What do you think?
Rate this book
Modesty Blaise #3
Modesty Blaise: I, Lucifer
Near fine copy in a very slightly edge-nicked and dust-dulled dw, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly and surprisingly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Copy is not price-clipped. Further scans, images etc. and additional bibliographical material available on request. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 317 pages; Description: 317 p. ; 22 cm. Subject: Adventure caper -- Exotic Locations -- Fiction in English -- Women Spies - - Texts -- Fictional Characters. Notes: Modesty Blaise is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by Peter O'Donnell (writer) and Jim Holdaway (art) in 1963. The strip follows the adventures of Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin. It was adapted into films made in 1966, 1982, and 2003 and a series of 13 novels and short story collections, beginning in 1965. Series: Modesty Blaise.
318 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
7 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Peter O'Donnell
371 books115 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Peter O'Donnell also wrote as Madeleine Brent.
http://www.cs.umu.se/~kenth/modesty.html
is an excellent resource on this author.
To help keep the novels and the adventure strip collections separate, here's some info about the Modesty Blaise works.
In 1963, O'Donnell began his 38-year run as writer of the Modesty Blaise adventure story strip, which appeared six days a week in English and Scottish newspapers. He retired the strip in 2001.
Each strip story took 18-20 weeks to complete. Several publishers over the years have attempted to collect these stories in large softcovers. Titan Publishing is currently in the process of bringing them all out in large-format softcover, with 2-3 stories in each books. These are called "graphic novels" in the Goodreads title.
Meanwhile, during those 38 years, O'Donnell also wrote 13 books about Modesty Blaise: 11 novels and 2 short story/novella collections. These stories are not related to the strip stories; they are not novelizations of strip stories. They are entirely new, though the characters and "lives" are the same. These have been labeled "series #0".
There is a large article on Peter O'Donnell on Wikipedia, with a complete bibliography.
Peter O'Donnell also wrote as Madeleine Brent.
http://www.cs.umu.se/~kenth/modesty.html
is an excellent resource on this author.
To help keep the novels and the adventure strip collections separate, here's some info about the Modesty Blaise works.
In 1963, O'Donnell began his 38-year run as writer of the Modesty Blaise adventure story strip, which appeared six days a week in English and Scottish newspapers. He retired the strip in 2001.
Each strip story took 18-20 weeks to complete. Several publishers over the years have attempted to collect these stories in large softcovers. Titan Publishing is currently in the process of bringing them all out in large-format softcover, with 2-3 stories in each books. These are called "graphic novels" in the Goodreads title.
Meanwhile, during those 38 years, O'Donnell also wrote 13 books about Modesty Blaise: 11 novels and 2 short story/novella collections. These stories are not related to the strip stories; they are not novelizations of strip stories. They are entirely new, though the characters and "lives" are the same. These have been labeled "series #0".
There is a large article on Peter O'Donnell on Wikipedia, with a complete bibliography.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 15, 2022
You don,t get a more thrilling heroine than Modesty Blaise. Smoking hot sexy, deadly to those that try to harm her or her friends and tough as you get. In this novel Modesty faces off a criminal syndicate lead by man who sincerely believes himself to be the devil, a cold blooded compiler of hit lists as his deputy and controller and their assassin's.
Modesty swims four miles, fights some lethal duals , has a poisonous capsule cut out of her and uses sex to defeat a madman. All perfectly thrilling, and oh Modesty is sexy and enthralling .
Modesty swims four miles, fights some lethal duals , has a poisonous capsule cut out of her and uses sex to defeat a madman. All perfectly thrilling, and oh Modesty is sexy and enthralling .
February 20, 2018
Not my favourite of the Blaise chronicles, and less so now than when I read it in the 1980s. Published in 1967, it is very much of its time and place. The fascination with communicating with cetaceans, ESP and then-understanding of the term "paranoia" in the character of "Lucifer", a deranged young man who can predict deaths are all in the mix. O'Donnell tries to make him a sympathetic character, but it didn't play for me. The baddies are all nuts or at least extremely unpleasant, but then of course these are comic-book characters carried over into print.
Steven Collier, a friend/pickup of Modesty's and "paranormal investigator", will become a recurring character in the series, right up to the very last volume, Cobra Trap. I guess he was meant to prove that M and W are really just "normal folks" with friends outside the business of crimestopping.
