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Available
Call number
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Publication
Folio Society (2007), Hardcover, 252pp. Cloth binding, printed and blocked with a design by the artist.
Description
Fiction. Thriller. HTML: When Agent 007 goes to Harlem, it's not just for the jazz. Harlem is the kingdom of Mr. Big, voodoo baron, black master of crime, and senior partner in SMERSH's grim company of death. As gold coins from a Jamaican pirate hoard start turning up in pawnshops in Harlem, M suspects the treasure is being used to finance SMERSH activity in America. Agent 007 is sent to New York to uncover Mr. Big's criminal operation. Those Mr. Big cannot possess he crushes; those who cross him will meet painful ends, like his beautiful prisoner, Solitaire, and her lover, James Bond. Both are marked as victims in a trail of terror, treachery, and torture that leads from New York's black underworld to the shark-infested island in the sun that Mr. Big calls his own. Bond realizes Big is one of the most dangerous men that he has ever faced, and no one, not even the mysterious Solitaire, can be sure how their battle of wills is going to end..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member tootstorm
Bond's second written adventure, published 1954, and the most controversial of the Fleming 14, Live and Let Die introduces the formula for most Bond stories that would follow it, the action and travel that was noticeably absent from Casino Royale--the climax of which took place at a card
My main beef with Bond's previous adventure at Royale les Eaux was the entirety of the last 20 pages after Le Chiffre's sudden assassination, and here my feelings are somewhat opposite. Instead I'm bored with the first section here. What goes down in Harlem didn't really interest me. I didn't mind the racism, in fact I thought it was almost hilarious, definitely campy (and on the note of racism that makes this book so controversial, most claims exaggerate it. It's really not so strong, the maligned 'n-word' only shows up about 3 or 4 times, but Negro about 400, and Fleming has M talk about how well the "black community" is doing over the world, how sharp those fellas are, how they're getting top jobs in science and medicine. I don't really see much hatred in the words from this high-class British cracker, but I do see some more Faulkner-esque sentiments, feelings of "Oh, they're our equals...but...they need our help to get anywhere." Heft amounts of patronizing going down by all of Fleming's characters, which is probably why it's so controversial: there are a LOT of internal monologues or dialogue pondering the 'Negro race'), definitely helping to put you in the time period of this literary pulp '50s fiction.
Straight out of Harlem, Bond travels towards Florida via train, working with our old pal from Royale, Felix Leiter. And reading these train scenes with Solitaire (probably the sexiest of Bond girls, but I may just be thinking that because of the modern Penguin cover I stared as many hours as I spent reading the 159-page ['60s paperback edition] story) made me think heavily about train scenes in general. Just think about them a minute. Aren't they nice? Every great story absolutely requires a scene contained within a rolling train compartment. God, I love it. I love it so hard.
The following chunks of the book within Florida (sharks! Leiter! poor Leiter! NO!) and Jamaica are consistent with the improved quality starting within the train compartment. Except one thing: in Jamaica, Bond comes up with a plan on surviving Mr. BIG's means of murdering Bond and Solitaire via internal monologue, and then pulls it off just about flawlessly exactly as he planned. Come on. Seriously? Ah well, it was still good.
The Bond of the novels is much more fascinating a character than the Bond of the films. You'll read that everywhere, and it's true. He screws up quite a bit more, seems to come within an inch of death in every story, sometimes loses a friend, doesn't always get the girl, and cetera, cetera, whatever. Fleming's writing is wonderful, and what pulled me into the Bond stories. I picked up Casino Royale not really expecting much at all (to be known: I had not seen the Craig film [after seeing it now, I think he's made the best Bond, and the closest the book--my image of Bond has been similar to his rough but handsome looks, minus the excess of muscle], and couldn't remember a single older film except GoldenEye, and only because of the N64 game [which continues to destroy so many faces to this day]), just hungering for a break from my stupid pomo reading, and came away thinking that Fleming was indeed a literary writer producing stories fit for a penny dreadful. Ahh, good stuff.
