
WOMEN SUBSET: TIFFANY CASE
The Bond girl is Tiffany Case. She breaks Bond's previous three-book mold of black-hair blue-eyed women. A 27-year-old blonde with grey eyes, Tiffany is running with the wrong crowd. She feels a strong attraction to Bond, but tries to fight it, hard. Firstly because she thinks he's a criminal (he's working undercover to try and infiltrate the mob), and secondly because she was brutally gang-raped by Mafia goons at the tender age of 16. Since then, she's shut herself off from all male advances.
I was really actually quite shocked at how well Bond deals with this serious obstacle to getting Case into bed. After learning her story (from his good friend and ex-CIA agent Felix Leiter), Bond treads carefully around her and takes things slow. He's protective of her in a way I've never seen him be with a woman before.
Bond said nothing. He looked out the window and cursed his job. All he wanted to say to this girl was: "Listen. Come with me. I like you. Don't be afraid. It can't be worse than alone." But if she said yes he would have been smart. And he didn't want to be smart with this girl. It was is job to use her but, whatever the job dictated, there was one way he would never 'use' this particular girl. Through the heart.
Awww! James Bond is making me say "aw." I thought this day would never come. Usually I want to lecture and throttle him. Here's another one:
He thought of the lovely face cradled on the open hand below him, innocent and defenseless in sleep, the scorn gone from the level grey eyes and the ironical droop from the corners of the passionate mouth, and Bond knew that he was very near to being in love with her.
Ooh! I was squealing with joy and anticipation watching these two get closer and closer and closer. Tiffany herself was very endearing. She acts very tough and standoffish and gives James a hard time (definitely a difference from most women, who just kneel in front of him and start begging him to have sex with them), but inside she's just scared of men and afraid of letting herself feel something for someone who she believes is on the wrong side of the law (in her mind, criminal men are scum - like the men who raped her).
Here's some Tiffany for you:
Listen, you Bond person, I'm as happy as a cricket. I love being here. I love being with you. And I love this nice dark table where no one can see me holding your hand. Don't mind my talk. I just can't get over being so happy.
She always calls him "you Bond person," and I found this charming.
She's smart, has criminal knowledge, and is one heck of a card player - no wonder Bond's enamored of her.
Bond and Tiffany get to really know each other. And then comes the night when she starts dropping hints to him that "tonight's the night." During this whole chapter I was wracked with anxiety and nerves.
What was I afraid of? That Bond would be a beast to her in bed? No, although this was a possibility - Bond is a real bastard at times - but I was confident he'd put it down right for her, especially on their first night together.
No, what was really terrifying me was Ian Fleming's penchant for ruining things. There's 20% of the book left and I was horrified by the thought that either
a.) she and Bond were on this wonderful romantic date, with her dropping hints right and left that tonight's going to be their first night together in bed, and then Fleming puts them under attack and as a result she dies or she gets too spooked to ever consummate things with Bond or
b.) They would finally have sex, and it would be great, and she would be happy and he would be happy, and they would be in love - and then Fleming would have the bad guys find them, and kill the woman or damage her irreparably in some way.
BECAUSE FLEMING LIKES TO DO STUFF LIKE THAT. Well, I won't tell you if it went one of these two ways, OR a completely different way - you can read the book and find out. But I was on pins and needles.
WOMEN: SUBSET: OTHER WOMEN
But, is Bond's stellar treatment of the Bond girl enough to impress me? Well, frankly, yes. But as an additional bonus, as proof that Bond is trying to be a better hero so that I'm happier with him - there's a great scene where he defends a little manicurist. He's getting a shave (but really spying on Mr. Evil-Guy), and this woman is doing Evil-Guy's nails, and accidentally nicks his fingertip. Evil-Guy flies into a rage, berating the woman and ordering the barber to fire her, then leaving in a huff. When he leaves and the barber starts ripping into the sobbing woman, Bond steps in at tells him to shut the fuck up. Well, not in those exact words. But still. I was cheering! Yay!
...
THE F-WORD:
Speaking of the f-word, it's really clear in this novel that James says it twice. But both times, in my edition, it's blocked out. Here's a sample "----," said Bond, once. Except there's not four little dashes, but one long dash. This is the first time I've come across this, Bond didn't do this (use the f-word) in any previous novels. So perhaps Fleming's treating the Bond girls a bit nicer but spicing up Bond's language? I don't know.
...
FASCINATING TIDBIT:
Bond quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson in this novel.
IN SUMMARY:
I really enjoyed this book. Not enough to give it five stars, because a.) racial/ethnic slurs, b.) Bond makes Tiffany cry at one point (grrrrr), c.) Fleming goes into way too much boring detail about cards and horse racing. But otherwise, a stellar Bond novel. This is really the first time I've seen Bond (in these 4 books) be sweet and patient and charming to a woman. I know people think Bond = Charming Charmer - but in the books he's really more like Entitled Bastard. It was good to see him having to step carefully for once. Tiffany was efficient, smart, and she impressed Bond with her tenacity, brains, and skills numerous times. I also always like to see Felix Leiter, and he was a key player in this novel. I wish there was a bit more of both M and Moneypenny (sometimes I swear Bond's more in love with M than he ever could be with any woman) because I adore seeing Bond interact with them, but I'll take what I can get. 4 stars.
UPDATE: 1971 SEAN CONNERY FILM.
I almost feel like I should stop watching the films that accompany these books. Why? Because I feel as if I'm unfairly judging people's beloved childhood memories. :( While I have no problem ripping a book to shreds with my wrath, I completely understand how watching a film at a young and impressionable age can make that film very special to you, even though later - as an adult - you realize it was campy, hastily put together um... junk. IF YOU LOVE THIS FILM, STOP READING NOW.
Okay, for those of you are still with me.
THE GOOD:
- Sean Connery is a better Bond than Roger Moore.
- Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, the assassins who also happen to be a gay couple, are great in the film. Fun, but also menacing. I really enjoyed this - they had a lot more personality than the same characters did in the book.
- I always like listening to the opening song and watching women dance around with diamonds.
- Cute, cute scene where James Bond meets a little rat in the sewers and has a bit of conversation with him.
THE BAD:
- The plot is stupid and farfetched. Blofeld's still alive and cloning himself. Bond's riding a moon buggy through the desert. The whole film is a campy mess. Blofeld's even in drag at one point.
- To my intense dismay, Tiffany Case is shallow and a moron. A far cry from the strong, intelligent survivor who impresses Bond so much in the book. They also develop real feelings for each other in the book, in the movie there's nothing real in their relationship. In the movie she's annoying.
- Bond actually treats women better in the book. In this film he slaps Tiffany. And strangles another woman with her own bikini top as a form of interrogation.
A man I know told me that I'm "not embracing the spirit in which these movies were made" and that I'm not "in the right mindset to watch James Bond films." He might be right. o.O
...
The book, as so many Bond books do, focuses heavily on gambling. We have copious amounts of, not only card playing, but horse racing in this novel. If this bores you, I suggest you skim these pages, Fleming tends to go into excruciating detail.
...
RACISM: The book contains slurs regarding Jews, Italians, blacks and gays. Not to the extent of CR or LALD, but still, it's noticeable.
...
WOMEN: I felt like James Bond was on his best behavior for me regarding his treatment of women in this book. I appreciate his efforts to please me.
WOMEN SUBSET: TIFFANY CASE
The Bond girl is Tiffany Case. She breaks Bond's previous three-book mold of black-hair blue-eyed women. A 27-year-old blonde with grey eyes, Tiffany is running with the wrong crowd. She feels a strong attraction to Bond, but tries to fight it, hard. Firstly because she thinks he's a criminal (he's working undercover to try and infiltrate the mob), and secondly because she was brutally gang-raped by Mafia goons at the tender age of 16. Since then, she's shut herself off from all male advances.
I was really actually quite shocked at how well Bond deals with this serious obstacle to getting Case into bed. After learning her story (from his good friend and ex-CIA agent Felix Leiter), Bond treads carefully around her and takes things slow. He's protective of her in a way I've never seen him be with a woman before.