My favourite scene in the book comes early, when Willie (bless him) is arguing with a recalcitrant parachute.
Steven Collier, a friend/pickup of Modesty's and "paranormal investigator", will become a recurring character in the series, right up to the very last volume, Cobra Trap. I guess he was meant to prove that M and W are really just "normal folks" with friends outside the business of crimestopping.
My favourite scene in the book comes early, when Willie (bless him) is arguing with a recalcitrant parachute.
January 25, 2018
Overall this was an enjoyable read, the first half of this book was great, although some of the attitudes to sexuality and gender were definitely of their time. I still enjoyed the second half, especially the ending, but a few minor issues did creep in.
There was a touch of the paranormal about this story, I was quite happy just to ‘suspend disbelief’ and carry on. However, the author then tried to explain some of these abilities, which meant he opened up the story for critical analysis and unfortunately it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny e.g.
When ‘Lucifer fought Modesty his ability to counter her moves was described as precognition, this might work for the initial attack, but in the middle of the fight against a ‘master’ of unarmed combat not only do you have to spot the moves but you have to have the ability and trained muscles to counter the attacks.
I don’t mind our heroes hitting problems but the second half of the story seemed to rely on unlikely things going wrong all the time.
There was a touch of the paranormal about this story, I was quite happy just to ‘suspend disbelief’ and carry on. However, the author then tried to explain some of these abilities, which meant he opened up the story for critical analysis and unfortunately it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny e.g.
When ‘Lucifer fought Modesty his ability to counter her moves was described as precognition, this might work for the initial attack, but in the middle of the fight against a ‘master’ of unarmed combat not only do you have to spot the moves but you have to have the ability and trained muscles to counter the attacks.
I don’t mind our heroes hitting problems but the second half of the story seemed to rely on unlikely things going wrong all the time.
June 10, 2011
I actually read this book by accident, as I was intending to read Glen Duncan's book by the same name, on a friend's recommendation. Turns out it was not entirely a bad thing. This was by no means the type of story I was expecting. It turned out to be sort of James-Bond-Lite. But... All in all, an almost generic-feeling spy novel, but the characters were well-rounded and interesting. I found it interesting that once upon a time this Modesty Blaise series was wildly popular, spawning both a TV series and apparently a movie. Hmmm, intriguing! :)
June 9, 2019
A man with amazing precognitive abilities can predict peoples' deaths. A group of villains find a way to exploit him. They target wealthy individuals likely to pay under threat of death and give them a list of people who will also die. When the others die as predicted of seemingly natural causes, many targets pay up. Those who don't are then assassinated. By the way - that man with the precognitive abilities? He's also delusional and believes himself to literally be Lucifer.
Yes, indeed - it's yet another borderline ridiculous plot for a Modesty Blaise story. Author and Modesty Blaise co-creator Peter O'Donnell proved adept at concocting these, but if you're willing to "just go with it," then you're once again in for a fun ride.
Modesty Blaise is here, of course, along with her partner, Willie Garvin, with whom she shares an idealized close platonic relationship. As action heroes, the two prove incredibly competent, but like the story itself, they're colorful and fun and quite likable. I've now read six of these novels and several collections of the comic strip series (also written by O'Donnell) on which they're based, and I've enjoyed them all. It's nice that the stories can be read in any order, and I enjoy picking up a random one here and there and settling in to a comfy chair to read it.
While the Modesty Blaise comic strip offered some great work by several talented artists (co-creator Jim Holdaway foremost among them), the novels provide a greater showcase for O'Donnell's writing, and O'Donnell's writing is actually quite good. Yes, this is a formulaic adventure yarn - not that there's anything wrong with that - but the prose is nonetheless clear and crisp, with memorable characters and enough suspense to keep you turning pages. If you like this sort of thing, then...well, you'll definitely enjoy this, as I did.
Needless to say, I recommend I, LUCIFER to any lovers of espionage or adventure fiction. If you're never read a Modesty Blaise story before, then by all means, get this - or any of them - and give the series a try.
Yes, indeed - it's yet another borderline ridiculous plot for a Modesty Blaise story. Author and Modesty Blaise co-creator Peter O'Donnell proved adept at concocting these, but if you're willing to "just go with it," then you're once again in for a fun ride.