F.V.: 75%
[627]
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table--jumping from London to Harlem to train adventure superfuntime to Florida to Jamaica while Bond struggles to escape and/or best the new villain, Mr. BIG, a surprisingly large black thug who uses the power of voodoo--according to Fleming's 1950's Bond--to control a vast network of African-Americans who are naturally disposed to superstitious beliefs (it is believed that BIG is the zombie of legendary voodoo figure Baron Samedi, and BIG keeps a sort of icon of Baron near him during, uh, working hours to stir fear and loyalty in his messy-accented minions), and uses them from Harlem to smuggle and distribute Morgan's ancient pirate stash of gold discovered at an unknown time at an unknown location somewhere in Jamaica in order to fund Russian operations.My main beef with Bond's previous adventure at Royale les Eaux was the entirety of the last 20 pages after Le Chiffre's sudden assassination, and here my feelings are somewhat opposite. Instead I'm bored with the first section here. What goes down in Harlem didn't really interest me. I didn't mind the racism, in fact I thought it was almost hilarious, definitely campy (and on the note of racism that makes this book so controversial, most claims exaggerate it. It's really not so strong, the maligned 'n-word' only shows up about 3 or 4 times, but Negro about 400, and Fleming has M talk about how well the "black community" is doing over the world, how sharp those fellas are, how they're getting top jobs in science and medicine. I don't really see much hatred in the words from this high-class British cracker, but I do see some more Faulkner-esque sentiments, feelings of "Oh, they're our equals...but...they need our help to get anywhere." Heft amounts of patronizing going down by all of Fleming's characters, which is probably why it's so controversial: there are a LOT of internal monologues or dialogue pondering the 'Negro race'), definitely helping to put you in the time period of this literary pulp '50s fiction.
Straight out of Harlem, Bond travels towards Florida via train, working with our old pal from Royale, Felix Leiter. And reading these train scenes with Solitaire (probably the sexiest of Bond girls, but I may just be thinking that because of the modern Penguin cover I stared as many hours as I spent reading the 159-page ['60s paperback edition] story) made me think heavily about train scenes in general. Just think about them a minute. Aren't they nice? Every great story absolutely requires a scene contained within a rolling train compartment. God, I love it. I love it so hard.
The following chunks of the book within Florida (sharks! Leiter! poor Leiter! NO!) and Jamaica are consistent with the improved quality starting within the train compartment. Except one thing: in Jamaica, Bond comes up with a plan on surviving Mr. BIG's means of murdering Bond and Solitaire via internal monologue, and then pulls it off just about flawlessly exactly as he planned. Come on. Seriously? Ah well, it was still good.
The Bond of the novels is much more fascinating a character than the Bond of the films. You'll read that everywhere, and it's true. He screws up quite a bit more, seems to come within an inch of death in every story, sometimes loses a friend, doesn't always get the girl, and cetera, cetera, whatever. Fleming's writing is wonderful, and what pulled me into the Bond stories. I picked up Casino Royale not really expecting much at all (to be known: I had not seen the Craig film [after seeing it now, I think he's made the best Bond, and the closest the book--my image of Bond has been similar to his rough but handsome looks, minus the excess of muscle], and couldn't remember a single older film except GoldenEye, and only because of the N64 game [which continues to destroy so many faces to this day]), just hungering for a break from my stupid pomo reading, and came away thinking that Fleming was indeed a literary writer producing stories fit for a penny dreadful. Ahh, good stuff.
F.V.: 75%
[627]
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LibraryThing member Michael.Rimmer
Bond seems more fallible and vulnerable in the books than in the earlier films, and so more human. He's still as hard as nails, though, and the Daniel Craig movie iteration seems to be the closest to Bond as written by Fleming.
Inevitably, the story is of its time and there are racial epithets and
The story itself is as fast-paced as you'd expect, with Bond flitting from one near-death experience to the next with hardly a breath, though his injuries are not glossed over - he's not a superhuman by any means.
