Doctor No, the sixth book in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, picks up immediately following the events of the cliffhanger ending of From Russia With Love. 007, in need of rest and recuperation, is sent on what is supposed to be a ‘holiday’ mission, only to find himself in the worst and most torturous predicament of all his previous documented adventures. Interestingly enough, Doctor No not only ties in with events of From Russia With Love, but the story returns James Bond to the Jamaican island of his expoits in the novel, Live and Let Die, and once again pairs him with his very likeable jack-of-all-trades, Quarrel. You may recall that although I thoroughly loved the intensity of the adventure in Live and Let Die, the racism prevalent in the book was a real turn off. This being set in the same territory, there is a slight return to form, this time with mixed race Chinese/African Americans being the target. There is, however, significantly less of this than in Live and Let Die and this feels much more like a product of the time than a deliberate judgement on a race of people. All in all, Doctor No is an engrossing tale that turned into a real page-turner before the end.
Doctor No was the first Fleming novel to be translated on the silver screen and it is easy to see how some of the more ostentatious aspects of the Bond mystique and the more easily spoofed elements of the spy genre were birthed in this film. These are, of course, the very things I have not enjoyed in many of the previous Bond films and are the very reason why the movie Casino Royale, and my subsequent foray into the original source material has turned me in to such a Bond fan.
Doctor No, the novel, finds James Bond fitted for the first time with his Walther PPK and brings with it the first introduction of Major Boothroyd, affectionately known as Q. Doctor No also contributes to the tongue-in-cheek sexuality of female character names that is overdone in the films with the introduction of Honeychile Rider, aka Honey Rider, the role made infamous by the bikini-clad Ursula Andress in the Sean Connery film. Present as well are the long exposition of plot given by the villian before the heroes’ most certain death. Oddly enough, these elements do not seem silly in the novel like they do in the films. All the previous Bond stories have been filled with very gritty, brutal reality and Doctor No follows suit. Amidst the tension, suspense, and violence, what have become the tropes of spy spoofs seem very normal. Even Doctor No is a character waiting to be lampooned, with his metallic pinchers for hands. In Flemings’ capable hands, however, all of this adds up to be a knuckle-biting, edge-of-your-seat read.
My goal at the start of the year was to get through all the Ian Fleming Bond books this year. Having just finished number six out of fifteen (books 14 and 15 are in one volume as they are novellas rather than novels) and wanting to save Goldfinger for the start of the year for Annie’s What’s in a Name Challenge, that goal is not going to be met. I didn’t set that goal as some arbitrary thing to be accomplished, I set it because I have become so engrossed in each of these novels that I couldn’t imagine not reading them all straight through. I am actually quite thrilled, however, that I have saved several of these for future reads as I will be sorely disappointed when I turn the page on the last Fleming tale and have no new one to take its place.
As I have done in previous Bond reviews, I cannot recommend this novel enough. Ian Fleming has a knack of keeping you uncertain as to which characters are going to live and which will die. He is certainly not averse to killing off characters that you come to like, after all this is a dangerous world in which he places 007. However I find that I am often uncertain just who will make it and who won’t as I read and have learned that my predictions are usually wrong. That style of writing makes for a very intense reading experience. Thus far the previous Bond novel, From Russia With Love, remains my favorite simply because of the uniqueness of the way the story was told. With that in mind, I have to admit that Doctor No certainly did not have me looking back wistfully, wishing it was another From Russia. Doctor No is another fantastic volume in the 007 series and it is going to be agony to wait for another month before I can start the next book.
And, since I pulled this one from my stacks to read, I am going to count this as my first completion for the currently running From the Stacks Winter Reading Challenge. You really should join in!
Update: The comments section contains photographs of my To Be Read piles in response to Chris’ shout out, linked to in the same place, to see everyone’s TBR piles.
i’m very keen to read some ian fleming! both my mom and a friend of mine recommend him very highly!
what makes it particularly interesting for me is that my brother-in-law works for MI5, suddenly making that whole world a lot more real! also, i just generally enjoy spy films, but have never actually gotten around to reading a novel. fleming and ludlum are the blokes i’d like to try out!
thanks for the great review!
Surprisingly, (since I love Sean Connery and loved him as 007) I’ve never gotten into reading them.. From Russia With Love is one of my favorite movies he did! Glad to hear it’s a favorite of the books for you!
