Devil May Care

A variety of authors have written 007 novels since the death of Bond's creator, Ian Fleming -- and the results have been mixed, to say the least. As 'Robert Markham', Kingsley Amis penned the very first post-Fleming Bond, and this attempt by a novelist better known for his 'literary' work was judged a success. Now, after a decade of less successful entries by such writers as John Gardener, we have another serious writer, Sebastian Faulks (author of such acclaimed novels as Birdsong), taking up the challenge.

Devil May Care has already collected a jaw-dropping amount of publicity, with even the Royal Navy helping to put the book firmly at the top of the best-seller charts (Bond is, of course, a naval commander), and few books have had such wind under their sails (the relaunch of the movie franchise with the re-make of Casino Royale and Daniel Craig's second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, is all part of the ever-accelerating momentum). Of course, this also gives the book farther to fall if it misses the mark.

Faulks' author credit on the book ('Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming') is both revealing and encouraging - the author has reportedly said that he undertook the task with total seriousness, and he has tried to work within the parameters of the Ian Fleming formula (Faulks re-read all the extant Bond novels and stories) rather than the more glossy film incarnation. Among several very canny moves by the author is his decision to keep his 007 in the 1960s rather than catapulting him into the 21st century (as other ersatz Fleming novels - and, of course, the films -- have done. So how successful are the results?

Fleming aficionados can relax - this is a sterling job of recreation, and a novel that functions with total authority in its own right. The evocation of time and place (or places, notably Paris and the Middle East) is impeccable, as are the plotting and detail (as colourful and violent as anything in Fleming); there is a satisfyingly unpleasant larger-than-life villain, Julius Gorner, with a grotesque deformity of the kind Fleming often gave such characters (the chapter 'The monkey's hand' gives this away) and grandiose, evil ambitions. Best of all, this is Ian Fleming's James Bond - not a superman -- worried about his health and his physical powers (which he fears may be on the wane). Delicious stuff in fact. Now... can Faulks be persuaded to write another such novel? --Barry Forshaw.

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A mish-mash of bond lore - Rated
I don't think I'd ever envy the job of penning continuing the adventures (singular or plural) of a character like James Bond, that being said I don't think Sebastian Faulks fails to recapture the feel of the novels.

In 'Devil May Care' what the reader gets are a series of nods and winks to the past Flemming series. Bond is in the 60's but by the way he acts anyone would think he's living in the politically correct 21st century. Bond no longer drinks as usual, women don't entice him, almost like he's ready for retirement. The villain lacks the strength of past foes, he seems unconvincing and aside from the usual obscure disability that tragically Bond villains seem to always have, doesn't really have any menace. He sells drugs, and wants to bomb Russia, for flimsiest of reasons.

The book returns to old characters like Mathis and Leiter, but it feels rushed almost like he's trying to throw as many familiar faces as possible to make it a Bond novel. The female interest is surprising but then annoying. The locations of Afghanistan and Iran or Iraq (apologies if I confuse you), are there only to draw comparisons. the climax and conclusion are dull to say the least, the death of the villain being an incredibly disappointing.

If this was a person doing an impression as it says of Ian Flemming he should be booed off stage. I once heard this might be considered for a movie, I hope not.

Skillful Pseudopigraphy... - Rated
A good effort - from my limited experience of Bond books, I can't really tell this apart from one. The plot is interesting and perilous and goes places Bond never went before (e.g. the Soviet Union and Persia). It also has all of the ingredients in the right proportions (girls, guns & glamour), which make for a good action adventure, without lapsing into cliche.

A word on the narrator. Jeremy Northam isn't as good as Rufus Sewell is on the other Bond audio books, but is clear and slightly edgy which make for a well spoken and not dull voice, even if it is not overly brimming with character at times...

My one criticism is that the text is a little crude at various points, which I know the Bond books can be, but this one seemed unnecessarily lecherous in its attempt to make Gorner out to be evil. The whole 'parade' and workers harem do add to the vileness of the baddy, but don't really add much to the plot, other than to make the baddy a bit too much of a Stalinist caricature.

So, all in all, it is good. The best thing about it is that the audio book has a bond song recorded by 'Sal', which wipes the floor with any other bond theme song I've heard since 'Tomorrow never dies'. Can't get it on iLike, but it is a raw and gritty song that makes you wish for a film version...

James Bond by Numbers - Rated
I have just finished reading Devil May Care and am surprised at all of the rave reviews the book has been getting.
I have collected and read/re-read all of the James Bond books over the years by Ian Flemming, Robert Markham (aka Kingsley Amis), John Gardner & Raymond Benson and found Sebastian Faulks story to be almost James Bond by numbers when compared to his predecessors. The climax (or should I say anti climax) of the book in which Bond kills the villain is almost tagged on as an after thought. The one thing I did enjoy was the fact the story is set in the 1960's directly after The Man With The Golden Gun.

Very predictable. - Rated
Still worthy of a read but nowhere near as good as the original master 'Fleming'. The plot still draws you in but the outcome is predictable! When I bought this I purchased a novel from a new author 'De Marco Empire' and i found this to be much more exciting - on the edge of the seat stuff and definitely NOT predictable ... check it out!

Too much Flemming and not enough Faulks - Rated
It's my own fault that I really didn't enjoy this book. Faulks makes it clear that he is writing as Ian Flemming. Whether he achieves this I will leave to those more qualified than I. However from reading other reviews opinions seem to be mixed. I suppose I had hoped that he would inject a bit of the Faulks magic into Bond.

Devil May Care is almost completely devoid of insight or interesting observation, the plot is thin and unconvincing and place description so cursory you felt you could be virtually anywhere. The characters are superficial and the twist frankly risible.

One might feel that Faulks attempts to rehabilitate Bonds reputation as a sexual predator was worthy except for the way in which he then associates this with a loss of secret agent prowess.

If you are already an Ian Flemming fan then this book might be worth a look otherwise I'd steer clear. Let's hope the fall from the superb Engelby does not do Faulks any permanent damage.