Classic Corner - From Russia With Love

From Russia With Love

Name: From Russia With Love

Author: Ian Fleming

Year: 1957

Genre: Spy, Thriller





For this week's classic corner review, I will be continuing the recent theme of reviews of the James Bond novels with the review of the fifth novel in the series, From Russia With Love.

Plot

In the opening chapter of the novel in what is quite a bizarre scene a masseuse has come along to visit a Englishman at his apartment to give him a massage. We quickly learn however that this is behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union and that this Englishman is in fact one of the main killing machines for SMERSH - Russia's secret police and that he has been summoned to take on a new assignment.

It appears that the heads of state in Russia have become increasingly angry at the poor performance of Russia's secret service in helping to spread Communism throughout the West and undermine Western powers so they set them the task of creating a konspiratsia that would be completely shocking to the secret services and would also cause a huge public scandal.

The chief strategist Kronsteen, comes up with a clever solution. His aim is to make it appear that a young Russian woman has apparently fallen in love with a Western spy after seeing their file, and is willing to steal the Spektor machine for the opposition, one of the Soviet Union's greatest secret weapons, provided that this spy will give her safe passage to the West. The secret service scandal would be the machine doesn't work and when the female spy and the male spy are found dead shortly afterwards, a film of them making love would cause a huge public scandal.

Following the input of SMERSH's head of operations, Rosa Klebb, it is decided the British agent chosen to have their reputation smeared by the conspiracy is James Bond after he killed some of SMERSH's key operatives (in Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker). The woman chosen is the beautiful Tatiana Romanova and the location Istanbul.

Following this the action shifts to Britain where Bond is called into M's office and is sent to Istanbul to investigate Romanova's claim's and to retrieve the Specktor machine. However will he unravel the conspiracy in time or is he walking blindly into such a perfectly devised honeytrap.

Thoughts

On reading From Russia With Love, one of the first things that struck me is how Fleming once again changed the structure of the novel. In both of the previous two entries in the series, Fleming pretty much made us see the entire plotline through Bond's eyes as he investigates the villain's plot. However in this novel the entire first section takes place completely in Russia (in fact Bond only enters the novel at around the 10th chapter). This unusual tack means that the reader is more or less omniscient in the novel long before Bond gets to the same place. In some respects this may put off some readers who like to be kept guessing but it does make the book more readable as you can see Bond is walking blindly into the traps set out for him by the Russians.

The novel is once again very glossy and glamorous and features many of the usual elements to keep fans happy - the exotic location of Istanbul (and the exciting final chapters on the luxurious Orient Express), the action sequences (special mention again to the Orient Express and also the chapter set at the gypsy camp), a beautiful leading lady in Tatiana Romanova - it all once again comes together to make a very taught, complex thriller novel.

Also as a little side note for people who are fans of the 1963 movie adaption (and having only saw it again myself recently) the novel is one of the more accurate adaptions with most of the material having made it from the book onto the silver screen. This is probably because unlike the previous three novels which were only adapted on film some years after they were initially published - From Russia With Love was only 6 years old when it was filmed with Sean Connery so many of the elements would still have been very relevant.

Also, unlike the previous entries in the series, the novel actually ends on a cliffhanger and doesn't have a completely closed ending in the same way as the previous two entries, how that is picked up in the next entry in the series remains to be seen (though you know by now I won't actually reveal the cliffhanger here, right?).

There are however a couple of things which will grate some readers. In a similar way to the previous entry in the series, Diamonds Are Forever with Wint and Kidd being the two villains in a homosexual relationship, there is a massive suggestion once again that Rosa Klebb is in fact a lesbian when she comes on to Romanova in one of the earlier chapters. This may have been coincidence but it may grate that the villains in the last two novels are both homosexual so there seems to be the start of a theme here. 

Also the novel frustratingly takes another back step with its leading lady with Tatiana probably being on a similar par in terms of usefulness to the plot as Live and Let Die's Solitaire i.e. not very. This was a little frustrating for me after Tiffany Case and Gala Brand elevated the female presence in the novels beyond mere damsel's in distress for Bond to rescue. This does provide insight into Bond's character however in his protective instincts over seemingly vulnerable women and probably suits the plot of the conspiracy more than a character like Tiffany Case or Gala Brand would.

Verdict
From Russia With Love is a searing spy thriller and a worthy entry into the Bond series.