To a post-war austerity-stricken Britain, the American and Caribbean locations must have been strange and exotic, the people of those places wonderful and alien. It's little surprise that these exciting stories set in far-away places resonated so keenly in the imaginations of Bond's parochial countrymen.
I'm two books into the series and slowly collecting the 60s Pan editions, because I like the covers. Moonraker next, once I track it down.
Inevitably, the story is of its time and there are racial epithets and
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stereotypes that don't sit too well with the modern reader, but as far as I can tell racism isn't the intent. CIA agent Felix Leiter's immersion in the jazz culture of Harlem is borne from a love of the music and a respect for the musicians, not simply because it's part of his cover. The vibrancy of black New York is starkly contrasted with the anodyne and ailing white culture of the Florida retirement villages. Fleming's scathing description of life amongst the "oldsters" is the most affecting part of the book.The story itself is as fast-paced as you'd expect, with Bond flitting from one near-death experience to the next with hardly a breath, though his injuries are not glossed over - he's not a superhuman by any means.
To a post-war austerity-stricken Britain, the American and Caribbean locations must have been strange and exotic, the people of those places wonderful and alien. It's little surprise that these exciting stories set in far-away places resonated so keenly in the imaginations of Bond's parochial countrymen.
I'm two books into the series and slowly collecting the 60s Pan editions, because I like the covers. Moonraker next, once I track it down.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3.5* of five
**THIS REVIEW IS OF THE FILM** (The novel doesn't resemble the film too terribly much, being a very Cold-Warry Russkis versus Good Guys in the Caribbean; deeply uninteresting to a 1970s audience)
It's the 1973 first outing by Simon Templar...I mean Roger Moore!...that I review
Holy pimpmobile! I'd forgotten this was the blaxploitation Bond flick. Appallingly racist. Horrifyingly insultingly so. And may I just say, "INTRODUCING JANE SEYMOUR" is the most chilling phrase I've ever in all my life seen on a movie screen?
Introducing. Jane. Seymour. As in, "not seen on the big screen before?" She was in some other stuff...but nothing as big as Bond. And the horrible thing is that Jane Seymour's character is only able to tell the future as a tarot reader while she's a virgin. Does that clue you in on what Bond's gonna do?
But all that comes after Bond's first African-American love interest. He sleeps with her while in a pale-blue loser suit. With a white belt. Wearing a wife-beater under it. Oh gawd, the seventies.
Then Bond condescends to pop Jane's cherry and takes away he rpowers, which the sexist sociopath clearly doesn't believe in; things go further and further downhill as Geoffrey Holder does a horrifying turn as a voodoo priest in the most ridiculous half-white makeup...well.
So of course Bond solves the identity puzzle, rescues now-slutty Jane from her life of luxury, and brings down the (black, of course) drug dealer. Then Geoffrey Holder laughs his unique laugh as we head for the credits.
Wow. Forty years really makes a lot of difference in how things look. I never liked Simon Templar...I mean Roger Moore!...as Bond. From the get-go, I found him too TV for the role of the big screen's biggest baddest spy. What was charming and roguish in other performances was slippery and oleaginous in Moore's performances. But I had no memory of how revoltingly racist this film was. I shudder to say it, but I was probably blind to it because it was...ulp...the way I saw the lily-white privileged Republican world I lived in.
*gaaak*
Well, that's enough of that. The dumbest car chase ever put on film takes place in an alternate New York where there are only Chevrolet Caprices, Chevrolet Impalas, and Cadillac Eldorados on the roads. Except one elderly Ford truck, which the lone Chevrolet Biscayne in New York, carrying Bond, hits head-on and somehow Bond isn't even scratched despite not wearing a seat belt. Yeah! Now that's the Bond we all love!
And the title tune. Oh my goodness, the title tune. It's one of the indelible memories of 1973, along with the Rayburn Committee hearings and the Energy Crisis. Pretty good tune. But earwormy as all hell! Once in your mind, it ain't a-comin' out easy.
"Enjoy."