Bond said nothing. He looked out the window and cursed his job. All he wanted to say to this girl was: "Listen. Come with me. I like you. Don't be afraid. It can't be worse than alone." But if she said yes he would have been smart. And he didn't want to be smart with this girl. It was is job to use her but, whatever the job dictated, there was one way he would never 'use' this particular girl. Through the heart.
Awww! James Bond is making me say "aw." I thought this day would never come. Usually I want to lecture and throttle him. Here's another one:
He thought of the lovely face cradled on the open hand below him, innocent and defenseless in sleep, the scorn gone from the level grey eyes and the ironical droop from the corners of the passionate mouth, and Bond knew that he was very near to being in love with her.
Ooh! I was squealing with joy and anticipation watching these two get closer and closer and closer. Tiffany herself was very endearing. She acts very tough and standoffish and gives James a hard time (definitely a difference from most women, who just kneel in front of him and start begging him to have sex with them), but inside she's just scared of men and afraid of letting herself feel something for someone who she believes is on the wrong side of the law (in her mind, criminal men are scum - like the men who raped her).
Here's some Tiffany for you:
Listen, you Bond person, I'm as happy as a cricket. I love being here. I love being with you. And I love this nice dark table where no one can see me holding your hand. Don't mind my talk. I just can't get over being so happy.
She always calls him "you Bond person," and I found this charming.
She's smart, has criminal knowledge, and is one heck of a card player - no wonder Bond's enamored of her.
Bond and Tiffany get to really know each other. And then comes the night when she starts dropping hints to him that "tonight's the night." During this whole chapter I was wracked with anxiety and nerves.
What was I afraid of? That Bond would be a beast to her in bed? No, although this was a possibility - Bond is a real bastard at times - but I was confident he'd put it down right for her, especially on their first night together.
No, what was really terrifying me was Ian Fleming's penchant for ruining things. There's 20% of the book left and I was horrified by the thought that either
a.) she and Bond were on this wonderful romantic date, with her dropping hints right and left that tonight's going to be their first night together in bed, and then Fleming puts them under attack and as a result she dies or she gets too spooked to ever consummate things with Bond or
b.) They would finally have sex, and it would be great, and she would be happy and he would be happy, and they would be in love - and then Fleming would have the bad guys find them, and kill the woman or damage her irreparably in some way.
BECAUSE FLEMING LIKES TO DO STUFF LIKE THAT. Well, I won't tell you if it went one of these two ways, OR a completely different way - you can read the book and find out. But I was on pins and needles.
WOMEN: SUBSET: OTHER WOMEN
But, is Bond's stellar treatment of the Bond girl enough to impress me? Well, frankly, yes. But as an additional bonus, as proof that Bond is trying to be a better hero so that I'm happier with him - there's a great scene where he defends a little manicurist. He's getting a shave (but really spying on Mr. Evil-Guy), and this woman is doing Evil-Guy's nails, and accidentally nicks his fingertip. Evil-Guy flies into a rage, berating the woman and ordering the barber to fire her, then leaving in a huff. When he leaves and the barber starts ripping into the sobbing woman, Bond steps in at tells him to shut the fuck up. Well, not in those exact words. But still. I was cheering! Yay!
...
THE F-WORD:
Speaking of the f-word, it's really clear in this novel that James says it twice. But both times, in my edition, it's blocked out. Here's a sample "----," said Bond, once. Except there's not four little dashes, but one long dash. This is the first time I've come across this, Bond didn't do this (use the f-word) in any previous novels. So perhaps Fleming's treating the Bond girls a bit nicer but spicing up Bond's language? I don't know.
...
FASCINATING TIDBIT:
Bond quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson in this novel.
IN SUMMARY:
I really enjoyed this book. Not enough to give it five stars, because a.) racial/ethnic slurs, b.) Bond makes Tiffany cry at one point (grrrrr), c.) Fleming goes into way too much boring detail about cards and horse racing. But otherwise, a stellar Bond novel. This is really the first time I've seen Bond (in these 4 books) be sweet and patient and charming to a woman. I know people think Bond = Charming Charmer - but in the books he's really more like Entitled Bastard. It was good to see him having to step carefully for once. Tiffany was efficient, smart, and she impressed Bond with her tenacity, brains, and skills numerous times. I also always like to see Felix Leiter, and he was a key player in this novel. I wish there was a bit more of both M and Moneypenny (sometimes I swear Bond's more in love with M than he ever could be with any woman) because I adore seeing Bond interact with them, but I'll take what I can get. 4 stars.
UPDATE: 1971 SEAN CONNERY FILM.
I almost feel like I should stop watching the films that accompany these books. Why? Because I feel as if I'm unfairly judging people's beloved childhood memories. :( While I have no problem ripping a book to shreds with my wrath, I completely understand how watching a film at a young and impressionable age can make that film very special to you, even though later - as an adult - you realize it was campy, hastily put together um... junk. IF YOU LOVE THIS FILM, STOP READING NOW.
Okay, for those of you are still with me.
THE GOOD:
- Sean Connery is a better Bond than Roger Moore.
- Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, the assassins who also happen to be a gay couple, are great in the film. Fun, but also menacing. I really enjoyed this - they had a lot more personality than the same characters did in the book.
- I always like listening to the opening song and watching women dance around with diamonds.
- Cute, cute scene where James Bond meets a little rat in the sewers and has a bit of conversation with him.
THE BAD:
- The plot is stupid and farfetched. Blofeld's still alive and cloning himself. Bond's riding a moon buggy through the desert. The whole film is a campy mess. Blofeld's even in drag at one point.
- To my intense dismay, Tiffany Case is shallow and a moron. A far cry from the strong, intelligent survivor who impresses Bond so much in the book. They also develop real feelings for each other in the book, in the movie there's nothing real in their relationship. In the movie she's annoying.
- Bond actually treats women better in the book. In this film he slaps Tiffany. And strangles another woman with her own bikini top as a form of interrogation.
A man I know told me that I'm "not embracing the spirit in which these movies were made" and that I'm not "in the right mindset to watch James Bond films." He might be right. o.O
October 24, 2023
An improvement, for the most part, on the predecessors, especially in how it handled the female lead as an actual person with a complex backstory and motivations and brought Bond back to the basics of using his wits and ingenuity to uncover the identities and operations of a ring of diamond smugglers stretching from Freetown to London to New York and all the way to trendy Las Vegas, Nevada and surrounds. No SMERSH, no national security angle, no cartoonish plots to get revenge on Britain for WWII, just 007, dedicated Civil Servant, securing lost tax revenue for the Crown.
If you're keeping track the principle problematic elements of the individual books now go as follows:
Casino Royale - Misogyny
Live and Let Die - Racial pandering
Moonraker - Paranoia re: 'Enemies within', particularly post-War Germans and the Soviets
Diamonds are Forever - Homophobia
Whew! if Fleming were around these days he'd probably get a full-time gig at Fox News.
Oh, James.
If you're keeping track the principle problematic elements of the individual books now go as follows:
Casino Royale - Misogyny
Live and Let Die - Racial pandering
Moonraker - Paranoia re: 'Enemies within', particularly post-War Germans and the Soviets
Diamonds are Forever - Homophobia
Whew! if Fleming were around these days he'd probably get a full-time gig at Fox News.
Oh, James.
March 9, 2023
The Ian Fleming James Bond books are just one of the series that I undertook to start and finish in this calendar year. Diamonds are Forever is the fourth of the series published in 1956. The year is relevant because it can not be judged (IMHO) with a modern eye nor a modern ear. These books must be judged in the context of their historical milieu. It is more than 65 years old. Are these books misogynistic and racially insensitive? To a modern reader, quite possibly, but bear in mind it was published in Great Britain circa 1956. Tiffany Case is an okay Bond girl / Bond woman. Felix Leiter returning is a highlight. Yay! I love the character! Bond versus the mob, infiltrating a diamond cartel with a mostly not-present leader. What's that about? How can you have a superior Bond book without a memorable villain? After reading the novel, I would have settled for any villain, never mind memorable. Good, but not great, more middle-of-the-road.
October 19, 2025
Having just finished reading Raymond Benson's excellent thriller The Hook and the Eye, which is set just before Ian Fleming's Diamonds are Forever, I thought this was the logical thing to read next!
In the opening chapter of Diamonds Are Forever Ian Fleming describes how a scorpion kills a beetle & it's a wonderfully detailed piece of writing, typical of the marvellous prose that he writes so well.