JP, I’d definitely suggest starting at the beginning and reading them in order. Casino Royale is a great book and eventhough it is somewhat similar to the film, because they actually made the effort to do that with this film, it is still a very entertaining read.
Deslily: What I love so much about From Russia With Love is that the first half of the book is all about the two enemy agents. Bond doesn’t even enter the picture until close to 100 pages in. It gives the entire story a very interesting feel to it.
Sometimes it’s a shame that the movies don’t follow the books more than they do.. but I guess the big deal there is the “time and money”..
but I do think when a movie is made from a book that it does make more people go and read the book… if no other reason than to see what they missed .
I agree Deslily, they certainly do that.
Chris has posted a very humorous post about To Be Read piles here.
Debi has answered the call and posted her pics here.
So I thought I’d join in the fun and post mine here in today’s comments section. Most of the pics can be clicked on to produce larger images.
First, my basement is partially lined with metal shelves from a certain company that a friend works for (they are the ones they no longer need). Among many things piled on those shelves are to be read books and books that have already been read. Here is one of those shelves:
Most of these books are to be read, although a few are ones I have already read. There are around 57 books amongst these first two pictures.
In addition to those I have approximately 19 Edgar Rice Burroughs books that I bought because they have covers by Frank Frazetta that I really want to read:
Upstairs on my previously pictured shelves I have a total of 36 books to be read amidst ones I have already read:
There are an additional 6 books that I have on the top of my wardrobe in the bedroom.
In the picture with the E.R.B. books you can see a cardboard box to the side. That is filled with paperback books, at least half of which I haven’t read. I’d guess there are at least 20 books in there, and that is a conservative estimate. Then I have a collection of pulp mysteries with Robert McGinnis covers and other pulp artists that I like that I want to read. There are about 10 of those thus far.
That makes almost 150 books, easy, and that isn’t counting about a dozen graphic novels that I have to read, too many individual comic issues to count, and all the books on piles that I want to re-read!
This was fun Chris, thanks!
I’ve been to Chris’s blog which is why I posted mine.. HIS made me laugh like hell! YOURS.. well to be honest, I’m not surprised in the least! LOL. Pretty sad that I have you pegged for an amont of tbr like you have huh?! hahahaha..
Hey! How do you rate a white cover for Jonathan Strange and mine is black?.. not fair!
Love Among the Walnuts?? ..ouch! lol
How cool to be able to buy books just for the cover! (Frazetta) I’ve met his son, and learned Frank is in very ill health.. it wouldn’t surprise me if we loose him soon.
Oh I see Here There Be Dragons! Did you read that yet? Book 2 comes out in a few weeks, and he’s well into his last book so hopefully no more than one more year for the last installment.
I had to laugh looking at the photo that the books are standing up.. I had to bend my head to read the titles.. I felt like I was a trying to read titles in a bookstore lol.
O.K., I’m now sitting here drooling over all those books! I think Chris is definitely going to have to stop worrying about his TBR pile after seeing what good company he’s in.
One thing does worry me though, all these books everyone’s eventually going to get to and review are going to have our wish lists growing exponentially!
I’ve never read any Ian Fleming. Nor seen a single James Bond flick. *hanging head in shame*
That is some awesome book porn, Carl 😀 Thanks for sharing! I see Un Dun Lun! I really want to read that one. Actually, you have a lot of books I want to read. Can I come over and borrow some? 😛
I debated about the white vs. black vs. read Jonathan Strange covers when they first came out, Deslily, and decided I really liked the white one best.
Haven’t read Here Be Dragons yet. Looks wonderful though and your review has me hopeful.
Love Among the Walnuts should be great. The same author wrote Once Upon a Marigold, another YA book, and it is terrific. There is a review of it on here somewhere.
Frank has been in pretty ill health for a number of years according to the DVD Painting with Fire that came out a few years ago, so it wouldn’t surprise me either if we lose him. I will be very saddened as he is far and away one of my very favorite illustrators. I would love to get out to visit his museum sometime. If you haven’t seen the Painting with Fire DVD, it is amazing!!!
Debi: don’t worry, I hadn’t read any Bond until last year and have seen less than half of the films. Casino Royale, which is amazing, is what pushed me into reading the books.
