I’ve just finished Ian Fleming’s ‘Diamonds are Forever’, the fourth public outing for James Bond. The only other Bond story I’ve read is ‘Casino Royale’, mostly to see how it stacks up alongside the film of the same name. I’ve never been a fan of the Bond movies, partly because I don’t find Sean Connery very interesting to watch and partly because I prefer thrillers to be menacing rather than farcical.
Daniel Craig injected something fresh into the lead role, however, with his portrayal of an emotionally complex tough guy capable of both brutality and tenderness. I know it’s still a “Bond” movie (car chases, explosions, high kill rates, drop-dead cool martinis) but I found Craig more convincing with his intensely physical rendering of the role. Which is shorthand for saying that he was pretty damn sexy.
But back to ‘Diamonds are Forever’ – I have to say how much I’ve enjoyed it and how surprised I’ve been by the quality of Ian Fleming’s writing. That sounds stuck up but clearly my expectations were low: I thought it would be a shoot ’em up romp with little finesse. Instead, James Bond is complicated, bedevilled by doubts, bogged down in paperwork, and far more ethical than I would have credited. And the writing is a real pleasure. Here’s an example of Fleming describing a gangster eating in a restaurant:
He had a round bladder-like head in the middle of which the features were crowded together – two pin-point eyes, two black nostrils, a pursed wet pink mouth above the hint of a chin, and a fat body in a brown suit and a white shirt with a long-pointed collar and a figured chocolate bow tie. He … concentrated on his food, occasionally glancing across at his companion’s plate as if he might reach across and fork something off it for himself.
What a great image of a man who is greedy, weak, mean and vain!
Other parts of the book reflect the casual racism of the time. Bond refers to “that damned nigger” and Fleming’s description of a Black attendant at the mud baths made me cringe.
Overall, though, it’s an engaging read. My only dilemma now is whether to read the books in order or just jump around the series – either way, I’m definitely going to check out more of 007, licensed to thrill.
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