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madisus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The book is definitely a product of its time, with plenty of misogyny peppered in. It’s a dark novel, with an interior and introspective Bond experiencing graphically horrific torture.
I found myself appreciating how much the recently resolved Second World War permeates the attitude of Bond and everyone around him, which is harder to extrapolate from the modernized Craig movies. To Bond, his “license to kill” is nothing more than what was expected of him and his contemporaries when they were soldiers. It’s part of the job— yet he still struggles with the concept of heroes and villains and the spy’s role as a servant of the state. It was more than I expected from this first novel.
I found myself appreciating how much the recently resolved Second World War permeates the attitude of Bond and everyone around him, which is harder to extrapolate from the modernized Craig movies. To Bond, his “license to kill” is nothing more than what was expected of him and his contemporaries when they were soldiers. It’s part of the job— yet he still struggles with the concept of heroes and villains and the spy’s role as a servant of the state. It was more than I expected from this first novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual assault