**THIS REVIEW IS OF THE FILM** (The novel doesn't resemble the film too terribly much, being a very Cold-Warry Russkis versus Good Guys in the Caribbean; deeply uninteresting to a 1970s audience)
It's the 1973 first outing by Simon Templar...I mean Roger Moore!...that I review
Show More
here. Holy pimpmobile! I'd forgotten this was the blaxploitation Bond flick. Appallingly racist. Horrifyingly insultingly so. And may I just say, "INTRODUCING JANE SEYMOUR" is the most chilling phrase I've ever in all my life seen on a movie screen?
Introducing. Jane. Seymour. As in, "not seen on the big screen before?" She was in some other stuff...but nothing as big as Bond. And the horrible thing is that Jane Seymour's character is only able to tell the future as a tarot reader while she's a virgin. Does that clue you in on what Bond's gonna do?
But all that comes after Bond's first African-American love interest. He sleeps with her while in a pale-blue loser suit. With a white belt. Wearing a wife-beater under it. Oh gawd, the seventies.
Then Bond condescends to pop Jane's cherry and takes away he rpowers, which the sexist sociopath clearly doesn't believe in; things go further and further downhill as Geoffrey Holder does a horrifying turn as a voodoo priest in the most ridiculous half-white makeup...well.
So of course Bond solves the identity puzzle, rescues now-slutty Jane from her life of luxury, and brings down the (black, of course) drug dealer. Then Geoffrey Holder laughs his unique laugh as we head for the credits.
Wow. Forty years really makes a lot of difference in how things look. I never liked Simon Templar...I mean Roger Moore!...as Bond. From the get-go, I found him too TV for the role of the big screen's biggest baddest spy. What was charming and roguish in other performances was slippery and oleaginous in Moore's performances. But I had no memory of how revoltingly racist this film was. I shudder to say it, but I was probably blind to it because it was...ulp...the way I saw the lily-white privileged Republican world I lived in.
*gaaak*
Well, that's enough of that. The dumbest car chase ever put on film takes place in an alternate New York where there are only Chevrolet Caprices, Chevrolet Impalas, and Cadillac Eldorados on the roads. Except one elderly Ford truck, which the lone Chevrolet Biscayne in New York, carrying Bond, hits head-on and somehow Bond isn't even scratched despite not wearing a seat belt. Yeah! Now that's the Bond we all love!
And the title tune. Oh my goodness, the title tune. It's one of the indelible memories of 1973, along with the Rayburn Committee hearings and the Energy Crisis. Pretty good tune. But earwormy as all hell! Once in your mind, it ain't a-comin' out easy.
"Enjoy."
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LibraryThing member LouieLouie
Fleming's second 007 novel has an interesting plot but suffers from a cringe inducing attitude toward African Americans in the pre-civil rights era.
LibraryThing member andystardust
Removed from its film adaptation, which was produced as a kind of blaxploitation flick nearly 20 years after this book's publication, the second James Bond novel reveals itself as an entertaining if muddled foray into race relations in America. The Harlem and Jamaican based smuggler Mr. Big calls
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himself a wolf living by a wolf's laws. Fleming describes his rise to power through the manipulation of Voodoo superstition. Those seeking meaningful insights into African-American identity should look elsewhere. But there are amusing passages, as when Bond's superior, M., comments that the "Negro races are just beginning to throw up geniuses in all the professions," and so naturally there will be Negro progress in crime, as well. Bond and his CIA counterpart are like tourists as they infiltrate Mr. Big's operation: first in Harlem, then in Florida, and lastly in Jamaica. Like all Bond books, the action is interlaced with travelogue-like passages which describe the local cuisine and hotel accommodations, and somehow these are as entertaining as the bits about sharks and barracudas. Show Less
LibraryThing member BenjaminHahn
After being raised on Bond week on TBS, Live and Let Die, the film always seemed like the most over the top in regards to campiness. My father would always make comments "That wasn't in the book" or "That's from Dr. No" or "They took out the club scenes". So finally, I decided to read an actual
I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Ian Fleming was interested in social commentary, racial social commentary to be exact. Now, I'll be the first to say that he probably got a lot of things wrong, and most certianly propagated some not-so-kind stereotypes. Those disclaimers aside, I enjoyed the basic observations that Bond makes about American society in the 1950's: going through customs at the airport, the quality of room service at certian hotels or on trains, the terror of retirement communities in suburbia Florida. It was all so delicious.