Modesty Blaise is here, of course, along with her partner, Willie Garvin, with whom she shares an idealized close platonic relationship. As action heroes, the two prove incredibly competent, but like the story itself, they're colorful and fun and quite likable. I've now read six of these novels and several collections of the comic strip series (also written by O'Donnell) on which they're based, and I've enjoyed them all. It's nice that the stories can be read in any order, and I enjoy picking up a random one here and there and settling in to a comfy chair to read it.
While the Modesty Blaise comic strip offered some great work by several talented artists (co-creator Jim Holdaway foremost among them), the novels provide a greater showcase for O'Donnell's writing, and O'Donnell's writing is actually quite good. Yes, this is a formulaic adventure yarn - not that there's anything wrong with that - but the prose is nonetheless clear and crisp, with memorable characters and enough suspense to keep you turning pages. If you like this sort of thing, then...well, you'll definitely enjoy this, as I did.
Needless to say, I recommend I, LUCIFER to any lovers of espionage or adventure fiction. If you're never read a Modesty Blaise story before, then by all means, get this - or any of them - and give the series a try.
January 20, 2020
Spännande och händelserik agentaction/thriller med en del humor till på köpet. Modesty Blaise har man läst tidigare, men mestadels i serieform. Romanerna fungerar faktiskt riktigt bra och O'Donnel har ett härligt levande språk där allt från klädsel och miljöer till personligheter och karaktärer får blomma ut ordentligt. Visst kan jag klaga en del på sättet en homosexuell/transsexuell person beskrivs, men det struntar jag i och förklarar som att boken är ett barn av sin tid. Annars är det roligt att läsa om en karaktär som klart och tydligt är en stark och självständig kvinna, som kan beskrivas som kvinna på alla sätt, utan att "kvinna" blir ett uttryck för svaghet.
En detalj bara: Vem i He**te har korrekturläst den här boken? Det är stavfel på var och varannan sida samt uttryck som inte används på svenska. Det känns som översättaren hade bättre koll på engelska språket än det svenska när han översatte. Och han lät sina guldfiskar korrekturläsa efteråt.
...
...
förlåt. Det var elakt sagt.
Det kan ha varit hans undulater.
En detalj bara: Vem i He**te har korrekturläst den här boken? Det är stavfel på var och varannan sida samt uttryck som inte används på svenska. Det känns som översättaren hade bättre koll på engelska språket än det svenska när han översatte. Och han lät sina guldfiskar korrekturläsa efteråt.
...
...
förlåt. Det var elakt sagt.
Det kan ha varit hans undulater.
March 13, 2024
Read this back in the day, liked it a lot then. Been looking for it for years now, but couldn't find it because I had been thinking it was a Ms Tree novel, so, I had been searching for it quite wrongly, LOL.
May 22, 2017
Very unusual and quite ruthless villains who use a poor deranged mind with foreseeing skills to get rich. They're not like the villains you usually read about in spy novels. Very entertaining
June 18, 2017
One of the best Modesty Blaise books in the series.
July 6, 2020
Another great book to keep you on the edge if you don't read the back.
July 29, 2022
I read the Swedish hardcover edition.
April 10, 2024
The scene with Willie and Steve in the kitchen is one of my very favorites. I love the subtlety of the humor. It gets a little long-winded during the battle scene, but this is a good one.
May 5, 2024
Oldie. Takes me back to being 14 yrs old in my bedroom wanting to be as poised and self assured as Modesty. And as kick- ass.
August 13, 2021
My aunt gave this series to me and I am addicted now.
February 28, 2024
It probably isn't fair to take an author at the estimation of blurb writers but I think the same reasons why MB _isn't_ "the female Bond" are the same reasons why these books are now only mildly entertaining curios. Bond is a "man's man": He is larger than life in his ruthlessness, determination, autonomy, skill and resourcefulness. I am not sure what a "woman's woman" would be like but I suspect they would not make a good action character. (Unfortunately, it is probably not a coincidence that the archetypal female spy is Mata Hari.) Given Bond's character, it is no surprise that the various side kicks and "Doctor Who Assistants" he picks up along the way are neither really necessary to him or to the plot. By contrast, the character of Willie Garvin in these books feels like he is there because it is simply not plausible (even in a fictional world) that MB could win all those gun battles and fist fights herself. They are really are a double act and it isn't clear why MB gets _her_ name in lights. Thirdly, a superhero like Bond really needs a super villain to justify his homeric battles. The evil plan in this book is suitably bizarre but its implementers are really just a gaggle of nasty ciphers. Finally, there is stylistic point. Fleming varies between telling the story directly from Bond's view and giving very dispassionate descriptions where Bond isn't present. This whole book is told in the same somewhat engaged narrator's tone which flattens it and creates a very different effect. One reason we admire Bond is because we actually know him (even if we don't wholly like him). We know what MB does but it isn't so clear we can tell who she _is_. This is quite jolly but, compared to Bond, there isn't really a whole lot in it.