This time M sends James Bond undercover as a diamond smuggler & 007 is soon up against some ruthless American gangsters. I love the way M sits in his office, smoking his pipe, & gives Bond the details of his assignment. It really draws you into the story, & I much prefer it to the recent films where Daniel Craig's 007 frequently heads off on his own rogue assignment.
Fleming dishes up another fine thriller with good dialogue & a fast paced plot. It's a delight to read things like his description of someone having "a face like a sad cream-puff."
Such a pity that this great novel was turned into a rather poor film in 1971, but as Tiffany Case observed in the book: "It reads better than it lives."
In the opening chapter of Diamonds Are Forever Ian Fleming describes how a scorpion kills a beetle & it's a wonderfully detailed piece of writing, typical of the marvellous prose that he writes so well.
This time M sends James Bond undercover as a diamond smuggler & 007 is soon up against some ruthless American gangsters. I love the way M sits in his office, smoking his pipe, & gives Bond the details of his assignment. It really draws you into the story, & I much prefer it to the recent films where Daniel Craig's 007 frequently heads off on his own rogue assignment.
Fleming dishes up another fine thriller with good dialogue & a fast paced plot. It's a delight to read things like his description of someone having "a face like a sad cream-puff."
Such a pity that this great novel was turned into a rather poor film in 1971, but as Tiffany Case observed in the book: "It reads better than it lives."
October 5, 2018
James Bond meets the Godfather.
Ian Fleming’s fourth Bond novel, first published in 1956, explores American crime, especially in the west and around Las Vegas. I thought of Lee Strasberg’s soliloquy in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 The Godfather II when he described Moe Green and the formation of Vegas. Similar to his excellent sports writing in Goldfinger, Fleming here shows a talent in describing horse racing and the gambling that surrounds the sport. As in most (all?) Bond novels there is also a fair amount of gambling going on throughout the book.
007 is sent to investigate an international diamond smuggling operation that begins in South Africa and leads our hero to the American shores. Coincidentally, the time line here would have been about the same time as the Godfather films.
Bond girl: This time around is a troubled criminal with a past, but a heart of gold. Kind of a template for the love interest from Fleming’s desk.
As always, good fun.
Ian Fleming’s fourth Bond novel, first published in 1956, explores American crime, especially in the west and around Las Vegas. I thought of Lee Strasberg’s soliloquy in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 The Godfather II when he described Moe Green and the formation of Vegas. Similar to his excellent sports writing in Goldfinger, Fleming here shows a talent in describing horse racing and the gambling that surrounds the sport. As in most (all?) Bond novels there is also a fair amount of gambling going on throughout the book.
007 is sent to investigate an international diamond smuggling operation that begins in South Africa and leads our hero to the American shores. Coincidentally, the time line here would have been about the same time as the Godfather films.
Bond girl: This time around is a troubled criminal with a past, but a heart of gold. Kind of a template for the love interest from Fleming’s desk.
As always, good fun.
August 1, 2017
Bond slips into the diamond smuggling market and the American mafia.
Not a bad installment in the Bond series. I don't recall ever seeing the movie version, so I can't say if they parallel much or at all, but I can say that Diamonds Are Forever makes for a fine little read.
It's not exactly the most exciting spy thriller ever. In fact, there were a number of spots through out the book that had me ho-humming. It seems like Fleming wanted to flex his prose muscles a bit with this one. There are some nice descriptions of characters and places, but they do tend to slow down the action a bit. Or perhaps there just wasn't all that much action to begin with. I guess there was a shoot out and a tense, butt-clenching moment during a hot mud bath scene, but that didn't really even involve Bond.
There are also some racial issues with Diamonds.... I was listening to this on audiobook and during a moment when I wasn't paying the closest of attention, I thought I heard a distressingly racist passage. Racist dialogue is one thing, but when the writer includes it in the narrative it's an entirely different thing. I don't know, I could be wrong. I didn't bother going back to verify. Maybe I should have, but ya know, I just didn't feel like wallowing in that kind of mire. If I were black, I'd probably just stay away from the Bond series all together. For example, I know "negro" was once acceptable, but its usage comes from an error of an era that ought never to have happened and one that needs to be burned, buried and put in the past forever.
Not a bad installment in the Bond series. I don't recall ever seeing the movie version, so I can't say if they parallel much or at all, but I can say that Diamonds Are Forever makes for a fine little read.
It's not exactly the most exciting spy thriller ever. In fact, there were a number of spots through out the book that had me ho-humming. It seems like Fleming wanted to flex his prose muscles a bit with this one. There are some nice descriptions of characters and places, but they do tend to slow down the action a bit. Or perhaps there just wasn't all that much action to begin with. I guess there was a shoot out and a tense, butt-clenching moment during a hot mud bath scene, but that didn't really even involve Bond.
There are also some racial issues with Diamonds.... I was listening to this on audiobook and during a moment when I wasn't paying the closest of attention, I thought I heard a distressingly racist passage. Racist dialogue is one thing, but when the writer includes it in the narrative it's an entirely different thing. I don't know, I could be wrong. I didn't bother going back to verify. Maybe I should have, but ya know, I just didn't feel like wallowing in that kind of mire. If I were black, I'd probably just stay away from the Bond series all together. For example, I know "negro" was once acceptable, but its usage comes from an error of an era that ought never to have happened and one that needs to be burned, buried and put in the past forever.
November 5, 2020
Connery... shining. May his memory like diamonds linger.
To discover just who is filching British diamonds from an African mine, James Bond is sent undercover along a smuggling pipeline to follow it to the end. With Fleming you always get well-researched background detail rendered with a journalist’s eye, but for me the sojourn in the racing world of Saratoga slowed the story down a furlong or two in less interesting territory.
That said, the pace soon picks up as Bond flees through the desert near Las Vegas with gangster ‘Mr Spang’, nicely described as ‘one of the brutal, theatrical, overblown, dead end adults’, pursuing him on the Cannonball express. That is until crack shot Bond sends him to a thundering end along a rusty branch line with a bullet from his Beretta. There is a tense enough climax too as Bond climbs down the side of The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship hanging on a knotted bed sheet to try to rescue Tiffany Case in a cabin below.
With the film in mind you think immediately of the characters of Bambi and Thumper, who do not appear, and Wint and Kidd, The Spangled Mob’s thugs, who do, and who are, though not with a Bombe Surprise, still dispatched with very effectively.
A very readable crime thriller about ‘hot ice’ that you can take out again, dust off, and let ‘sparkle round your little finger’.
By this reviewer:
October 13, 2018
"Death is forever. But so are diamonds"—Fleming (who got the idea for the title from a diamond ad)
Okay, now, in Fleming’s fourth book, we see the Bond we know from the films begin to emerge more and more. The debonair, dashing Sean Connery guy, though in the book he is remains a little more complex, though no more the brooding existentialist he was on occasion in the first three books. In Diamonds we are back in the U. S., where the sophisticated Brit Fleming/Bond continues his snobbish disdain for American culture, especially the vulgar Vegas. It’s not (in 1956) yet the harsh level of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, though it is tempting to compare it to other critical Brit-authored road trips through the American landscape such as Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, Garth Ennis’s Preacher, or Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
Fleming’s spy caper version of the horror road trip is on the whole a lot more glamorous than any of the above books, taking us from London to Sarasota Springs to Vegas before heading back to London. Our story is not social commentary, of course, as we go to horse races fixed by the mob, play cards, and eat superb meals with martinis and drive fast cars with glamorous girls. And of course, there are diamonds.
To listen as you read this overlong review, one of my favorite covers of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” by T Bone Burnett. (let’s rock!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOU62...
Fleming's story is inspired by a newspaper expose of the diamond smugglers in Sierra Leone, so the foundation of the story is Blood Diamonds, really, tied to American greed and (mob) corruption. Diamonds are Forever is basically a diamond smuggling investigation that leads James to an extortion plot. While it features all these action events all through it, and romance, it actually is a little slow in places, though when it comes to the end, he again writes really good action sequences. As he says, “Six corpses to love. Game, set, match.”
