Double Oh Zzzzzzz...

As a mini-project within a project, I'm still working my way through all of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and I have now finished 'Octopussy, the Living Daylights and Other Stories'.  It was another AudioGo audiobook, this time read by Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston.

'Octopussy and The Living Daylights'
by Ian Fleming
(Vintage, 2012)

This short collection includes four stories.  In 'Octopussy', a psychopathic Major finally gets his just rewards courtesy of the local wildlife, while 'The Property of a Lady' appealed to my love of shiny things as the plot revolves around the auction of a rare jewelled Fabergé sphere.  Bond takes on an unlikely Russian sniper in 'The Living Daylights'.  Finally, the collection concludes with '007 in New York', about... erm... James Bond in New York. This is read by the author's niece, Lucy Fleming,

Unfortunately, things didn't go well between me and this book from the start.  I fell asleep while listening to 'Octopussy' and had to replay it again from the beginning to catch up.  In retrospect, I'm not surprised, because it's not really a James Bond story (it just happens to have James Bond in it) nor is it a great short story.  It's plodding and predictable and I've come to expect more now I've encountered so much great work from Mr Fleming.

'The Property of a Lady' left me surprised and disappointed as the complex set up didn't deliver the plot twist I expected, while '007 in New York' felt a bit like a fan-focussed Easter Egg, a secret extra for the eyes of real obsessives only.

The best of the four was definitely 'The Living Daylights', a story which draws the reader into the working life of a jobbing double-0.  It opens up the the events leading up to the assassin's gunshot, the tedium of waiting, the meticulous planning, the risk of getting caught.  It had tension and provided insight into a character that we all think we know.

'Octopussy and the Living Daylights
and Other Stories'
by Ian Fleming.
(AudioGo, 2012)

I felt a bit sorry for Tom Hiddleston really.  He didn't have as much to work with as some of the other actors who have narrated CDs in the 007 Reloaded series, but that didn't stop him trying.  He clearly had a lot of fun voicing Major Dexter Smythe in 'Octopussy', although it did make me smile a couple of times.  I couldn't help being reminded of Kulvinder Ghir in the 'Goodness Gracious Me' Coopers/Kapoors and Robinsons/Rabindranaths sketches.  Both probably had the same inspiration.

Overall, I would recommend this as a curiosity, something to read so you can say 'I've read all the James Bond books'.  It's not got the energy of the other stories I've listened to so far, so in a way, here, Mr Fleming is a victim of his own success.  I'm hoping it's just a blip and that Bond will be back on form for 'Thunderball'.  After all, James Bond will return...

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