Bond, but Not as we Know Him

Cue the theme music!  I've just finished an audiobook of 'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming, part of AudioGo's 007 Reloaded series and read by Samuel West.

'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming
Read by Samuel West (AudioGo, 2013)

'For Your Eyes Only' is a collection of five short stories featuring nigh legendary British Secret Service agent James Bond.  The book includes familiar and unfamiliar titles 'From a View to a Kill', 'Quantum of Solace', 'Risico', 'The Hildebrand Rarity' and, of course 'For Your Eyes Only'. Telling tales of mysterious murders and personal vendettas, double-crossers and drug barons, exotic locations and discrete offices, these stories take you into a world you thought you knew, then shows you there is so much to Bond, James Bond.

I love short stories and this collection is one of my favourites so far.  The stand out piece is definitely 'Quantum of Solace'.  Forget the awful film, if you read no other work by Ian Fleming, read this.  It's subtle, it's heartbreaking and has a twist in the tail that tied the whole thing up beautifully.  As a result, I'm really looking forward to reading more by Mr Fleming and have high hopes for his other books.

I'm a great fan of Bond films and was a bit worried that the character of the novels would be so hard and impenetrable that I would be put off completely.  I knew that the film plots bear little, if any, resemblance to the books that share their titles, so that difference didn't come as a surprise.  To be honest, in some instances it was a relief, but if you wanted reviews of Bond films, you'd be reading a different blog!

The stories and the films will always draw comparisons, but I'm glad to say that the things that define a Bond film are all present and correct; exotic locations, beautiful women, rich living, vile villains and, of course, our savoir faire secret agent.

Far from a character assassination that put me off Bond, this book has made me more interested in him.  The great strength of these stories (and, I hope, the books I have yet to read) is that they let you get inside the head of the character.  We hear his thought processes and get a glimpse of the cold and analytical outlook he has on the world.  It's fascinating.  Suddenly Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is more than just a bored, vain, playboy assassin.

'For Your Eyes Only'
by Ian Fleming
(Vintage, 2012)

I enjoyed listening to 'For Your Eyes Only' as an audiobook and the interview given by the reader, Samuel West, at the end was quite interesting, although it would perhaps be more useful to trainee actors than readers.  Some may dislike the lack of music and sound effects, but this appealed to me as really all I wanted was the book read to me.  That's what I got and it meant I could use my own imagination, just as though I was reading it for myself.

So, if you're a reader and a fan of escapist action-adventure stories like the James Bond series, I think you'll enjoy this book in either format.  Like many a Bond girl, 'For Your Eyes Only' has certainly left me wanting more and I can't wait to read/listen to more by Ian Fleming.

Now, what next?