CommanderBond.net

'Devil May Care' Launch Plans Unveiled

Penguin promises "massive" marketing campaign

wow. Can you imagine how much better the the continuation novels might have faired had they gotten even CLOSE to this kind of press?

I'm so happy I planned a trip to London for the Centenary week. Can't wait to swept up in all this. Guess who's going to be at Waterstone's when the doors open at 8AM? Then it's back to the hotel to read.

BTW, a pic of the Piccadilly ticker can be seen here:
http://www.cpluv.com/www/item/TomJohnson/20305

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I'm so stoked for DEVIL MAY CARE that QUANTUM OF SOLACE - which I'm looking forward to and have faith in, make no mistake - is by comparison a mere sideshow. I hope DMC is the spectacular bestseller it so richly deserves to be.

"Ah, Mr Bond, we're expecting you..."
V. excited, natch!

I actually more stoked about all the Bond literary releases this year than QOS. Make no mistake, I can't wait for QOS, but with it's contemporary setting and the whole new interpretation of 007 by Craig, it feels weirdly removed from the whole James Bond 007/Ian Fleming ethos. This isn't a criticism because I love the new approach...it's just a little ironic.

But isn't Craig's take on Bond the closest we've (ever?) had to Fleming? Granted the time period has changed, but Bond himself is more tonally in line with Fleming than he's been in many, many years. Not to mention the fact we have a Bond film called "Quantum of Solace". Seriously! Who'd have thought?

I do agree with you, though, that the current cinematic Bond does feel somehow removed - not just from 007's other "contemporary" incarnations, but also from what we've seen on-screen before. I think the reason MovieBond feels so far removed is because, in fact, he's really back where he should be, having truly been removed for some time.

Excellent post [dark], totally agree.

Who'd have thunk it? An essentially faitful adaptation of Casino Royale, a new Bond film called Quantum Of Solace (with the meaning of that short story kept intact), a new Bond novel being a media event (however slight in the US, it still gets ink) and Ian Fleming's life and work celebrated in unprecedented style in major cultural institutions.

2008 is turning out to be 200gr8!!!!

Ah lovely work- nice to see that I'm not the only one who's seen the Waterstones promotion!

dude! You're in London and you're gonna spend the day in a hotel reading?

Not just reading -- reading the new James Bond novel!

I'll be there for 10 days and I have loads of things planned. I love the idea of spending one whole day in my hotel ordering room service and reading (and then having dinner that night with anyone else who has read the book so we can discuss).

Besides, I have to have the book read so I can visit any DMC London locations the next day.

I think doublenoughtspy, for one, would disagree, and I'm sure that there are many Bond fans who'd be with him.



Agreed, but the thing is that Craig's Bond isn't Fleming's Bond on a visual level. Now, please don't get me wrong: I love Craig as 007, indeed I'd unhesitatingly call him the best Bond ever (well, after Connery - obviously), but I'd also have to say that the image of Brosnan as the "traditional", dark-haired Bond would be a much more natural fit with what zen calls "the whole James Bond 007/Ian Fleming ethos", even though there's obviously far less Fleming in Brosnan's actual performances and films than there is in Craig's.

Also, I'm getting a "five minutes into the future" (as I think Cubby used to say) vibe from QoS, to the point where, weirdly, I'm getting a slightly sci-fi-ish feel, although perhaps I'm alone on that one. I know that it's hardly anything major to go on, but the QoS stills I've seen so far have mostly made me think of a slightly higher class MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II, the image of Craig in a tight shirt and shades running about with a gun being particularly instrumental in bringing to mind that Cruisemeister action flick.

I know it seems like I'm getting ridiculously hung up on the blond hair issue and on one single, solitary still that probably doesn't represent anything more than a few seconds of footage in what is doubtless a very good, intelligent and varied film, so don't think I've converted to Craignotbondage. All is good in the world of Bond. Nay, all is great in the world of Bond. But, yeah, there is---- how to put it? Something slightly jarring about Craig and QoS next to DMC (needless to say, Higson's Young Bond and Westbrook's MONEYPENNY DIARIES Bond are both pretty much in their own world too!). But in a good way, of course. Variety being, as ever, the spice of Bond.