There’s great characters in the book, but none more memorable than Tiffany Case, the Bond Girl of this particular caper. Tiffany is really adept at many spy-related things, and of course is also beautiful, so she is a challenge to Bond (the usual challenge, though given his looks it is never a real challenge in any of the books), who also wants to use his relationship to her to infiltrate her gang. Early on, she is seen “reclining half naked on a couch,” (an image that makes it into the Sean Connery 1971 film version, or probably MANY Bond films, now that I think of it!), but she refuses to be patronized or reduced to JUST her physical beauty; she tells Bond, “Don’t call me a little girl! I can take care of myself and likely do many things better than you.” As she finally agrees to dinner with Bond, she insists, “I’m not going to bed with you, so you can just save your money.” [Bond smiles. You know what this means]. And then three drinks later. . . but then he actually does fall for her and learns about her complicated past, and comes to respect her as both professional and loving partner.
As it turns out Tiffany Case is a particular challenge for Bond because she hates men, since being gang-raped as a teenager. For Fleming, widely loved (and sometimes derided) for his sexy Bond Girls, this detail reveals a kind of turn to sensitivity about women not seen in the early books. It deepens and complicates her character, and Bond is sensitive to this issue as he learns of this early shaping horrific event, and begins to fall in love with her. Coupled with her general expertise in all things spy, she becomes a pretty strong female heroine.
The plot, well, it’s a kind of a madcap caper, sort of a Fleming spy homage to American noir writers like Dashiell Hammett, whose Nick and Nora screwball patter gets honored sometimes through the talk between Bond and Case.
1971 film (with Sean O’Connery) trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yOam...
PS: I am, because I am reading some books, interested in Fleming/Bond racism. Well, it’s again, a 1956 white man’s spy novel. But it’s almost as if he were attempting to respond to criticism (by me) of his depiction of African Americans in Harlem in Live and Let Die. In Diamonds are Forever Fleming’s narrator claims, “Bond always had affection for Negroes.” (Huh?! Since when?) This he says before a (southern) black man gives him a mud bath without any conversation between them! And then Bond's American pal Leiter makes a joke that feels like it could have come from Jim Thompson or James Ellroy, reflecting the racism of the period: “People are so damn sensitive about colour around here that you can’t even ask a barman for a jigger of rum. You have to ask for a jegro.” (!!) (Fleming here channeling his good ol’ boy, or just capturing southern patois in the manner of any novelist?)
But I still on the whole liked it quite a bit, because of Tiffany and the best of the action, maybe 3.5 in spite of (and in places because of) its datedness, though in my view Fleming is no Hammett or Thompson. Gonna see the movie again.
Okay, now, in Fleming’s fourth book, we see the Bond we know from the films begin to emerge more and more. The debonair, dashing Sean Connery guy, though in the book he is remains a little more complex, though no more the brooding existentialist he was on occasion in the first three books. In Diamonds we are back in the U. S., where the sophisticated Brit Fleming/Bond continues his snobbish disdain for American culture, especially the vulgar Vegas. It’s not (in 1956) yet the harsh level of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, though it is tempting to compare it to other critical Brit-authored road trips through the American landscape such as Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, Garth Ennis’s Preacher, or Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
Fleming’s spy caper version of the horror road trip is on the whole a lot more glamorous than any of the above books, taking us from London to Sarasota Springs to Vegas before heading back to London. Our story is not social commentary, of course, as we go to horse races fixed by the mob, play cards, and eat superb meals with martinis and drive fast cars with glamorous girls. And of course, there are diamonds.
To listen as you read this overlong review, one of my favorite covers of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” by T Bone Burnett. (let’s rock!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOU62...
Fleming's story is inspired by a newspaper expose of the diamond smugglers in Sierra Leone, so the foundation of the story is Blood Diamonds, really, tied to American greed and (mob) corruption. Diamonds are Forever is basically a diamond smuggling investigation that leads James to an extortion plot. While it features all these action events all through it, and romance, it actually is a little slow in places, though when it comes to the end, he again writes really good action sequences. As he says, “Six corpses to love. Game, set, match.”
There’s great characters in the book, but none more memorable than Tiffany Case, the Bond Girl of this particular caper. Tiffany is really adept at many spy-related things, and of course is also beautiful, so she is a challenge to Bond (the usual challenge, though given his looks it is never a real challenge in any of the books), who also wants to use his relationship to her to infiltrate her gang. Early on, she is seen “reclining half naked on a couch,” (an image that makes it into the Sean Connery 1971 film version, or probably MANY Bond films, now that I think of it!), but she refuses to be patronized or reduced to JUST her physical beauty; she tells Bond, “Don’t call me a little girl! I can take care of myself and likely do many things better than you.” As she finally agrees to dinner with Bond, she insists, “I’m not going to bed with you, so you can just save your money.” [Bond smiles. You know what this means]. And then three drinks later. . . but then he actually does fall for her and learns about her complicated past, and comes to respect her as both professional and loving partner.
As it turns out Tiffany Case is a particular challenge for Bond because she hates men, since being gang-raped as a teenager. For Fleming, widely loved (and sometimes derided) for his sexy Bond Girls, this detail reveals a kind of turn to sensitivity about women not seen in the early books. It deepens and complicates her character, and Bond is sensitive to this issue as he learns of this early shaping horrific event, and begins to fall in love with her. Coupled with her general expertise in all things spy, she becomes a pretty strong female heroine.
The plot, well, it’s a kind of a madcap caper, sort of a Fleming spy homage to American noir writers like Dashiell Hammett, whose Nick and Nora screwball patter gets honored sometimes through the talk between Bond and Case.
1971 film (with Sean O’Connery) trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yOam...
PS: I am, because I am reading some books, interested in Fleming/Bond racism. Well, it’s again, a 1956 white man’s spy novel. But it’s almost as if he were attempting to respond to criticism (by me) of his depiction of African Americans in Harlem in Live and Let Die. In Diamonds are Forever Fleming’s narrator claims, “Bond always had affection for Negroes.” (Huh?! Since when?) This he says before a (southern) black man gives him a mud bath without any conversation between them! And then Bond's American pal Leiter makes a joke that feels like it could have come from Jim Thompson or James Ellroy, reflecting the racism of the period: “People are so damn sensitive about colour around here that you can’t even ask a barman for a jigger of rum. You have to ask for a jegro.” (!!) (Fleming here channeling his good ol’ boy, or just capturing southern patois in the manner of any novelist?)
But I still on the whole liked it quite a bit, because of Tiffany and the best of the action, maybe 3.5 in spite of (and in places because of) its datedness, though in my view Fleming is no Hammett or Thompson. Gonna see the movie again.
June 28, 2014
Rating: 3.5* of five
Again a reminder that these reviews are for the movies by these titles, NOT Fleming's books. I wasn't at all drawn to the book I read, and I've since sampled a few others, and to me they're repellently dated.
So this 1971 outing is based on the 1956 novel, and marks the last *canonical* film Connery made. Never Say Never Again wasn't a Broccoli-produced film, and made use of a story not ever precisely made into a novel, so...
Jill St. John spends a good deal of time scantily clothed. This mildly annoyed me as she tended to drape herself over pieces of furniture I wanted to look at, and her mammary hypertrophy blocked my view of Connery once in a while.
The plot is of a ridiculousness expected from a Bond film; Bond drives a 1970 Mustang, possibly the lowest styling point that Mustang has ever hit; Charles Gray (the Criminologist from Rocky Horror Picture Show) eats up the scenery as Blofeld, the ongoing villain/nemesis; so, you know, what's expected of a Bond film viewing experience.
Shirley Bassey sings the second most-boring theme song (after Adele's dreary "Skyfall") in the canon. It amused me, mildly, and the inclusion of two gay killers was pretty hotsy-totsy stuff for 1971. So, well, it was Bond so it was better than boring; but it lacked something, so I can't give it a good rating. Just not enough SOMEthing.
Again a reminder that these reviews are for the movies by these titles, NOT Fleming's books. I wasn't at all drawn to the book I read, and I've since sampled a few others, and to me they're repellently dated.
So this 1971 outing is based on the 1956 novel, and marks the last *canonical* film Connery made. Never Say Never Again wasn't a Broccoli-produced film, and made use of a story not ever precisely made into a novel, so...