There is even a philosphical plane flight where Bond is contemplating the temporariness of life while flying through some turbulence on a small plane. Life and death is almost always out of one's control, regardless of your profession, status, or risk aversion. Might as well live life to its fullest.
I also enjoyed how much Bond read about the dangers he faced. James Bond reads books to prepare for a mission. How delightful. Roger Moore never read a book to save his life, pun intended. Furthermore, the Bond of Live and Let Die is very low tech. His secret weapon: steel toed shoes and a limpet mine.
Lastly, the Folio Society edition I read had some great illustrations, nice thick paper, and a illuminating introduction by Ken Follett.
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Bond book, not really knowing what to expect. Live and Let Die was published by Folio Society two years ago and I assumed it was a good a start as any. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Ian Fleming was interested in social commentary, racial social commentary to be exact. Now, I'll be the first to say that he probably got a lot of things wrong, and most certianly propagated some not-so-kind stereotypes. Those disclaimers aside, I enjoyed the basic observations that Bond makes about American society in the 1950's: going through customs at the airport, the quality of room service at certian hotels or on trains, the terror of retirement communities in suburbia Florida. It was all so delicious.
There is even a philosphical plane flight where Bond is contemplating the temporariness of life while flying through some turbulence on a small plane. Life and death is almost always out of one's control, regardless of your profession, status, or risk aversion. Might as well live life to its fullest.
I also enjoyed how much Bond read about the dangers he faced. James Bond reads books to prepare for a mission. How delightful. Roger Moore never read a book to save his life, pun intended. Furthermore, the Bond of Live and Let Die is very low tech. His secret weapon: steel toed shoes and a limpet mine.
Lastly, the Folio Society edition I read had some great illustrations, nice thick paper, and a illuminating introduction by Ken Follett.
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LibraryThing member brettjames
Anyone who enjoyed this movie is in for a huge disappointment, especially the ending. But the hardest part of reading this book is the painfully outdated--and probably not very accurate even at the time--description of African-American culture.
LibraryThing member cinesnail88
So these infuriating (not really) James Bond books have gotten me hooked, and I bought them all, and am now becoming obsessive, what in the world, I'm not even a fan of James Bond. But they are really engrossing to me, for some odd reason.
Anyway. This one fell somewhat short of Casino Royale,
Anyway. This one fell somewhat short of Casino Royale,
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mostly because Fleming spends way too much time describing scenery in Jamaica. We get it. It's beautiful. Kill someone. Which you rarely find me saying, because I don't read much action/adventure, but that point was definitely true here. Still, this book had great moments (on the train with Solitaire, the battle with The Robber in Ourobouros, among others). Show Less
LibraryThing member bookswamp
Bind no 2, 1954; set in Jamaica, Solitaire and Mr. Big; introducing Felix Leiter
LibraryThing member Blue56
After reading Casino Royale (the original novel, not the one based on the new bond movie), I figured that it would be hard for another Bond novel to top it. In my opinion I stand corrected. Live and Let Die has some moments (several action scenes), but it seems to create a stereotype on African
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Americans living in the Bronx: violent, gangsters, you name it. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
An excellent read. Much faster paced than the movie and we get a look inside Bond's head and see som eof the weaknesses. Fleming writes well with glimpses of post-war western society. Looking forward to the next one.
LibraryThing member tyroeternal
Live and Let Die was my second foray into the bond series, I am most certainly hooked. Fleming's writing style again proved to be a wonderful experience. The pacing of the story is quick and keeps things moving forward. Again, one of the most intriguing things about reading the book over watching
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the movie is the ability to hear what is going on inside Bond's mind. The emotions and responses he shows to situations make for a great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member ds_61_12
Bond works together with Felix Leiter (CIA) to catch Mr. Big. Big is a black gangleader with close ties to SMERSH (KGB) for whom he provides the money in the USA.
