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Read the first extract from Devil May Care here:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle3963143.ece

From K1Bond007 on the CBn main page...

'Devil May Care' Extract Online

Get a sneak peek into the centenary James Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks

Whoops- must actually read the front page before the forum occasionally!

Oh no, I just hijacked this thread for the discussion area as it was the exact same topic.

Just read it, and I have mixed feelings. Not exactly what I expected from Faulks, but I guess this introduction of the Bond character might not be the best extract to begin with. It sounds a bit forced, like Faulks had to tick off a check-list of Bond attributes: navy blue suit + knitted black tie + Morland specials + black coffee + Bentley + Villain with an odd physical defect + plus the May, M and Moneypenny characters, all in a few pages... phew! My guess is that I should better consider the novel in its entirety, but I can now only react with what I've been given to read

As a side note, did May ever addressed Bond as "Mr Bond" in the novels? I remember a development about her never calling addressing him as "sir", but sometimes as "'s...".

If Faulks is indeed emulating Fleming's style, my guess is this extract is not the first chapter of the novel. Indeed, it doesn't begin like the start of a novel at all. I suspect this is from the second or third chapter - since he references a woman whom we know nothing about. It's possible the extract isn't even the beginning of the chapter - although it does seem to be the end of one.

But so far, so very good. I enjoyed that. Was a bit surprised at all the name-dropping, but I suspect Faulks wanted to throw a bone to Fleming fans and Bond movie fans as well.

Well i think its bloody marvellous. Yes, as Mkb says theres a touch of "how many Fleming Bond attributes can I mention inside a thousand words?" but to me it doesn't read like an out and out pastiche.
There are some little touches of class in there: "the bonfire whiff of marijuana", "Miss Moneypenny, a tailored Cerberus at the gates of whatever underworld awaited him".
Also, this little exchange:



Thats just terrific isn't it? Not especially Fleminian either, just great writing.

One suprise, I dont think Bond and Moneypenny were ever quite that flirty in Fleming. Theres a bit of movie Bond in here.
But I do like that little reference to Bond spanking her, maybe Mr Faulks has something rather racy awaiting us?

This post has been edited by Scrambled Eggs: 24 May 2008 - 00:02

Good so far. I look forward to reading the rest.

Its not the beginning - beginning is in France.

I have mixed feelings as well. In the the Times interview he said he had problems with Bond's voice - it kind of shows here.

I wonder if he is aware of Brokenclaw?

I agree that the Moneypenny scene reads more film than Fleming.

Glad he has the PPK.

Miles better than anything Benson came up with. I'm a fan so far.

Does sound little bit like a pastiche but far better than Benson. At least the man can write.

Benson didn't have the luxury of writing about Bond in the 60s.

M doing yoga?

I've got mixed feelings as well. And May called Bond either "s" ("sir" being reserved for the King and Winston Churchill) or "Mr. James." A small detail, I know, but it's little mistakes that set the alarm bells ringing.

I agree with all your comments, except I enjoyed the Benson novels and knew him at the time.

My only issues (and they are nit-picky) are as already mentioned, M doing yoga, and the name DR JULIUS Gorner. Couldn't he have come up with a different 1st name? Even this "R" person (another issue, why R? Obviously it's taken from R'N'R, but as soon as I read that I immediately thought John Cleese) has the name JULIAN.

Perhaps Dr Gorner won't be the central villain. But still ...





I just had a thought, I hope it's not gonna be a entire "nod to" book, with names of old characters popping up all over the place...

Zencat what do you think???


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