Casino Royale (James Bond, #1) in SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group

Nov 15, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spy-fi

I enjoyed these books greatly when I found them...in Jr. High School, I believe that's called "middle-school" now. In other words when I was around 13 years old. they hold up fairly well...better than the newer movies. Bond just doesn't ring true in some of the more PC adaptions of him lately, do you think?

This is the first Bond book...he meets SMRESH, gets tortured, almost loses certain body parts that are very important to him (and most men), gambles for high stakes, takes a lover...you know, ...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Feliks rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-thrillers

Ian Fleming, the most well-known name in all spy fiction, certainly and without any doubt. Fleming was progenitor of a vast empire of entertainment products --based on the surreal colonial adventures of his elite British troubleshooter -- which have outlived him and --unfortunately, if we speak frankly--overshadow all the original goals he began with. For each one of Fleming's thirteen novels [& nigh all his short stories] there have been major motion pictures derived (at least in name); and the ...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Ed [Redacted] rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012, spy-vs-spy, classic-hardboiled-noir

I watched my first Bond movie (I believe it was Dr. No) when I was about nine or ten. I know it was probably not very appropriate but those were my parents, the ones who took me to a drive-in showing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the tender age of six (to be fair they thought I would fall asleep. I didn't). Anyway, I LOVED Bond. This started a life long love of the Bond movies. I adored Connery, Liked Moore a lot, Didn't like Dalton very well, tolerated Brosnan and thought Craig was a br I watched my first Bond movie (I believe it was Dr. No) when I was about nine or ten. I know it was probably not very appropriate but those were my parents, the ones who took me to a drive-in showing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the tender age of six (to be fair they thought I would fall asleep. I didn't). Anyway, I LOVED Bond. This started a life long love of the Bond movies. I adored Connery, Liked Moore a lot, Didn't like Dalton very well, tolerated Brosnan and thought Craig was a brilliant choice. I have seen them all more than twice.

For some reason I never bothered with the books. I guess I thought the movies were so goofy and unrealistic that I would sprain my eyes rolling them while reading. Finally I saw eleven of the Fleming novels at a used book store for a song...Oh, why not?

The book Bond is fairly different from the movie Bond. The book Bond is kind of a giant, sexist asshole. I am also pretty sure he is probably a sociopath. That being said I still enjoyed reading about Bond's exploits. He was less ultra capable in the book, which was nice, and there was no super cool gadgets either. I don't know if they come later or if that is just the movies. Then there was this.

"My name's Felix Leiter," said the American. "Glad to meet you"

"Mine's Bond--James Bond"

"Oh yes", said his companion, "and now let's see. What shall we have to celebrate?"

"A dry Martini," he said, "One. In a deep champagne goblet."

"Oui, Monsieur"

"Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?"

That is just made out of awesome.

The book is pretty good. Probably not quite enough plot for the length of the book and the characters were not as strong as I would hope. On the other hand it moves right along and is entertaining throughout. I will definitely continue reading my way through the Bond novels.

4/5 stars (this is probably a three star book for most people but it gets an extra star because I am a fanboy) ...more

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Aug 11, 2014 James Roby rated it it was ok

The least favorite of the Bond books but it's Bond. The outline of the character is presented and it would several books before the spy known and loved the world over is fully formed. I expected that. What I didn't expect was an unbelievable plot surrounding a fund raiser via a card game. There is of course the famous torture scene that set the tone for the dark aspect of James Bond - but there is also page after page after page of card playing! It's really hard to make that interesting. Despite ...more

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