Jill St. John spends a good deal of time scantily clothed. This mildly annoyed me as she tended to drape herself over pieces of furniture I wanted to look at, and her mammary hypertrophy blocked my view of Connery once in a while.
The plot is of a ridiculousness expected from a Bond film; Bond drives a 1970 Mustang, possibly the lowest styling point that Mustang has ever hit; Charles Gray (the Criminologist from Rocky Horror Picture Show) eats up the scenery as Blofeld, the ongoing villain/nemesis; so, you know, what's expected of a Bond film viewing experience.
Shirley Bassey sings the second most-boring theme song (after Adele's dreary "Skyfall") in the canon. It amused me, mildly, and the inclusion of two gay killers was pretty hotsy-totsy stuff for 1971. So, well, it was Bond so it was better than boring; but it lacked something, so I can't give it a good rating. Just not enough SOMEthing.
January 4, 2019
The most important thing to know about these James Bond novels is they are almost nothing like the movies. Bond is emo, error-prone, narcissistic, and almost always grandiose in his thinking about his skills when he is not worried about them - very very surprisingly bipolar than what the movies have primed us readers to expect. The action events in the books, which are indeed mostly copied or technologically enhanced in the movies, happens over a longer span of time. However, some novels are not at all directly copied by the movies even though the titles and some of the action scenes are. The action might be included in another movie of another name. Bond rarely is rescued in time from undergoing torture, and he has wanted to marry almost every girl who helps him throughout the assignment.
I can't help but wonder what anti-depressants and Lithium might have done for Bond's career. Maybe kill it? His psychological presentation in these novels seems like a snakepit of PTSD symptoms while at the same time Bond appears to be a poster boy for one kind of toxic masculinity. At least, that is my opinion, formed on our values in these modern times. I know other reviewers have written the same observations, too.
In 'Diamonds are Forever', written in 1956, James Bond is explicitly and unapologetically racist against Italian-Americans (he visits Las Vegas on a smuggling case in this novel). He was somewhat taken aback when he was advised by Felix Leiter after arriving in America for an earlier assignment to watch his tongue on certain subjects while in America, such as openly indulging in racial slurs against Black-Americans. I think he is surprised because he is unaware he is being racist - he thinks he is stating the obvious or well-known 'facts'. In 'Diamonds are Forever' he also is disparaging of what he thinks is a problem for 90% of Americans - they are too fat and physically weak. Americans huff and puff and find climbing a few stairs too hard in many of these books.
Basically, in the four books I have read so far in the James Bond series, he has prejudged negatively and is disgusted by what he feels defines the national character of Germans, French, Americans, Japanese, Italians and China. He also subscribes to racial/sexual prejudices about women, Black people and Asians. So far. Added to the list from this novel are obese folk. So, I was pleasantly surprised Bond and Leiter apparently are not feeling anything prejudicial against gay people beyond a comment about homosexual gangbangers as being part of a 'lavender' gang. We readers meet a couple of bad guys who are gay in this book, Winter and Kidd - very competent and scary bad guys. Bond seems to be only disgusted by Kidd because of his obesity.
To be fair (loosely utilizing the definition), when Bond works with someone who is a member of a race, sex, or foreign country he initially feels much contempt towards, he IS willing to work with people he feels are beneath him and the White upper-class men of England as an equal without open hostility. He treats criminals of a different race or nationality with apparent awareness they are skilled or dangerous despite his prejudices, even realizing sometimes his prejudices lulled him into a mistaken judgement call which nearly costs him his life or failure of his assignment.
I think Bond's racism and sexism is based on what was normal post-war English social class and educational beliefs, alongside an ignorance from a lack of extensive cultural contact outside of his social bubble. I think maybe, maybe, Fleming was intentionally focusing the character of Bond on having prejudices. I am beginning to wonder about this maybe authorial intentionality based on a subtle undertone pattern I am beginning to suss out after reading four of the books in the series. Every time Bond encounters these not-English people on these assignments, he appears to grudgingly accept this individual or that person as much more competent than he had expected. I am beginning to think author Ian Fleming was doing what many authors do - introduce and revolve plots around a character which not only does not entirely reflect his views, but is less sophisticated and knowledgeable or more exaggerated than what the author thinks. It is as if James Bond undergoes a reluctant, slow, inching-forward, slight coming-of-age in each book, noticeably a plot pattern, as I have read the series. Bond expresses his distaste for a race or nation in the early chapters, then next, after he deals with competent members of the class/race/nationality he felt were so subhuman, he is always later humbled by those folks he disparaged, inevitably needing rescue, often by an American. Did Fleming do this on purpose, or is it subconscious, because of the outcome of World War II? Was Bond more than a surface caricature sorely needed by an almost defeated nation after World War II? Was Fleming taking his country to the woodshed within a subtly satiric series about a personality type that almost destroyed Britain through arrogance and ignorance? I am starting to wonder....
Perhaps, Fleming also was undergoing a slight evolution of mind despite his upper-crust identity as his books became popular in spite of their very White post-war English viewpoint. Idk.
Whatever.
Do I really need to describe the plot of 'Diamonds are Forever'? Ok, then. Diamonds are being smuggled out of Africa. Since an English company owns the African mines, Bond is put on the case by M to find whoever is masterminding the stealing. To do this, it means he must follow the mule, or mules, carrying the diamonds secretly through international borders from Africa to England to Las Vegas in America, as it turns out. M, Bond's secret service boss, through his contacts discovers who one of the mules is, and Bond inserts himself into the mule's place in London. Bond happens to look a lot like the carrier for the diamond smuggling outfit. So, undercover, he meets the other carrier as well as card sharp, the gorgeous Tiffany Case, and the nefarious assassins Wint and Kidd, and other members of the Spangler Gang, as he tries to unmask the criminal leader of the gang known only as the mysterious 'ABC'. Of course, there is horse racing, and card games, and guns and shootings, car chases, explosions, helicopters, and martial arts, weird criminals with fetishes and ticks, and even an ocean voyage of deadly danger on the Queen Elizabeth.
There are continuing characters, so possibly readers should start with Casino Royale. But it is possible readers will not abide Bond's mild racism or the old-fashioned type of male-romance spy-thriller Fleming indulged himself in writing. It is a little bit like spending time in the company of an old White ex-military grandfather. But at least he can tell an exciting story! Have some tolerance and learn, gentle reader. This is what the 1950's were like. This is from what we all have moved on. Most of us.
I can't help but wonder what anti-depressants and Lithium might have done for Bond's career. Maybe kill it? His psychological presentation in these novels seems like a snakepit of PTSD symptoms while at the same time Bond appears to be a poster boy for one kind of toxic masculinity. At least, that is my opinion, formed on our values in these modern times. I know other reviewers have written the same observations, too.
In 'Diamonds are Forever', written in 1956, James Bond is explicitly and unapologetically racist against Italian-Americans (he visits Las Vegas on a smuggling case in this novel). He was somewhat taken aback when he was advised by Felix Leiter after arriving in America for an earlier assignment to watch his tongue on certain subjects while in America, such as openly indulging in racial slurs against Black-Americans. I think he is surprised because he is unaware he is being racist - he thinks he is stating the obvious or well-known 'facts'. In 'Diamonds are Forever' he also is disparaging of what he thinks is a problem for 90% of Americans - they are too fat and physically weak. Americans huff and puff and find climbing a few stairs too hard in many of these books.
Basically, in the four books I have read so far in the James Bond series, he has prejudged negatively and is disgusted by what he feels defines the national character of Germans, French, Americans, Japanese, Italians and China. He also subscribes to racial/sexual prejudices about women, Black people and Asians. So far. Added to the list from this novel are obese folk. So, I was pleasantly surprised Bond and Leiter apparently are not feeling anything prejudicial against gay people beyond a comment about homosexual gangbangers as being part of a 'lavender' gang. We readers meet a couple of bad guys who are gay in this book, Winter and Kidd - very competent and scary bad guys. Bond seems to be only disgusted by Kidd because of his obesity.
To be fair (loosely utilizing the definition), when Bond works with someone who is a member of a race, sex, or foreign country he initially feels much contempt towards, he IS willing to work with people he feels are beneath him and the White upper-class men of England as an equal without open hostility. He treats criminals of a different race or nationality with apparent awareness they are skilled or dangerous despite his prejudices, even realizing sometimes his prejudices lulled him into a mistaken judgement call which nearly costs him his life or failure of his assignment.