December 8, 2023
I’m not a fan of the term “guilty pleasure”, but if we’re talking about books which are enjoyable to read, but could hardly be said to be especially “literary” (probably actually the majority of books published!), then I guess the Modesty Blaise stories (originally a newspaper comic strip, of course) certainly qualify.
This is the 3rd adventure of Peter O’Donnell’s distaff James Bond character (and her partner Willie Garvin), which sees Modesty caught up in a giant worldwide protection racket, where large numbers of rich and important people are threatened with death unless a large payment is made in a suitably complex manner. Death inevitably follows for those who don’t pay, with some being murdered, but more mysteriously, others clearly dying of natural causes which can’t be faked…
The latter deaths are being predicted by “Lucifer,” a paranoid schizophrenic who believes he’s actually Satan himself, and apparently has ESP powers which enable him to predict the future, albeit imperfectly. This power is being exploited by the villainous Mr. Seff and his gang of henchmen, but when Seff employs Modesty’s current boyfriend (an ESP researcher) to try and improve Lucifer’s powers, it’s not long before she finds herself embroiled in trying to bring the gang to justice…
From 1967, this instalment is clearly more influenced by TV’s The Avengers than Bond, with its weird villain (no explanation is ever given or shown for why Seff actually inspires such dread in his henchmen), his equally strange wife with her bizarre and perverse puppet shows, and the character of Lucifer himself (we’re never told his real name) with his ESP powers either caused by his delusion of being Satan, or vice-versa… actually, the ESP angle is sidelined fairly early to make way for a reasonably straightforward semi-espionage thriller. It’s all nonsense of course, but bowls along briskly and entertainingly, but disappointingly, by this time, O’Donnell feels no need to fill in any more of Modesty’s or Willie’s back-stories than what we learned in earlier adventures, which is a shame, as there’s no perceptible character growth, but arguably necessary in serial adventures such as this…
PS I can't help feeling that despite three attempts, there’s still a decent movie to be made about this compelling but mysterious character – the last was in 2004, and made solely to retain the film rights, so almost 2 decades later, maybe we’re due another in the next few years…?
This is the 3rd adventure of Peter O’Donnell’s distaff James Bond character (and her partner Willie Garvin), which sees Modesty caught up in a giant worldwide protection racket, where large numbers of rich and important people are threatened with death unless a large payment is made in a suitably complex manner. Death inevitably follows for those who don’t pay, with some being murdered, but more mysteriously, others clearly dying of natural causes which can’t be faked…
The latter deaths are being predicted by “Lucifer,” a paranoid schizophrenic who believes he’s actually Satan himself, and apparently has ESP powers which enable him to predict the future, albeit imperfectly. This power is being exploited by the villainous Mr. Seff and his gang of henchmen, but when Seff employs Modesty’s current boyfriend (an ESP researcher) to try and improve Lucifer’s powers, it’s not long before she finds herself embroiled in trying to bring the gang to justice…
From 1967, this instalment is clearly more influenced by TV’s The Avengers than Bond, with its weird villain (no explanation is ever given or shown for why Seff actually inspires such dread in his henchmen), his equally strange wife with her bizarre and perverse puppet shows, and the character of Lucifer himself (we’re never told his real name) with his ESP powers either caused by his delusion of being Satan, or vice-versa… actually, the ESP angle is sidelined fairly early to make way for a reasonably straightforward semi-espionage thriller. It’s all nonsense of course, but bowls along briskly and entertainingly, but disappointingly, by this time, O’Donnell feels no need to fill in any more of Modesty’s or Willie’s back-stories than what we learned in earlier adventures, which is a shame, as there’s no perceptible character growth, but arguably necessary in serial adventures such as this…
PS I can't help feeling that despite three attempts, there’s still a decent movie to be made about this compelling but mysterious character – the last was in 2004, and made solely to retain the film rights, so almost 2 decades later, maybe we’re due another in the next few years…?