Availability
At the time of writing, the book is available on Amazon for £8.99 here. This link is an affiliate link, and I may receive a commission from the sale though this will not affect the price for you.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Classic Corner - Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds Are Forever

Name: Diamonds Are Forever

Author: Ian Fleming

Year: 1956

Genre: Spy





For this week's review I shall be reviewing Diamonds Are Forever, the fourth James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming.

Plot

The novel begins in South Africa where a dentist employed at the diamond mines in Africa near Sierra Leone is meeting a man in the desert as part of a wider criminal conspiracy to smuggle diamonds.

A few weeks later in London, the police have arrested a key link in this pipeline - a man named Peter Franks when M decides to let Bond take Franks' place in the pipeline - with the aim of following the pipeline to it's source and destroying it. It is believed the source lies in America with the Spangled Mob - one of the USA's biggest mobster gangs who are using the diamonds to make money to finance it's criminal activities - including selling the diamonds as jewelry at the House of Diamonds jewelers back in London.

Bond meets Franks handler, the beautiful Tiffany Case and manages to successfully smuggle the diamonds out of London and into America. There he meets the Spangled Mob and tries to infiltrate the gang further - whilst being led to some of America's glamorous gambling mecca's - including the glittering lights of Las Vegas.

However as Bond plays with fire in the gang, will he eventually get his fingers burnt.....

Thoughts

This review follows on from my review last month of the third James Bond novel, Moonraker and once again Ian Fleming as created a brilliant thriller novel.

In many ways I found Diamonds Are Forever to be much more relevant to a modern audience then all of the previous three entries to the series. In this adventure Bond is not dealing with the defunct Soviet Union, but a gang of criminals, a villain which we are all aware of and can believe in and Fleming takes this very gritty setting and adds in all the traditional elements of Bond:- the glamorous locations, action, espionage etc..

The book moves along at a very fast pace and it is interesting to see Bond operate on the inside of the gang, slowly increasing his status there before he can stab them in the back and the novel has its fair share of twist and turns to keep you reading. Also in a pleasing touch for longstanding fans of the series, Bond's American counterpart Felix Leiter, a character last seen in Live and Let Die also makes an appearance within this novel.

Also once again, Fleming has created a strong female lead in Tiffany Case. In many ways Tiffany is a stronger female character than her predecessor Gala Brand, even rescuing Bond from the hands of the villains at one stage of the novel so she doesn't fulfill the typical "damsel in distress" seen in some of the earlier Bond novels.

If I was to be picky, a handful of issues could be found - the novel obviously still has elements which are old fashioned - the reason M is so keen on infiltrating the gang is they are stealing the diamonds from a company which was a key asset to the British Commonwealth - basically the integrity of the British Empire is at stake. Also two of the henchman in the novel, Wint and Kidd are known to be in a homosexual relationship with one another and there are some attitudes expressed in the novel which may be uncomfortable in 2015 for some.

Verdict
Though a trifle old-fashioned, Diamonds are Forever takes the traditional Bond formula and makes it more glitzy. more glamorous and also more gritty - a very enjoyable thriller.

The book is available on Amazon for £8.99 or the eBook version is available for £4.99 here. These links are affiliate links, and I may receive a commission from the sale though this will not affect the price for you.

Classic Corner: Casino Royale

Casino Royale

Name: Casino Royale

Author: Ian Fleming

Year: 1953

Genre: Spy, Thriller





First of all, I hope all of my readers and followers had a very Merry Christmas and I wish you all a very Happy New Year. For my first review of the year, I have decided to review the classic spy novel which introduced the world to James Bond, Casino Royale.

Plot

The novel begins with James Bond already in the middle of a mission at the Casino Royale in France. We quickly learn that Bond is there in pursuit of Le Chiffre, a treasurer for SODA, the Soviet Union's main trade union. It appears Le Chiffre is in a vulnerable position after he used the trade union funds entrusted to him to fund a brothel in France which subsequently went under after the French Government passed a new law restricting brothels in the country. Therefore, Le Chiffre is aiming to recover the funds at the Casino.

Bond's mission therefore is very simple, to play him and beat him at the tables so that his soviet spymasters, SMERSH can "retire" him. To assist him in his mission, Bond is assigned a female agent from the department of MI6 which concerns the USSR, Vesper Lynd.

At first Bond is very skeptical at having a woman assist him but over the course of his mission he develops a deep attraction and love for Vesper. However will Bond beat Le Chiffre at the tables and what brutal cross to bear will Le Chiffre have in store for both him and Vesper if he does win? Furthermore, is the beautiful and loyal Vesper all she seems or is Bond heading for a spectacular downfall?

Thoughts

Firstly, I am not going to beat about the bush in guessing why people will actually first pick up this novel to read, as more than likely it will be because of the James Bond movies (indeed, the huge number of them shown almost daily on TV over Christmas was probably a factor in myself reading the novel).

For these fans, Casino Royale presents a very fine literary introduction to James Bond and it is clear even in 1953 most of the core elements of the series were already here in Fleming's first novel:- the glamorous location of Royale-les-Eaux, the women in Vesper, the devious villain of Le Chiffre and even a slight hint at the gadgets in the films (with Le Chiffre's spike trap in the car chase scene) and it is quite amazing as a fan of the film to see how the novel came out relatively untouched when it was released in 2006 - some 50 years on from the initial publication.

There are however some material differences in the novel from the film due to its 1953 publication - for example, Le Chiffre has Soviet Union connections rather than terrorist connections, Bond drives a Bentley and there are many references to World War Two which when the novel was released had only ended 8 years previously but in terms of tone the novel comes out relatively untouched.

The story is paced very well with lots of slow burning tension followed by quick bursts of action to liven it up. This is probably due to Fleming himself being a spy and focusing more on the espionage aspect of being a spy rather than the action we see in Hollywood movies. As such there is a huge amount of attention placed on Bond himself and his feelings and thoughts throughout the novel which build a very complex character - on the one hand he appears to be caring as shown in his growing relationship with Vesper but this is hidden underneath the fact he is a cold and brutal killer.

Also as the novel focuses more on espionage, the plot is a slow burner with Fleming revealing information very slowly which keeps you guessing and he saves a huge twist at the end which will surprise people who have not seen the film.

However, there are some less enjoyable aspects to the novel. For fans of the film as I stated above the plot focuses more on espionage as opposed to action so if you come along to the novel expecting an action-packed experience then do expect to be disappointed as the book is almost cerebral in comparison to the film.

Another problem for modern readers may lie in the book's age. Though Fleming was probably writing as society thought in the 1950's, there are some aspects which to modern readers may irritate them. Most significantly, Bond is sexist, very sexist towards Vesper and though he is attracted to her he rarely talks about her actual qualities and abilities - often talking about her as if she was a silly girl trying to operate in what he believes is a man's world which will grate on some readers. However, in terms of the plotting it could be argued as being a very clever move because of the twist at the end which I will not wreck here for people who haven't read the novel.

Verdict

If you are a modern James Bond fan, do not come to this novel expecting a pulse-pounding thrill ride of a novel as you will not get one. Though some aspects may grate, the novel is a fantastic introduction to the literary character of James Bond.

Classic Corner - A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

 Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

Year: 1843

Genre: Novella, Parable, Fantasy






Now that the Christmas season is almost upon us, I decided to get myself into the Christmas spirit by reading probably the most famous festive story after the Nativity, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Plot

For those who have never read the novel or seen any of the numerous film adaptions - the story begins on Christmas Eve where we meet the character Ebeneezer Scrooge who is still working away on his business, called Scrooge and Marley, by himself after his partner, Jacob Marley, passed away some years ago. Scrooge is to all intents and purposes, a miserable old git - even turning down the offer of making a donation to charity with the mere comment that the workhouses are there to help people in need and he dismisses the thought of spending Christmas with his nephew with the now iconic "Bah, Humbug!"

After he closes his business, Scrooge heads home where he gets the shock of his life through a ghostly encounter with Marley, who forewarns him that he will soon meet three spirits who aim to change his outlook on Christmas and his life over the night. At first Scrooge is skeptical and goes to sleep but at one in the morning, as Marley forewarned, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to remind Scrooge of Christmases he once experienced in years gone by. back when he enjoyed Christmas.

Next, Scrooge encounters the Ghost of Christmas Present who takes him around Victorian London so he can see what Christmas is like for people in the city, including his clerk's family where Scrooge is saddened to learn of his employee's son, Tiny Tim, who cannot walk but still has a vibrant outlook on life.

The last spirit however, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, provides Scrooge with a window to an horrific future Christmas unless he changes his ways. Will the spirits do enough to make Scrooge change his mind?

Thoughts

In comparison to other books I have reviewed, it is a bit trickier for me to actually review this one, given that the story has now become a quintessential Christmas classic.

Firstly, the book is extremely short, with only 120 pages but is still a wonderful Christmas story. Scrooge is plainly a miser and I liked how in the novel he has a much colder and darker side to his persona than he has on movie adaptions, which makes the overall plot feel more believable as Scrooge experiences each successive spirit and begins to question his outlook on life.

Also, it can be seen Dickens was trying to make a social comment on the world he was living in which is made very strongly, despite A Christmas Carol being one of his shorter stories, where poorer people had to suffer in the unpleasant workhouses whilst those who were rich often did nothing about it, no matter how wrong it was (a problem which arguably is still an issue today).

It is obvious this is one of Dickens' most inventive and imaginative stories from a plot perspective compared to his more gritty, realistic plots in his longer novels but it works to create a magical fairytale as Scrooge encounters each spirit. My particular favorite is probable the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come because the book here is at it's darkest and had the biggest impact on me personally as a reader.

Probably, my only issue with the book is probably not to do with the book itself but more to do with the huge amount of adaptions for it, on the cinema screen in particular. Also, the fact the book has become a Christmas classic means most people who read it know already what will happen in the novel before even getting to the end. However, it is still great to go back to Dickens' original work and access the story from the original storyteller's eyes.

Verdict:

Overall, the book is still a Christmas classic - even if you have seen one of the many movie adaptions don't be afraid to give the original version a go as it is still really enjoyable today.

Classic Corner - Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte'

Name: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Bronte'

Date of Publication: 1847

Genre: Gothic

Upon deciding on writing my blog - an issue that kept crossing my mind was which book to start off with.  In the end the decision was helped somewhat by the comeback of the legendary singer Kate Bush and my renewed interest in her and the work which inspired her greatest hit, Wuthering Heights, meant this would be my first book review.

Here is the music video which inspired me to read and review this book.

Plot

Wuthering Heights begins halfway through the novel's timeline with Mr. Lockwood travelling up to the Heights to visit his landlord as he recently rented out a property owned by him, Thrushcross Grange.

He is startled to meet a very cold, calculating man called Heathcliff who lives there with his daughter-in-law, Catherine, his nephew Hareton, who is treated like a servant and a servant called Joseph.

On a subsequent visit Mr. Lockwood is snowed in and the housekeeper lets him stay in a usually locked room. There he encounters a ghostly vision of a woman called Catherine. He screams and wakes Heathcliff up. Mr. Lockwood passes off the whole experience as a nightmare but Heathcliff is severely troubled by the event.

The next day Mr. Lockwood returns to Thrushcross Grange where he contracts a fever and is bed-ridden. He asks his housekeeper about Heathcliff and so begins the bitter, dark tale of Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights...

Dark and Gothic

The immediate tone of the novel is the one that runs throughout - dark, cold and noticeably Gothic with the Yorkshire Moors providing a beautiful yet eerie setting for the novel's events and symbolizes the blossoming yet ultimately doomed love story in the novel between Heathcliff and his beloved Catherine.

Indeed, the beautiful setting serves as a backdrop for a very bitter story as all of the characters develop resentment to each other and ultimately plot one another's downfalls. In particular Heathcliiff throughout much of the novel plans to avenge his tormentors and the slow revenge he takes cannot help but captivate you even though he is in some respects a repulsive character in the novel.

However the fact the characters are so bitter and calculating to one another is a blessing and a curse for the novel. All of the characters are involved in situations where you would question their morals and it can be difficult to find anybody in the novel as a single person to root for as the hero. However, the fact there isn't one makes the book more ambiguous and asks you to question your own morality and in short makes the novel even more interesting.

Also another issue I did have is with the dialect. Though it does add realism to the novel in that the characters speak as though they have local Yorkshire accents rather than the Queen's English, I did find myself pausing to reread these sections a few times to grasp what was being said - in particular whenever Joseph speaks in the novel which did break the flow for me in some respects. However, the fact I spent so long trying to decipher what was being said must have meant I was completely engrossed in the novel.

Verdict

Overall, Wuthering Heights is a classic novel not to be ignored and though there are minor gripes, with the dialect in particula,r it is still a very enjoyable read.

If you get the chance to read the novel, I would love to hear your comments below.