I think Bond's racism and sexism is based on what was normal post-war English social class and educational beliefs, alongside an ignorance from a lack of extensive cultural contact outside of his social bubble. I think maybe, maybe, Fleming was intentionally focusing the character of Bond on having prejudices. I am beginning to wonder about this maybe authorial intentionality based on a subtle undertone pattern I am beginning to suss out after reading four of the books in the series. Every time Bond encounters these not-English people on these assignments, he appears to grudgingly accept this individual or that person as much more competent than he had expected. I am beginning to think author Ian Fleming was doing what many authors do - introduce and revolve plots around a character which not only does not entirely reflect his views, but is less sophisticated and knowledgeable or more exaggerated than what the author thinks. It is as if James Bond undergoes a reluctant, slow, inching-forward, slight coming-of-age in each book, noticeably a plot pattern, as I have read the series. Bond expresses his distaste for a race or nation in the early chapters, then next, after he deals with competent members of the class/race/nationality he felt were so subhuman, he is always later humbled by those folks he disparaged, inevitably needing rescue, often by an American. Did Fleming do this on purpose, or is it subconscious, because of the outcome of World War II? Was Bond more than a surface caricature sorely needed by an almost defeated nation after World War II? Was Fleming taking his country to the woodshed within a subtly satiric series about a personality type that almost destroyed Britain through arrogance and ignorance? I am starting to wonder....
Perhaps, Fleming also was undergoing a slight evolution of mind despite his upper-crust identity as his books became popular in spite of their very White post-war English viewpoint. Idk.
Whatever.
Do I really need to describe the plot of 'Diamonds are Forever'? Ok, then. Diamonds are being smuggled out of Africa. Since an English company owns the African mines, Bond is put on the case by M to find whoever is masterminding the stealing. To do this, it means he must follow the mule, or mules, carrying the diamonds secretly through international borders from Africa to England to Las Vegas in America, as it turns out. M, Bond's secret service boss, through his contacts discovers who one of the mules is, and Bond inserts himself into the mule's place in London. Bond happens to look a lot like the carrier for the diamond smuggling outfit. So, undercover, he meets the other carrier as well as card sharp, the gorgeous Tiffany Case, and the nefarious assassins Wint and Kidd, and other members of the Spangler Gang, as he tries to unmask the criminal leader of the gang known only as the mysterious 'ABC'. Of course, there is horse racing, and card games, and guns and shootings, car chases, explosions, helicopters, and martial arts, weird criminals with fetishes and ticks, and even an ocean voyage of deadly danger on the Queen Elizabeth.
There are continuing characters, so possibly readers should start with Casino Royale. But it is possible readers will not abide Bond's mild racism or the old-fashioned type of male-romance spy-thriller Fleming indulged himself in writing. It is a little bit like spending time in the company of an old White ex-military grandfather. But at least he can tell an exciting story! Have some tolerance and learn, gentle reader. This is what the 1950's were like. This is from what we all have moved on. Most of us.
August 25, 2017
پس این بخشی از یک رویا نیست و من روی صندلی عقب استادیلاک نشستهام. این دامن تیفانی است که زیر سرم است آن فیلکس است و ما داریم به سرعت به سوی جایی امن میتازیم، جایی که دکتر، حمام، کمی غذا و نوشیدنی داشته باشد و بشود ساعتهای بیپایان خوابید. باند تکان خورد. دست تیفانی را توی موهایش احساس کرد. انگار که بخواهد به باند بگوید همانطور که امید دارد، همه چیز واقعی است. او دوباره لم داد و چیزی نگفت. از هر ثانیه لذت برد و به صدای آنها و صدای حرکت تایرها روی جاده گوش سپرد.
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May 24, 2016
"Slowly the sting slid home into its sheath and the nerves on the poison sac at its base relaxed. The scorpion had decided. Greed had won over fear."
I won't copy all of the opening scene of Diamonds Are Forever, but this is one of the reasons why I keep reading this series - Fleming's ability to write nature scenes is phenomenal. They even make up for his writing about what passes for romance in these Bond novels. But I'll get to that later.
In Diamonds Are Forever, James Bond is tasked to investigate diamond trafficking that funds the American mafia. There are plenty of typical Bond capers which include passing himself off as someone else, getting entangled with a woman while undercover (haha) and converting her to the right side (i.e. Bond's side), blowing things up, gambling, and trying to foil the bad guys while Bond is being rescued himself by his friends.
As you know, I'm not a huge fan of James Bond himself, but in this novel he actually acknowledges how much he owes to his friend Felix Leiter. In fact, we get to know quite a bit about Felix - he has a sense of humor and he is happy to challenge Bond's snobbery. He's straight-talking, homophobic, but can be tactful, and he doesn't burn bridges. Leiter drinks just as much as Bond, which is probably another reason why they are friends.
Anyway, the cast of supporting characters in this book is what I enjoyed most. We have Leiter, and we have Tiffany Case, who is not a push over like her film counterpart but a pretty strong and independent woman with a tough past that leads her to reject other people, especially men.
Throughout the book I actually wondered how scenes might be written differently if they were told from her perspective - I would also have hoped that this might give me a clue about what on earth attracts her to this "Bond person" that she knows is lying to her on their first meeting. But alas, the book follows the adventure of James Bond....and so we get his perspective, which is - surprisingly - less sexist and less patronising than in the previous books.
Yeah. I know. That is not saying much. We still get Bond pondering in the following way:
"But was he prepared for the consequences? Once he had taken her by the hand it would be forever. He would be in the role of the healer, the analyst, to whom the patient had transferred her love and trust on her way out of the illness. There would be no cruelty equal to dropping her hand once he had taken it in his. Was he ready for all that that meant in his life and his career?"
Yeah. I know. Like she needs him to heal her and save her and .....ugh. But, as I said, it looks like he's come a long way since Live and Let Die where he described Solitaire as his "prize".
The characters I enjoyed most were, as in the other books, Bond's evil counterparts, except that in Diamonds Are Forever, the best baddies are not the criminal masterminds but their two henchmen: Wint and Kidd. They are such an unlikely duo, and yet, so evil. There is a scene in a spa that will stick in my memory for quite some time....
I won't copy all of the opening scene of Diamonds Are Forever, but this is one of the reasons why I keep reading this series - Fleming's ability to write nature scenes is phenomenal. They even make up for his writing about what passes for romance in these Bond novels. But I'll get to that later.
In Diamonds Are Forever, James Bond is tasked to investigate diamond trafficking that funds the American mafia. There are plenty of typical Bond capers which include passing himself off as someone else, getting entangled with a woman while undercover (haha) and converting her to the right side (i.e. Bond's side), blowing things up, gambling, and trying to foil the bad guys while Bond is being rescued himself by his friends.
As you know, I'm not a huge fan of James Bond himself, but in this novel he actually acknowledges how much he owes to his friend Felix Leiter. In fact, we get to know quite a bit about Felix - he has a sense of humor and he is happy to challenge Bond's snobbery. He's straight-talking, homophobic, but can be tactful, and he doesn't burn bridges. Leiter drinks just as much as Bond, which is probably another reason why they are friends.
Anyway, the cast of supporting characters in this book is what I enjoyed most. We have Leiter, and we have Tiffany Case, who is not a push over like her film counterpart but a pretty strong and independent woman with a tough past that leads her to reject other people, especially men.
Throughout the book I actually wondered how scenes might be written differently if they were told from her perspective - I would also have hoped that this might give me a clue about what on earth attracts her to this "Bond person" that she knows is lying to her on their first meeting. But alas, the book follows the adventure of James Bond....and so we get his perspective, which is - surprisingly - less sexist and less patronising than in the previous books.
Yeah. I know. That is not saying much. We still get Bond pondering in the following way:
"But was he prepared for the consequences? Once he had taken her by the hand it would be forever. He would be in the role of the healer, the analyst, to whom the patient had transferred her love and trust on her way out of the illness. There would be no cruelty equal to dropping her hand once he had taken it in his. Was he ready for all that that meant in his life and his career?"
Yeah. I know. Like she needs him to heal her and save her and .....ugh. But, as I said, it looks like he's come a long way since Live and Let Die where he described Solitaire as his "prize".