Fun, do I have to say more? After all, who doesn't know Bond, James Bond?
Fun, do I have to say more? After all, who doesn't know Bond, James Bond?
LibraryThing member clark.hallman
I believe this is the second James Bond 007 book originally published in 1954 and it is one of my favorites. I first read it about 40 years ago, when I also read all of Flemmings other Bond books. This one takes Bond to Harlem, the Everglades, and Jamaica where he battles Mr. Big, a ruthless crime
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boss who is also a SMERSH agent and perhaps the most dangerous killer he has ever encountered. Bond is immersed in the world of Voodoo and battles sharks, barracuda, and an octopus, in addition to Mr. Big's far-reaching criminal organization. Of course he also enjoys a relationship with the beautiful Solitaire, who has been held hostage by Mr. Big for her Voodoo ability to determine whether someone is lying. She escapes Mr. Big's captivity and joins Bond in his pursuit of Mr. Big. However she is recaptured by Mr. Big, as is Bond when he comes to her rescue. The climax is predictable, but very exciting. Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
It's unfortunately racist, but there's an entertaining adventure if you can look past that. I like how the elaborate extravagances of the villain are explained and acknowledged as seeming absurd.
LibraryThing member Leischen
One of Fleming's best, written in the early 50s. Mr. Big is a black gangster/Russian agent who has possession of pirate treasure. Bond is sent to stop him and recover the loot. This one is brutal--from the description of Bond having a finger broken to Leiter's encounter with a shark to Bond and
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Solitaire being keelhauled through a swarm of barracudas. This one beats hell out of the lame movie vesion. Show Less
LibraryThing member DuffDaddy
Bond takes on Mr. Big out of Harlem - a large negro with ties to voodoo. Solitaire is the damsel in distress; being held hostage by Mr. Big because she has ESP. The adventure takes them through Florida (Jax and St. Pete) and on to Jamaca. Story climaxes in shark-infested waters around Capt Morgan's
I really enjoyed the entire book - Fleming is a master at pacing - and loved the (now dated) scenes on the train and around St. Pete. Fleming draws a cool 50's style picture of civility and action.
Felix Lieter got eaten up by sharks and Quarrel was Bond's assitant in Jamaica.
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treasure trove. I really enjoyed the entire book - Fleming is a master at pacing - and loved the (now dated) scenes on the train and around St. Pete. Fleming draws a cool 50's style picture of civility and action.
Felix Lieter got eaten up by sharks and Quarrel was Bond's assitant in Jamaica.
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LibraryThing member preston.whit
I am loving the grittier tone throughout the story. One chapter gave me such a bad case of the heebie-jeebies that I had to take a short break. If curious, I recommend as you are reading particular sections, you Google some of the animals mentioned (clam worm was one critter whose picture I found
This book is much different than its 1970's movie counterpart. I do not recall any cheesy one-liners in the book, but I can assure you there is plenty of enjoyable action, the characters all have their own slang and dialect, and there are enough SAT power words to keep the average person referring to an English dictionary.
Overall, I liked how James Bond was portrayed as a human being. The movies up until the Daniel Craig-era always seem to place him on a higher pedestal, an indestructible super spy. Simply put, I was pleasantly surprised.
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on Google).This book is much different than its 1970's movie counterpart. I do not recall any cheesy one-liners in the book, but I can assure you there is plenty of enjoyable action, the characters all have their own slang and dialect, and there are enough SAT power words to keep the average person referring to an English dictionary.
Overall, I liked how James Bond was portrayed as a human being. The movies up until the Daniel Craig-era always seem to place him on a higher pedestal, an indestructible super spy. Simply put, I was pleasantly surprised.
