- Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Puffin; First Edition edition (3 Mar 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0141318597
- ISBN-13: 978-0141318592
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
SilverFin
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
James Bond is, without doubt, the daddy of all literary spies. His name is synonymous with intrigue and adventure, action and old-fashioned derring-do. So Silverfin, the first in a series of Charlie Higson’s fully authorised prequels to the most famous of all British Secret Service agents, has mightily big boots to fill. Fortunately, Higson is a genuine Bond aficionado who has remained true to the style of Ian Fleming’s creation, and his legend, to create an authentic story featuring a teenage Bond that should not disappoint other equally appreciative fans.
After a supremely scary opening sequence featuring some terrifying mutated eels and a gruesome death, Bond’s early days at Eton in the 30’s as a thirteen-year-old are the focus for the first third of the book. Since the death of his parents in a climbing accident, James had previously been educated at home by his aunt. The alien world of this infamous public school is a new world for him and he makes enemies immediately. But young James is not without a backbone of his own, and he soon begins to win small victories against those who choose to bully him.
It is, however, when James is in Scotland for the rest of book, at the remote home of his Aunt Charmian and Uncle Max, that his first great adventure, and mystery to solve, truly takes shape. A local Laird, in his ominous castle nearby, is conducting horrific scientific experiments that prove he is very mad indeed and a threat to society who must be defeated. Before this excitement is over, James has a date with some killer eels.
The author, well known for his comedic exploits on television in The Fast Show and for adult thrillers such as King of the Ants and Full Whack is without doubt a skilled writer. Bond purists might wince a little, that such an extension of Fleming’s legacy was needed at all, but despite being shackled by the constraints of its period setting, Silverfin is an intriguing read.
(Age 10 and over) --John McLay
Guardian, March 5, 2005
A well-crafted page-turner with substance… a most enjoyable, well-written book.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The smell and noise and confusion of a hallway full of schoolboys can be quite awful at twenty past seven in the morning. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The smell and noise and confusion of a hallway full of schoolboys can be quite awful at twenty past seven in the morning. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A great read, a little Harry Potter'ish. But the next book get away from that. The story is fast, and simple.
The other young James bond books are more adult than young adult, but nevertheless a great book worthy of 4 stars.
This new hype of young adult / adult books are gaining a new source of reader. The Young Jasmes bond, Jason Steed, Alex Rider, Jimmy Coates, and cody banks are great adventures for all ages.
The other young James bond books are more adult than young adult, but nevertheless a great book worthy of 4 stars.
This new hype of young adult / adult books are gaining a new source of reader. The Young Jasmes bond, Jason Steed, Alex Rider, Jimmy Coates, and cody banks are great adventures for all ages.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
I am twelve and I think this is a great book for those ten to adults as it contains action mystery and romance. The story was written about James Bond in the years between the two world wars. James hates his schooling at Eton so when the summer holidays come he travels up to his aunt and uncle's lodgings up in Scotland. A mystery unfolds as a murder is discovered and strange coincedences occur.
This book is perfect for those who cant bear another story of fairys and talking animals.
This book is perfect for those who cant bear another story of fairys and talking animals.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Charlie Higson, like me, is a Bond aficionado and would know only too well the weight of expectation concerning this,his first 'Young Bond' novel. I must confess that I was sceptical as to whether he'd be able to come up with, what is ostensibly, an origin story for 007. I'm thrilled to report that he manages it with pace and wit aplenty.
The story follows Bond from the playing fields of Eton to the Highlands of Scotland, where he follows up the disappearance of a young local boy in the area around a loch called Silverfin. Without going into too much detail, the story does feature a mad, outsize villain, a dastardly plot and a heavily fortified headquarters. This is clearly all the stuff of Bond and, predictability being part of the Bond formula, works just fine. It's exciting whilst bordering on silly and plays out just the way you would want it to.