The characters I enjoyed most were, as in the other books, Bond's evil counterparts, except that in Diamonds Are Forever, the best baddies are not the criminal masterminds but their two henchmen: Wint and Kidd. They are such an unlikely duo, and yet, so evil. There is a scene in a spa that will stick in my memory for quite some time....
June 5, 2020
My favourite part of this novel was the relationship between Bond and Tiffany Case. I liked seeing this softer side of bond. It helped add some light-hearted feeling to the darker parts of this book.
That being said, this wasn’t one of my favourites from the bond series. It was very good, but it didn’t make me feel the emotions/tensions that other installments have managed to do.
That being said, this wasn’t one of my favourites from the bond series. It was very good, but it didn’t make me feel the emotions/tensions that other installments have managed to do.
November 5, 2024
"Negro" and "Black bastard" over ten times in one chapter.
That's as far as I go with this series.
That's as far as I go with this series.
July 1, 2013
So because George Lazenby couldn't make it as James Bond in the previous movie, Sean Connery was back for Diamonds Are Forever, which the trailer (behind the link) points out a whole lot. "Hey guys, we made a mistake with that other guy, but look! Connery! COME BACK!"
Also making a come back with this movie was Shirley Bassey singing the theme song, as she did for Goldfinger. (The theme songs are nearly as important to me as the films themselves.) For those of us who pay attention (or at least remember to go back to do a little research), Guy Hamilton also directed this one in addition to Goldfinger.
Having just finished On Her Majesty's Secret Service yesterday and being pleasantly surprised by how much it didn't actually suck, reading Diamonds Are Forever today was sort of a return to the meh-hood of the previous Bond books I've read.
Here's my theory: Bond doesn't belong in America. Or Fleming doesn't belong in America. Someone doesn't belong in America and when Fleming writes Bond in America? Things get dirty. And not in a good way. It's like Bond's racism comes out in full force when he visits the States, full of awkwardness, Paula-Deen-style:
My, my.
Something that doesn't come up in the trailer is that Jimmy Dean (that's right, the sausage guy) had a role in the movie. I don't know why that struck me as so funny, but it was. Laugh, dammit.
Missing from the book are Bambi and Thumper which makes one wonder why they were added to the movie at all. But then, oh yeah, that's Hollywood. There wasn't enough skin and sex in the book, so let's create these two. I remember that scene exceptionally well from my childhood. For some reason, that made an impression on me.
Also made an impression on me as a young movie-viewer were the characters Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, portrayed by two very creepy characters. I had blocked them out until seeing them again on the screen now and all of it came flooding back to me. These assassins didn't play as large of a part in the book, or at least not to the same degree of creepiness so therefore didn't frighten me as much on reading them.
Before anyone gets all upset, the creepiness factor wasn't because the characters are lovers. I couldn't give a shit. But those actors? Are seriously creepy.
Dear Mr. Fleming: Please stop writing Bond in America. It just... doesn't work. Thanks.
Next up... Live and Let Die (thus begins the Sir Roger Moore years.)
Also making a come back with this movie was Shirley Bassey singing the theme song, as she did for Goldfinger. (The theme songs are nearly as important to me as the films themselves.) For those of us who pay attention (or at least remember to go back to do a little research), Guy Hamilton also directed this one in addition to Goldfinger.
Having just finished On Her Majesty's Secret Service yesterday and being pleasantly surprised by how much it didn't actually suck, reading Diamonds Are Forever today was sort of a return to the meh-hood of the previous Bond books I've read.
Here's my theory: Bond doesn't belong in America. Or Fleming doesn't belong in America. Someone doesn't belong in America and when Fleming writes Bond in America? Things get dirty. And not in a good way. It's like Bond's racism comes out in full force when he visits the States, full of awkwardness, Paula-Deen-style:
Bond had a natural affection for coloured people, but he reflected how lucky England was compared with America where you had to live with the colour problem from your schooldays up. He smiled as he remembered something Felix Leiter had said to him on their last assignment together in America. Bond had referred to Mr. Big, the famous Harlem criminal, as 'that damned nigger'. Leiter had picked him up. 'Careful now James,' he had said. 'People are so damn sensitive about colour around here that you can't even ask a barman for a jigger of rum. You have to ask for a jegro.'"
My, my.
Something that doesn't come up in the trailer is that Jimmy Dean (that's right, the sausage guy) had a role in the movie. I don't know why that struck me as so funny, but it was. Laugh, dammit.
Missing from the book are Bambi and Thumper which makes one wonder why they were added to the movie at all. But then, oh yeah, that's Hollywood. There wasn't enough skin and sex in the book, so let's create these two. I remember that scene exceptionally well from my childhood. For some reason, that made an impression on me.
Also made an impression on me as a young movie-viewer were the characters Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, portrayed by two very creepy characters. I had blocked them out until seeing them again on the screen now and all of it came flooding back to me. These assassins didn't play as large of a part in the book, or at least not to the same degree of creepiness so therefore didn't frighten me as much on reading them.
Before anyone gets all upset, the creepiness factor wasn't because the characters are lovers. I couldn't give a shit. But those actors? Are seriously creepy.
Dear Mr. Fleming: Please stop writing Bond in America. It just... doesn't work. Thanks.
Next up... Live and Let Die (thus begins the Sir Roger Moore years.)
February 22, 2009
One of the strengths of Fleming - which I'm discovering on re-reading these books - is his descriptions of locations. Mid-way through Diamonds Are Forever, Bond goes to Vegas. The portrayal of the desert town with sand blowing over the strip is incredibly well done and really places the reader there. I suppose it isn't just his sense of location, he is also good at capturing the time in which he is writing, really bringing the fifties to live. As oppossed to say a Mike Hammer novel (a character who is referenced here) who lives in a kind of Sin City version of New York, Bond is a real character in the real world.
The movies would have you believe that James Bond is only ever saving the world, but in this novel he's simply smashing a diamond smuggling ring (although the villain's hideout is called Spectre). The action is - as usual - very well done, but more interestingly the character of Bond is developing. In this novel Bond actually considers falling in love (with Tiffany Case) and what that would mean to him and his career. In conversation he even talks about when he'll have kids, and it seems that behind the macho bravado, there is a man who wants to settle down and relax (albeit to a 1950s type of wife who does all the cooking. Food is again prevelant in this book, though not as much as in Live and Let Die.)
If there is a flaw then it's that the main villain isn't strong enough. However Wint and Kidd - his henchman - are fairly terrifying, and a much better coupling than they are in the film. In fact it's intereting that in both book and film they are gay, and yet in the book which was written 15 years before the film, they are serious hitmen as oppossed to camped up characatures.
All in all, a thriller I would definitely recommend.
The movies would have you believe that James Bond is only ever saving the world, but in this novel he's simply smashing a diamond smuggling ring (although the villain's hideout is called Spectre). The action is - as usual - very well done, but more interestingly the character of Bond is developing. In this novel Bond actually considers falling in love (with Tiffany Case) and what that would mean to him and his career. In conversation he even talks about when he'll have kids, and it seems that behind the macho bravado, there is a man who wants to settle down and relax (albeit to a 1950s type of wife who does all the cooking. Food is again prevelant in this book, though not as much as in Live and Let Die.)
If there is a flaw then it's that the main villain isn't strong enough. However Wint and Kidd - his henchman - are fairly terrifying, and a much better coupling than they are in the film. In fact it's intereting that in both book and film they are gay, and yet in the book which was written 15 years before the film, they are serious hitmen as oppossed to camped up characatures.
All in all, a thriller I would definitely recommend.
June 25, 2014
5/10
Probably the weakest Bond novel in the series to this point which was somewhat surprising to me as the film is a fond favourite (who would have thought that the screen and page could differ?!). This more felt like Bond visits various locations with a little bit of spying on the side.
The setup is no different to any other, Bond meets M and gets his mission (I do enjoy the relationship these two have), Bond sets off on mission and finds a lady to admire and try to woo (book Bond is not as suave with the women as film Bond), Bond does a bit of shooting and puzzle solving, Bond gets the bad guy and the mission is a success.
The book just didn’t work though this time though, the whole diamond smuggling aspect was quite interesting but the plot never really got fleshed out and the villain is less villainous and more just mediocre thug.