And yes, that is the danger of blogging in a community of book lovers, our piles and lists just grow and grow and grow!!!
Looks like we’re in roughly the same boat 😉 Thanks for putting me at ease! You have so many books that I want to read! I’ve been meaning to go pick up Gifts by Ursula LeGuin ever since Nymeth posted her review of it. It sounds like an amazing book. The King of Elfland’s Daughter has been on my list for ages as has Lud in the Mist thanks to Neil. I now own a copy of Lud in the Mist…just haven’t read it yet, hmmm, can we say Once Upon a Time?? I have Here There Be Dragons too, I’ll probably read that for OUaT as well.I love the look of your shelves. You can certainly tell that some thought and time were put into those. Quite a touch of class! Mine are just a mess of books thrown into them in alphabetical order. Great post! or comment…or whatever this was :p
I’m enjoying the Bond books as well. While not as far a long as Carl ( I’m half way through book 3 – Moonraker ) I have found them to be wonderful reads with the first one Casino Royale being my favorite so far but I haven’t made it to From Russia with love yet. Hopefully in 2008 though.
Have no fear Chris my TBR pile is huge as well. Carl can attest I’m in the 100 to 150 range. I was feeling so overwhelmed by my pile a few months ago I actually boxed up some of the books so I wouldn’t see them anymore to elivate some of my aniexty. I only left out about 40 or so that I ” really ” wanted to read soon. 🙂
oh, i don’t feel so bad anymore… i reckon your tbr pile is just about bigger than mine.
but, oh my, don’t your books look enticing! and i love the frazetta covers!! 🙂
Nymeth, sure, come on over! 😉
Chris, I certainly don’t mind passing my copy of LeGuin’s Gifts on to you after I read it…or before if you’re in a hurry for it, as it was a free book that a friend picked up for me at a comic convention and I certainly don’t mind making it a gift that keeps on giving.
Jeff: that sounds like denial to me, buddy! 🙂
The Frazetta covers are great, JP. I have several more to collect. Yay!!!
And several more McGinnis covers to collect as well.
Hang on to it for now, Carl. I have more than enough to read before I get around to Gifts! But thanks for the offer! I’ll probably pick it up for the OUaT challenge. And as for Jeff…definitely in denial…
LOL! I know! I know! You guys are great. 🙂
Amazing, truly. I really can’t imagine having the space to store those. I would also feel a bit disheartened to see all those waiting for me. I could never by a new one! I posted a pic on my blog of my little 25 to read anyway.
You’ve got some great reads in your “little 25” pile, Melanie.
The discussion on Chris’ blog is interesting and I posted something to this effect there, but one of the other commentors mentioned feeling comforted being surrounded by books and I feel that way as well. I’ve always wanted my house to be a library of sorts, filled with books I have read and ones I haven’t, which is part of the reason why I don’t just keep my ‘to read’ books in the basement, I have them scattered throughout the house of bookshelves, etc. as part of the decor of my home. Rather than being disheartening, it is comforting.
As I said on Chris’ site, it makes me a bit sad when I don’t get right to reading the gifts people give me, but I am such a whim reader that time often passes before I get to books given to me. Again, though, I just love having them around. Books are among my favorite possessions. I love knowing I have books on a shelf that I can peruse whenever I get the mood to read and am not sure what I want to read next.
oh, i love books!!! 😀
this is such fun! having all us blogging friends talk about books!
jeff, i’m glad you’re in the same predicament. 🙂
JP, it is even worse for Jeff and I, living in the same area and feeding off of one another. Not to mention the bookstore trips we take. It is hard to believe we aren’t drowing in books!
I’ve been thinking about reading some of the Ian Fleming books (since I never read any) and watching the classic, pre-Brosnan movies along with them. Thanks for the great review.
That’s great, Ellen. I would certainly start with the first, Casino Royale, as it is definitely a great read even if you have seen the movie and sets things up nicely for the rest of the series. You might consider skipping Live and Let Die and going straight on to Moonraker, but that is just me. You can check out my review and decide from there.
You know, “chigroe” was a common term, around that time – there’s nothing particularly racist about it, unless there’s something inherently offensive about being either Chinese or, well, black.
I can’t say that I agree with your logic. Just because it was a common term does not mean that it wasn’t racist. Lots of racial language, then and now, are common terms. Doesn’t mean that they are okay.