Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan [Paperback]

Mark O'Connell makes much of his unusual status as a gay Bond fan, so appropriately enough his funny, extemely personal book is very much a love letter to all things 007. He also bolts the more autobiographical elements on to some sharp insights and observations of the individual films (presented in a refreshingly personal, rather than chronological, order) that will increase your appreciation of even the least-loved entries in the series (he's made me willing to give Moonraker another go after many years).

All in all, a great read that will make people like me feel that we are not alone in our lifelong Bond geekery, and for that I am very grateful!

There are many books about James Bond. Especially this fall there will be lots of titles devoted to this legendary character and its 50 years of entertaining a mass audience.

But this one you should definitely get. Because it gets the fascination of James Bond like no other book has yet managed to.

Author Mark O'Connell understands that the allure of James Bond 007 consists not only of its massive entertainment value but also of the personal connection the audience can make with these films. Since every Bond film basically is a variation of a distinct story formula, the interesting part is how every new film manages to use this formula and re-new its appeal. This, of course, always depends on the particular time during which a Bond film is made. Every Bond film becomes a time capsule, holding not only fashions and ideas of its particular era but also shaping them. The effect on the audience is magnificent: Everyone can re-watch every Bond film and re-experience their own feelings at the time they saw these films for the first time. Bond films not only made movie history, they are telling us about history. And also our own history.

This is what O'Connell masterfully illuminates by writing about every Bond film not in the chronological order of their release dates but the order in which he has seen them, from youth onwards. CATCHING BULLETS, referring to the way one had to be always looking for a way to catch these films when they were shown on TV or a re-run in the local cinema, back in the 80's when internet streaming or available Blu Ray-boxes were not an option. This structure allows O'Connell to convey the personal connection between his personal life and James Bond films. With the expert tongue-in-cheek of the accomplished screenwriter he has become, he turns this book into the touching story of his own life overcoming obstacles and staying true to himself. The result is a fast-paced book with an original take on the Bond films which O'Connell analyzes just as thoroughly as amusingly, making one eager to re-watch the films and pay attention to those details one might have missed all those years.

It is only fitting that O'Connell not only is a 007 fan since early youth but grandson to the (late) chauffeur of the Broccoli family which shepherded Bond and turned it into the screen legend the whole world is celebrating again and again. This connection, however, does not result in any PR-type euphemisms. Instead, and thankfully so, O'Connell gives his opinion on every film unguarded and uncensored, yet always respecting the work and mastery that made these films possible.

CATCHING BULLETS delivers on every level it intends to. It is a book written by a fan who fully understands what it means to be a fan - but also to have a life. And how wonderful that can be.

Being the obsessive Bond fan that I am I've read many, many books regarding various people and their connections to the world of 007, usually they tend to be rather dry and dull crew and cast recollections, this book though is all about being a fan and growing up with Bond and it's an absolute joy to read. Being roughly the same age as the author I can fully identify with his journey and his 1980's recollections of videoing Bond off the telly at Christmas and the frustrations of 'pan and scan' (despite not having such a great family connection to the world of EON!), while not a fact and figures reference guide this book contains enough trivia and insightful observations to appeal to any fan of 007, but it's much more than that it's also the tricky journey through adolescence as a gay 007 fan and the joys and anguish that can entail, and the constant good humour is both warm and very funny (my personal favourite gem being that line about "Roger's Bond deflowering more than just Kananga's poppy fields"). I can't recommend this wonderful book highly enough and it's well worth the money.