December 22, 2022
The third installment in the Modesty Blaise series, and in my opinion, the most enticing.
I love madness! and this book is piled high to the sky with insanity and delirium.
This book has an almost magical element to it. I am almost tempted to say there is a sprinkling of magical realism, and wow does Peter O'Donnel make use of it in the best way imaginable.
His characters are jumping off the page, gripping you and dragging you in. The descriptions are immaculate. Every scene is perfectly displayed and played out.
The villain is hateable, grotesque and truly evil, while simultaneously still feeling like a person, someone you might even know, with a backstory that makes him feel true and alive.
I can't praise this high enough, of course, if you were looking for fine art or realism, then look elsewhere, but I wasn't! I was looking for a good time, for a thrill, for action, for madness and for Lucifer, and I found it! All of it!
Entertainment score: 5/5
Critical score: 4/5
Readability score: 5/5
I love madness! and this book is piled high to the sky with insanity and delirium.
This book has an almost magical element to it. I am almost tempted to say there is a sprinkling of magical realism, and wow does Peter O'Donnel make use of it in the best way imaginable.
His characters are jumping off the page, gripping you and dragging you in. The descriptions are immaculate. Every scene is perfectly displayed and played out.
The villain is hateable, grotesque and truly evil, while simultaneously still feeling like a person, someone you might even know, with a backstory that makes him feel true and alive.
I can't praise this high enough, of course, if you were looking for fine art or realism, then look elsewhere, but I wasn't! I was looking for a good time, for a thrill, for action, for madness and for Lucifer, and I found it! All of it!
Entertainment score: 5/5
Critical score: 4/5
Readability score: 5/5
August 1, 2008
After seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I can't help but imagine Angelina Jolie as Modesty Blaise, and Brad Pitt as Willie Garvin. Based upon the 1960's comic strip, the Modesty Blaise series of books are a no-nonsense adult thrillers that are completely satisfying. I came across this paperback copy at a yard sale, and I re-read it for the third time.
Want to read
July 17, 2009OK so there's a guy, and he's maybe psychic, and a bunch of unscrupulous psychiatrists-cum-crimelords are keeping him drugged to convince him that he's a) Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, and b) capable of killing people at a point of his finger? All that and a sexually-explicit puppet show within the first dozen pages? I have no idea what's going on.
May 19, 2014
Very good adventure. I've now read two of the Modesty Blaise series and enjoy the series. Modesty and Willie Garvin, her partner in crime, have given up the Network, a crime organization and live in retirement but come out when the need arises, now to help stop crime. I like their relationship, their skill and the stories are interesting. Not much else to say. :)
September 15, 2013
A little different from the previous two Modesty Blaise novels, in that a major plot theme depends on psi/esp and precognition, not the usual hard-nosed gritty underworld/espionage realism that we get in the other stories. Still, very well done as usual, and a fun, quick read. Modesty shines as usual and Willie Garvin really comes into his own in this novel.
May 16, 2007
Still loving these -- this one had some "wtf?" type moments, where suddenly it seemed like the author was abandoning some of his realism and picking up some more supernatural/speculative elements, but watching Modesty get into (and out of) trouble remains highly entertaining.
January 18, 2015
The adventures of Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin are just wonderful. This installment is no exception. They are quite the dynamic duo, even if they spend much of this story apart. Still, I would love to have seen a movie of this series, provided it had some good actors as Modesty and Willie.
November 27, 2013
All Modesty novels are glorious, but this one is possibly the best -- the other hot contender is THE SILVER MISTRESS. This one has all the salient features of an MB novel -- a bit of the occult, lots of creative action, exotic locales, death traps, twists of plot. It is perfect.
November 30, 2013
Be aware this is a nostalgia rating: I read this books when I was very young and even in that blissfull state of teenage ignorance I recall some disturbing sexist and racist content (and some equally disturbing attitudes to rape)
July 16, 2014
I just love modesty blaise, going to continue with the other books as soon as I find some. Loving Stephen Collier I never knew before reading I, Lucifer how he got introduced in the series. Can't wait to read more about Modesty's and Willie's adventures.
September 28, 2013
re-read
July 27, 2011
Modesty is the all-time woman heroine! I just adore her
August 19, 2016
The oddest Modesty Blaise of them all.
October 16, 2022
3 pluss or 3.5 at the time I read this book (in Danish) How would I like it today? Don't know.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews