Well, I didn’t expect to be here this week! I was getting ready to do a review of a few Poul Anderson stories, when I sat down and cracked open Casino Royale. Now, I was a little underwhelmed by Diamonds Are Forever a few weeks ago, and Casino Royale was one of a few suggestions I got from comments, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
But I was actually shocked by how good this book was.
One of the things I saw during my last library trip was a few Ian Fleming/James Bond novels! I didn't really have a preference, so of the three they had on the shelf, I picked Diamonds Are Forever. This is the fourth Bond book, published originally in 1956.
I'm not a big Bond fan, but I can't help but recognize the long history of popularity that the James Bond movies have had. I've seen a couple of them a long time ago, Goldeneye and Skyfall, I think, and bits and pieces of a few of the older ones (my dad likes them but also isn't a huge fan).
So I was curious what the books were like! Are they as action-packed as the movies? Are they solid novels or does the cinema help push them into the limelight?
