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Casino Royale (James Bond Novels)
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Product Description
In the first of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, 007 declares war on Le Chiffre, French communist and paymaster of the Soviet murder organization SMERSH.
The battle begins with a fifty-million-franc game of baccarat, gains momentum during Bond's fiery love affair with a sensuous lady spy, and reaches a chilling climax with fiendish torture at the hands of a master sadist. For incredible suspense, unexpected thrills, and extraordinary danger, nothing can beat James Bond in his inaugural adventure.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #27939 in Books
- Published on: 2002-08-27
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 192 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
The allure of James Bond was best described by Raymond Chandler, who insisted that 007 is "what every man would like to be and what every woman would like to have between her sheets." Who can argue with that? This month marks the 40th anniversary of the film release of Dr. No, which was the first Bond adventure to make the big screen, and two big coffee-table books are being published to honor the occasion (LJ 10/1/02, p. 96). Shockingly, Fleming's original novels have gone out of print, but Penguin here reproduces a trio of the British secret agent's early outings, released in 1952, 1958, and 1959, respectively, sporting stylish cover art. These stories were racy for the nifty Fifties but are quite tame by today's standards. Still, they can be fun.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
The first James Bond novel involves 007 in espionage at a glamourous Continental casino. Britisher Robert Whitfield takes a suitably urbane approach, sounding as if he is attired in white tails and sipping a very dry martini between takes. He tends to drone during descriptive passages but otherwise gives a thoroughly satisfying reading, taking particular pleasure with his characterizations. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Raymond Chandler
Bond is what every man would like to be and what every woman would like to have between her sheets.
Customer Reviews
Awesome Book!
Ian Fleming did a great job with his first James Bond book and I highly recommend it! If you're expecting the Daniel Craig movie (which was very good, mind you), this is not the same story (it's similar, but very, very different).
Just Ok
I don't know if it's where I have already seen the Daniel Craig Casino Royale film or not. When I usually see the film before the book, I love the book so much more because it has way more details. This book I felt didn't. I wanted more explanation about the events and the characters' thoughts and feelings. I didn't get that. I realize that the movie took a lot of liberties especially with the ending but I just thought the book would be so much more. In the book, I never understood why James Bond would fall for Vesper. Their sexual tension was downplayed and she didn't verbally spar with him. I'm not sure why he was interested. I understand after the kidnapping incident why he would fall for her since they had 3 weeks together. I liked the book ending better than that movie ending because it was more realistic and more painful to Bond. However, I didn't get totally why Bond's comrades left him alone. I just thought this book was so so. It wasn't great. I definitely wanted it to be great. I was left very disappointed.
Great read!
Do you want a long review? Well too bad, you're not going to get one here. The first Bond book is great for fans of sensationalist literature. It is not always quick-paced but it sets the tone for suspense and unexpected and much wanted action. Tense moments are the card game with Le chiffre, the bomb assasination attempt, the car chase, and the torture scene. The romantic beach getaway between Bond and Vesper may bore you, but Bond's last words in the novel make up for it. Thank God, for books like this because it was a breeze to read. Back when this book was published they had paperback fiction, where the average paperback book was around 55,000 words. What do you get when you see the average paperback book released nowadays and Barnes and Noble? You see huge Bible-sized books. No thank you. I bought the old paperback edition that can fit inside my pocket. It was great reading it on the light rail to and from work each day for a whole week. I like this book and I hope you will too.
