Bond 22, 'Quantum of Solace', details...

I wonder if anyone else has read the short story of this title that inspired it? Original Ian Fleming classic; some say it reminds you of the very best of Somerset Maugham. It has no spy action, and is told in 3rd person to Bond over after dinner drinks at the Governors House in I believe Bermuda. Morality tale, no shootings or car chases.

With all the movie hype, a lot of people have never actually read any of the Fleming novels - a great author. His writing is probably overshadowed by the popularity of the movie franchise. I am going to go find my copy and reread this tonight - it is in the collection of short stories called "The Spy Who Loved Me".

So I guess they have spiced it up a little for the big screen?

BTW - great car reference from "The Spy Who Loved Me"...(title short story of the book)...Bond is after some hit men and is staying in NE American motel undercover. Girl notices him and tries to compliment his car - a 1957 Thunderbird. Bond (Bentley owner) replies dryly - "It is rented".

 

It is going to be great

 

I hope there's more car stuff in this one, we're due for some because Casino Royale barely had any.

 

Well. while we are waiting - here are the actual words of Ian Fleming himself on Continental Touring:

On the joys of the road -

"there is a sense of achievement, of a task completed, when each target is reached without accident, on time and with the car still running sweetly. There is the illusion that one has done a hard and meritorious day's work (few women understand this - perhaps, poor beasts, because they have only been passengers)."

On his choice of automobile -

"I drive a Thunderbird. I make no apologies. I bought my first, the lovely two-seater, four years ago, and it did 50,000 fast miles without so much as a bulb fusing. So I bought another, the four-seater, and it had done 1000 miles when I started from Ostend. Blithely I had ordered all the gimmicks - automatic gears, power steering, power brakes - and at first I hated and feared these devices which seemed to give the car power over the driver instead of the other way around. But by now I was already used to them, and I had regained authority over the (sic?) fifty-horsepower, seven litre engine and could almost (you never quite can with these damnable "aids") make the car do what I wanted."

"Ninety miles an hour with a reserve of thirty was a comfortable touring speed on the autobahns"

On the German driver -

"The Germans are the most dangerous motorists in the world. The year before, 13,500 Germans had been killed on the road and just under half a million injured."

On autobahn speed -

"German statistics show that the majority of accidents were caused at speeds form thirty and fifty miles per hour. Germanic tension and hysteria, plus that basic inferiority complex which makes every German insist that only he has the right of way (...) lie somewhere behind these tragic statistics. It is no good building 100 m.p.h roads and then putting a 50 m.p.h. speed limit on them."

More delightfully anti-Teutonic comments apply ("use your driving mirror - it is NOT a looking-glass, Miss Mitford") and so on.

These are from a great out-of-print travel book I have by Fleming titled "Thrilling Cities"; circa 1960.

He pretty much invented the car chase as part of the spy novel, IMHO - a great one occurs in the very first novel Casino Royalle even if the movie was a little lacking in that department.

 

"Here's a DBS." Crash.


haha... If I recall, in the book, he crashed a Bugatti. That would have been amusing had they used a Veyron.

 

Blower 4.5 litre Bentley, IIRC. Chasing a DS-19 Citroen, and ran over tetrahedron spikes thrown out by the villains.

 

Who's ready for another 007 movie? I am!

This is going to be awesome. According to Bondmovies.com, 288 days to go I'm surprised to say this, but Daniel Craig did a great job in Casino Royale.

 

It's another DBS *sigh*

http://bondmovies.com/news/229.shtml

 

i can't wait for this one, daniel craig is my second favorite bond actor to date, and the casino royale remake is in my top 3 of bond movies. if it's half as good as CR, then it'll be a good one IMO.

 

The Spy Who Loved Me was Fleming's eighth novel, and was an individually published book. The anthology of five short stories which include Quantum of Solace, Hildenbrand Rarity, Risico, and View to a Kill was titled For Your Eyes Only.

It would be prudent for student agents to have their facts in order before reckless postings such as the above.

James

 

no complaints from my end...

does anyone know if they're going to be replacing desmond llewelyn, q?

 

aah. thanks.

 

Desmond Llewelyn passed away. Right after the last brosnan film if my memory is correct.

 

which is why i asked if there was any news on replacing him and his character. sad loss, he was one of my favorite characters.

 

I'm looking forward to the movie, it has great potential

 

He is replaced by 'R', i believe.

 

Anyone know the release date?