Show Less
LibraryThing member preston.whit
I am loving the grittier tone throughout the story. One chapter gave me such a bad case of the heebie-jeebies that I had to take a short break. If curious, I recommend as you are reading particular sections, you Google some of the animals mentioned (clam worm was one critter whose picture I found
This book is much different than its 1970's movie counterpart. I do not recall any cheesy one-liners in the book, but I can assure you there is plenty of enjoyable action, the characters all have their own slang and dialect, and there are enough SAT power words to keep the average person referring to an English dictionary.
Overall, I liked how James Bond was portrayed as a human being. The movies up until the Daniel Craig-era always seem to place him on a higher pedestal, an indestructible super spy. Simply put, I was pleasantly surprised.
Show More
on Google).This book is much different than its 1970's movie counterpart. I do not recall any cheesy one-liners in the book, but I can assure you there is plenty of enjoyable action, the characters all have their own slang and dialect, and there are enough SAT power words to keep the average person referring to an English dictionary.
Overall, I liked how James Bond was portrayed as a human being. The movies up until the Daniel Craig-era always seem to place him on a higher pedestal, an indestructible super spy. Simply put, I was pleasantly surprised.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Bridgey
Live and Let Die - Ian Fleming ****
Bonds second outing under the pen of Ian Fleming finds him in both the USA and Jamaica.
Pitted against the notorious Mr Big (who has found a stash of pirate treasure and smuggling it into the USA to aid SMERSH). Through Voodoo and the threat of the zombie Baron
After the disapointment of Casino Royale, it was pleasing to see a much tougher, slicker Bond emerge. A Bond that won't fail to get your pulse racing as he plans his next onslaught against the plentyful bad guys.
If you have seen the film, then you will be suprised to find that very little of the screenplay will be found in the novel. We still get to meet the gorgeous Solitaire though, and another Bond steadfast we encounter is his friend Felix Leiter, but whether we will meet him again remains to be seen. If we do then he definately won't be running around......
An enjoyable read and one that has left me wanting more.
Bonds second outing under the pen of Ian Fleming finds him in both the USA and Jamaica.
Pitted against the notorious Mr Big (who has found a stash of pirate treasure and smuggling it into the USA to aid SMERSH). Through Voodoo and the threat of the zombie Baron
Show More
Semedie he controls enough black muscle to track Bonds every move.After the disapointment of Casino Royale, it was pleasing to see a much tougher, slicker Bond emerge. A Bond that won't fail to get your pulse racing as he plans his next onslaught against the plentyful bad guys.
If you have seen the film, then you will be suprised to find that very little of the screenplay will be found in the novel. We still get to meet the gorgeous Solitaire though, and another Bond steadfast we encounter is his friend Felix Leiter, but whether we will meet him again remains to be seen. If we do then he definately won't be running around......
An enjoyable read and one that has left me wanting more.
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LibraryThing member PiyushC
Second book in the Bond series, very simplistic and I yet don't know if I should say Bondish, the books seem quite different from the movies. Book 2 of the series and no fancy gadgets so far!
A short and hence, not disappointing read.
A short and hence, not disappointing read.
LibraryThing member kcoleman428
I liked this book, but I couldn't really get into it. I'm not sure if I'm a James Bond kind of girl...maybe I just wasn't in the mood.
LibraryThing member capiam1234
I liked this one but just couldn't find myself to give it 4 stars. At times I enjoyed the dialogue between Bond and Mr. Big. But the action scenes just weren't to action packed for me I think.
LibraryThing member RhysBans
It's kinda, sorta, pretty race-eeehhhh
LibraryThing member eichin
Gritty, ugly in a way that reminds us that the sixties were a *long* time ago. More Connery than Moore, unsurprisingly.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1954-04-05
Local notes
Bond is off to Harlem, the kingdom of Mr Big, black master of crime and voodoo baron. The trail of terror, treachery and torture leads from New York's black underworld to the shark infested island in the sun that Mr Big calls his own.
Other editions
Live and Let Die (James Bond) by Ian Fleming (Hardcover)
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