Overall it was disappointing (even the gambling aspect was toned down in this one which is quite a shock as a large chunk is in Vegas!) and didn’t live up to some of the others in the series. I hope Bond and Fleming will be back on form in “From Russia with Love”.
If you enjoy this try: Anything by Vince Flynn
Probably the weakest Bond novel in the series to this point which was somewhat surprising to me as the film is a fond favourite (who would have thought that the screen and page could differ?!). This more felt like Bond visits various locations with a little bit of spying on the side.
The setup is no different to any other, Bond meets M and gets his mission (I do enjoy the relationship these two have), Bond sets off on mission and finds a lady to admire and try to woo (book Bond is not as suave with the women as film Bond), Bond does a bit of shooting and puzzle solving, Bond gets the bad guy and the mission is a success.
The book just didn’t work though this time though, the whole diamond smuggling aspect was quite interesting but the plot never really got fleshed out and the villain is less villainous and more just mediocre thug.
Overall it was disappointing (even the gambling aspect was toned down in this one which is quite a shock as a large chunk is in Vegas!) and didn’t live up to some of the others in the series. I hope Bond and Fleming will be back on form in “From Russia with Love”.
If you enjoy this try: Anything by Vince Flynn
June 22, 2016
Diamonds Are Forever is a spy classic that brought James Bond back to the U.S.
On the trail of a diamond smuggling pipeline, originating in Africa and moving through London on its way to New York and Las Vegas, Bond goes undercover as a diamond mule. He works with the beautiful but damaged Tiffany Case, hoping to use her connections to infiltrate the vicious Spangled Mob. Old pal Felix Leiter, a former CIA operative who’s moved on to Pinkertons, helps out along the way. Bond has a misadventure at a Saratoga Springs horse race before landing in Sin City. A battle of wits with the head of the Spangled Gang leads to a desperate showdown in a reclaimed desert mining town. A climactic encounter with a pair of brutal killers aboard the QEII puts a dramatic flourish on the caper.
Diamonds Are Forever was one of Ian Fleming’s earlier Bond works. By the time of its publication, Fleming had done a good job of establishing the super spy and his world. There was a depth to the characterization that’s not always evident in Bond’s film translation. In Fleming’s hands, Bond wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes and had blind spots. The fun is in seeing how Fleming extracted his hero from the mad scenarios where the author had deposited him.
The period descriptions are always one of the best parts of these classic Bond novels and Diamonds Are Forever doesn’t disappoint. Fleming provided a detailed look at the life of a high end international vagabond. The details are a vital part of transporting readers into Bond’s highly stylized world. Fleming also had a knack for sketching out brutal action sequences and clever bits of spycraft. As always, seeing Bond navigate an undercover assignment while essentially acting like himself was one of the more entertaining aspects of the story.
Keep in mind that Diamonds Are Forever, like most of the Bond series, is decidedly pre-PC. Bond expressed some gender and racial attitudes that were period-accurate but could be difficult for some modern readers to swallow. But that’s a part of revisiting period genre works and it doesn’t detract from how entertaining the novel is otherwise.
This Bond reprint series is a gift for the character’s fans. Diamonds Are Forever is as enjoyable as the earlier outings.
On the trail of a diamond smuggling pipeline, originating in Africa and moving through London on its way to New York and Las Vegas, Bond goes undercover as a diamond mule. He works with the beautiful but damaged Tiffany Case, hoping to use her connections to infiltrate the vicious Spangled Mob. Old pal Felix Leiter, a former CIA operative who’s moved on to Pinkertons, helps out along the way. Bond has a misadventure at a Saratoga Springs horse race before landing in Sin City. A battle of wits with the head of the Spangled Gang leads to a desperate showdown in a reclaimed desert mining town. A climactic encounter with a pair of brutal killers aboard the QEII puts a dramatic flourish on the caper.
Diamonds Are Forever was one of Ian Fleming’s earlier Bond works. By the time of its publication, Fleming had done a good job of establishing the super spy and his world. There was a depth to the characterization that’s not always evident in Bond’s film translation. In Fleming’s hands, Bond wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes and had blind spots. The fun is in seeing how Fleming extracted his hero from the mad scenarios where the author had deposited him.
The period descriptions are always one of the best parts of these classic Bond novels and Diamonds Are Forever doesn’t disappoint. Fleming provided a detailed look at the life of a high end international vagabond. The details are a vital part of transporting readers into Bond’s highly stylized world. Fleming also had a knack for sketching out brutal action sequences and clever bits of spycraft. As always, seeing Bond navigate an undercover assignment while essentially acting like himself was one of the more entertaining aspects of the story.
Keep in mind that Diamonds Are Forever, like most of the Bond series, is decidedly pre-PC. Bond expressed some gender and racial attitudes that were period-accurate but could be difficult for some modern readers to swallow. But that’s a part of revisiting period genre works and it doesn’t detract from how entertaining the novel is otherwise.
This Bond reprint series is a gift for the character’s fans. Diamonds Are Forever is as enjoyable as the earlier outings.
July 8, 2014
How do I find myself with feelings of sadness for James and his life of international duplicity? Still, after 4 Bond novels, the end of the adventure leaves me with soft feelings for the often misogynist 007. Who knew???
This was a well crafted piece. Good story, somewhat more assertive female foil and nice continuity. Now to #5.
This was a well crafted piece. Good story, somewhat more assertive female foil and nice continuity. Now to #5.
March 20, 2023
3.5 stars but not enough to round up.
May 24, 2015
Sometimes I feel guilty about reading the James Bond novels, since Bond and Fleming are racist misogynistic snobs. But sometimes the action pulls you in and you overlook things like ridiculous personality flaws among all the protagonists. With this book, I have no reason to feel guilty, except that I finished it. This is a terrible book with tons of padding and travelogue in between the brief action sequences; it reads like a novella that Fleming's editors told him to triple in size. The final action sequences are maybe the only worthwhile section of the book (and Tiffany Case the only heroine so far drawn halfway realistically) (emphasis on halfway). To get there you must read 120 pages of what Bond ate at the local restaurants, learned about Las Vegas and Saratoga Springs, and felt like doing to kill time. My favorite sequence is when Bond walks off the plane in Vegas and looks contemptuously at the slot machines and "oxygen bar"--and then proceeds to play the slots and sample the oxygen. He's an idiot.
January 12, 2019
I decided to read through all the James Bond books from the very beginning of Fleming's now wildly popular and evolved character. I'm glad I stuck with it because by book four Fleming finally hit his stride. The first two books had great plots but the writing was clunky. The third book was a mess and I was discouraged. Now I'm revived!
Diamonds are Forever comes in at a tight 175 pages, and it keeps Fleming's typical plot pace but the writing is much smoother and Fleming finally discovered how to use adjectives. This Bond Girl is a full character with a fleshed out backstory and she saves Bond's thoroughly-whopped butt in the end.
Good stuff, Mr. Fleming. Looking forward to number 5.
Diamonds are Forever comes in at a tight 175 pages, and it keeps Fleming's typical plot pace but the writing is much smoother and Fleming finally discovered how to use adjectives. This Bond Girl is a full character with a fleshed out backstory and she saves Bond's thoroughly-whopped butt in the end.
Good stuff, Mr. Fleming. Looking forward to number 5.
March 9, 2018
Best one yet. Still seems a little shallow in the character department, and Bond falling deeply and helplessly in love every book is getting a touch old.
June 3, 2021
After reading the first four James Bond novels, I can safely say, the Bond from the films with all his nifty gadgets and his disdain of women can be found nowhere on the pages of Fleming's books. Literary James Bond is a romantic who falls constantly in love and contemplates marriage often. He finds his job wearisome, but he is compelled to do what he must and is loyal to Q.
I love the Daniel Craig portrayal of James Bond, and I think Casino Royale was a revelation on the screen, but I also feel that if you don't read Fleming's novels, and you think of Sean Connery when you hear Bond's name, you don't know James Bond.
I love the Daniel Craig portrayal of James Bond, and I think Casino Royale was a revelation on the screen, but I also feel that if you don't read Fleming's novels, and you think of Sean Connery when you hear Bond's name, you don't know James Bond.
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