However, Silverfin really scores when the author gets down and personal with our young, not yet legendary hero. Using what little information Fleming revealed about Bond's background, Higson begins to weave a compelling tapestry of the characters and places that will come to shape his life. To do this, Higson takes the well-established idea that Bond was (and is) a fantasy projection of Ian Fleming himself and than proceeds to cosolidate this perception even further by making HIS Bond echo some of Fleming's life. Hence, Bond is now a keen cross-country runner at Eton just as Fleming was himself. The major change, I suspect however, between young Bond and young Fleming was that Fleming was a somewhat vain and pompous young upstart, whereas Higson's Bond is rather sweet and unassuming.
The story follows Bond from the playing fields of Eton to the Highlands of Scotland, where he follows up the disappearance of a young local boy in the area around a loch called Silverfin. Without going into too much detail, the story does feature a mad, outsize villain, a dastardly plot and a heavily fortified headquarters. This is clearly all the stuff of Bond and, predictability being part of the Bond formula, works just fine. It's exciting whilst bordering on silly and plays out just the way you would want it to.
However, Silverfin really scores when the author gets down and personal with our young, not yet legendary hero. Using what little information Fleming revealed about Bond's background, Higson begins to weave a compelling tapestry of the characters and places that will come to shape his life. To do this, Higson takes the well-established idea that Bond was (and is) a fantasy projection of Ian Fleming himself and than proceeds to cosolidate this perception even further by making HIS Bond echo some of Fleming's life. Hence, Bond is now a keen cross-country runner at Eton just as Fleming was himself. The major change, I suspect however, between young Bond and young Fleming was that Fleming was a somewhat vain and pompous young upstart, whereas Higson's Bond is rather sweet and unassuming.
Silverfin is a terrific ripping yarn that, I believe, Ian Fleming and the Fleming estate would thoroughly approve of. Five Stars!
Not only that but that other all-important Bond family may well be impressed too:
If the Broccoli's are sharp, they seriously could have the next Harry Potter on their hands as well as a fabulous way of opening up Bond's cinematic heritage; Alan Rickman as the villainous Lord Hellebore, Celia Imrie as Aunt Charmian, Patrick Macnee as Uncle Max,Sir Anthony Hopkins as Mr. Merriot e.t.c.
If Cody Banks and Spy Kids can cheerfully rip-off what the Broccolis have successfully been doing for decades, surely they, in return, can outspy young Cody with the real deal - Young Bond!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An addictive read
Charlie Higson has written this excellently - I strongly disagree with the reviewers who think that this novel drags on and has been written in a monotonous or boring style. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Osetinka
A wonderfully old fashioned tale
I am currently on a mission to find books that turn young boys from non readers with no enthusiasm for picking up a book into readers who cannot put a book down. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
Where Do I Begin
Ignore any review thats bad if you like action, a good plot and a simply spectacular read. Where do i begin; it good a really amazing plotline with detailed descriptions of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gordius
My son cannot put this book down
My son reads this last thing at night until I beg him to switch off the light and go to sleep and at first dawn when he wakes up. Read more
Published 4 months ago by A. Gladwin
action packed book!
Exciting ,good,fun if you have finished another series of spy books and have run out of stuff to read.This is the book
for you. Read more
for you. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Isak
A book to get a reluctant boy of 11 reading
This was just what was needed to inspire my 11 year old grandson to read. He has already booked the next in the series for Christmas.
Published 6 months ago by Pat
A simple & exciting read
I brought this book for my son, aged 10 to develop his reading away from the Beano, Dandy & my old copies of Roy of the Rovers!! Read more
Published 16 months ago by David
FIVE STARS!
I'm not a James Bond fan at all, but this was a brilliant read. It had an exciting plot that appealed to me as an adult (I'm 35 and female) and I'm positive would appeal to... Read more
Published 17 months ago by S. J. Hollis
The essence of Bond
It's James Bond's first term (or rather, his first half) at Eton and things take a bit of getting used to. Read more
Published 17 months ago by A. Brown
Alex 5 James 4
This is a very nearly brilliant book but the story line
is not 100% coherent. The characters and settings are
fantastic( they include a mad scientist from south... Read more
is not 100% coherent. The characters and settings are
fantastic( they include a mad scientist from south... Read more
Published 18 months ago by 10yearoldlucas
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