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quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
For James Bond, British secret agent 007, international espionage can be a dirty business. Whether it is tracking down a wayward major who has taken a deadly secret with him to the Caribbean, to touching down in New York to protect a former operative falling into the clutches of the KGB, Bond always closes the case – with extreme prejudice.
This Penguin/Starbucks ‘taster’ book was released in 2007 and consists of two Ian Fleming short stories featuring James Bond – OCTOPUSSY and 007 IN NEW YORK.
OCTOPUSSY doesn’t actually feature much Bond. The story follows Major Dexter Smythe, a widower living in Jamaica who passes his time diving so that he can examine the local marine life and carry out experiments for Professor Bengry at the marine Institute. His current experiment involves finding a deadly scorpion fish and attempting to feed it to an octopus to see if the octopus would eat it. But Smythe is a man with preoccupations. Government House is sending someone to ask questions about an event in his past and that man is James Bond …
Bond fans may be disappointed by his small role in this story as most of the plot focuses on Smythe’s past and how it then catches up with him. The plot is a simple one involving Nazi gold and personal greed but Fleming tells it well and Smythe is an interesting character – past his prime, living with guilt and unable to see a way out of his problem.
The lack of Bond in OCTPUSSY is more than made up for in 007 IN NEW YORK. There’s a brief explanation from Peter Janson-Smith as to the origins in the story (essentially it was written as an apology for an essay that Fleming wrote expressing his disappointment with New York). The piece itself is a long rumination on the part of Bond who arrives in New York to tip off an informant that her cover is about to be blown. I suspect that there’s more there for Bond fans as you get a sense of the man, his likes and dislikes and there’s a bonus recipe for scrambled eggs.
All in all, both stories are an enjoyable way to pass the time but I suspect there’s more here for Bond completists than for those new to Fleming’s work.
The Verdict:
This is another ‘taster’ book from Penguin and Starbucks and consists of two James Bond short stories (although Bond is very much a bit player in OCTOPUSSY). They’re a fun way to pass the time but I think they’re more for Bond completists than for people looking to start reading Fleming’s work.
For James Bond, British secret agent 007, international espionage can be a dirty business. Whether it is tracking down a wayward major who has taken a deadly secret with him to the Caribbean, to touching down in New York to protect a former operative falling into the clutches of the KGB, Bond always closes the case – with extreme prejudice.
This Penguin/Starbucks ‘taster’ book was released in 2007 and consists of two Ian Fleming short stories featuring James Bond – OCTOPUSSY and 007 IN NEW YORK.
OCTOPUSSY doesn’t actually feature much Bond. The story follows Major Dexter Smythe, a widower living in Jamaica who passes his time diving so that he can examine the local marine life and carry out experiments for Professor Bengry at the marine Institute. His current experiment involves finding a deadly scorpion fish and attempting to feed it to an octopus to see if the octopus would eat it. But Smythe is a man with preoccupations. Government House is sending someone to ask questions about an event in his past and that man is James Bond …
Bond fans may be disappointed by his small role in this story as most of the plot focuses on Smythe’s past and how it then catches up with him. The plot is a simple one involving Nazi gold and personal greed but Fleming tells it well and Smythe is an interesting character – past his prime, living with guilt and unable to see a way out of his problem.
The lack of Bond in OCTPUSSY is more than made up for in 007 IN NEW YORK. There’s a brief explanation from Peter Janson-Smith as to the origins in the story (essentially it was written as an apology for an essay that Fleming wrote expressing his disappointment with New York). The piece itself is a long rumination on the part of Bond who arrives in New York to tip off an informant that her cover is about to be blown. I suspect that there’s more there for Bond fans as you get a sense of the man, his likes and dislikes and there’s a bonus recipe for scrambled eggs.
All in all, both stories are an enjoyable way to pass the time but I suspect there’s more here for Bond completists than for those new to Fleming’s work.
The Verdict:
This is another ‘taster’ book from Penguin and Starbucks and consists of two James Bond short stories (although Bond is very much a bit player in OCTOPUSSY). They’re a fun way to pass the time but I think they’re more for Bond completists than for people looking to start reading Fleming’s work.
