Octopussy and The Living Daylights: James Bond 007: Amazon.co.uk: Ian Fleming: Books

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M looked coldly across the desk. It was going to be dirty work and Bond had been chosen for it. "You've got to kill this sniper. And you've got to kill him before he gets Agent 272. Is that understood?" So, it was to be murder.

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Way to Start Of, 28 Oct 2002

By	JH (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Octopussy: AND "The Living Daylights" (James Bond 007) (Hardcover)

This, Ian Fleming's last 'James Bond' story, first published in 1966.
This book contains not only the cover titles, but two others not published in the first edition, 'the Property of a Lady', and '007 in New York'. '007 in New York' appears here for the first time in book form.
'the Living Daylights' is, in my opinion, a terrifically taught study in cold war espionage. The sheer electricity that runs through the story is indescribable, an interesting combination of the dull, annonymous world of spying crosswired with large ammounts of tension. Fleming wrote this story originally for the debut issue of 'the Sunday Times Colour Supplement', and was published with not much notoriety, but this is undoubtably a crisp example of a Bond story. 'The Property of a Lady' is a curious tale, much to the interest of the antiquarian or collector, which takes place in the London auction rooms of Sotheby's: A quick, hurried story that never looses any of its chances to take a shock to its reader.
'007 in New York' is, essentially, a short summary of New York written for the American edition of Fleming's 1963 travel book 'Thrilling Cities'. The few pages in the story take on a 'Gambit' quality, with descriptions of New York's wonderful nightlife (and daylife).
'Octopussy' is one of Fleming's last stories that he ever wrote, and concerns a hoard of Nazi gold nessled in the grasp of a dying major.
Overall, this is a good book to either start the Bond saga with: it is something of a taster, a tester, an inexpensive blueprint of what to expect from other, more time-consuming novels.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Short but sweet, 24 Feb 2002

By	Andy (aaamack@omantel.net.om) (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Octopussy (Coronet Books) (Paperback)

A slim collection of Bond short stories not published until after the author's death. Dealing as they do with greed, betrayal and conscience they are a worthy addition to any Bond aficionado's collection of stories about the man from 'the Ministry of Defence'.

'Octopussy' is the study of a man in decline, as one Major Smythe, wracked by guilt over a wartime episode, gradually loses his will to live. With his secret almost mercifully exposed by a stranger, he makes his exit in the most bizarre manner since Dr No himself.

'The Property of a Lady' is a real curiosity with the final action set inside the main sale room of Sotheby's, of all places. Here Bond, aided by the suitably ice-cool Faberge expert, Mr Snowman, attempts to expose a pay-off to a Soviet spy involving a Faberge 'Object of Vertu'.

'The Living Daylights' is a melancholy tale about a 'hit' that has been assigned to Bond. It is deemed necessary in order to allow an agent, '272', to escape unhindered across from Soviet occupied East Berlin. Bond is cooped up in a small, musty apartment with the rather officious 'Number 2' of West Berlin station and eventually falls foul of him when he hesitates at the last second as the identity of his target becomes clear. The two men make an interesting combination. In Bond we see a man still guided by humanity and in Captain Sender (Number 2) we see a man guided by nothing more than rules.

Three stories then to add to the already impressive litany of Bond adventures, and three stories that reveal more about the characters themselves than about any plot. As short stories they are unable to develop the kind of fast-paced, multi-faceted, globe-trotting battle between good and evil that make up the backbones of so many Bond adventures. However, in limiting themselves into looking into why people do the things they do and the consequences of actions they are no less interesting and thought provoking.

On a different note, I think it would be a good idea if some of the reviewers actually read the book again. The instances of wrong information being contained in some of the 'reviews' is
inexcusable. For instance, in 'The Living Daylights', Bond doesn't cross the east-west strip in Berlin and in 'The Property of a Lady' he doesn't bid for a Faberge egg. There are more examples but word limits dictate. Ian Fleming deserves to have his novels more carefully examined.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Three Stories, Three Thrills, 3 Jun 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Octopussy (Coronet Books) (Paperback)

We thought we'd seen the last of 007 at the end of The Man With The Golden Gun. But no he returns in these three high action stories. First, Octopussy, which revolves around a hoarde of gold stolen by Major Smyte.The Living Daylights sees Bond crossing the East/West German Divide,and finally The Property of a Lady has Bond handling a Faberge Egg.Was a bit disapointed with amazon.co.uk not releasing the next book by Kingsly Amis called Colonel Sun!Anyone agree?

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Again, Fleming proves he is a master of short-storytelling
This is one of the best of the Bond books. While it lacks the feel of some of the earlier books it is still and intriguing read. Read more

Published on 23 Jan 2000

2.0 out of 5 stars Short, dull, what more can be said!
After reading live and let die, Moonraker and On her magesty's secret service, I was expecting and little more compact action from the two short stories. Read more

Published on 22 Jan 2000

› See all 5 customer reviews...

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Octopussy and The Living Daylights: (James Bond 007) (Paperback)

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