James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
“Sometimes, I think that MI6 assigns your numbers based on the level of your I.Q.”
Secret Agent
For Your Eyes Only
Bond’s still Bond, there’s still plenty of girls, cigars, alcohol, cars, etc. but the tamer, more grounded stories really suit the character well.
Goldfinger
These books are rarely worth taking seriously. They’re pulpy and entertaining and that’s what makes them fun. But Goldfinger fumbles too often to even meet that standard.
Dr. No
Fleming really has his pacing and plotting down pat, and his writing has transitioned to a more colorful and interesting style.
From Russia With Love
The bold narrative choices and the sacrifice of some James Bond action heroics are worth it, leaving us with the strongest James Bond outing yet, and serving as the source material for one of the best Bond films.
3 Days of the Condor
3 Days of the Condor makes the government and its intelligence agencies appear as invisible forces of manipulation, untrustworthy and self-interested.
Diamonds Are Forever
The loose plot and needless globetrotting, as well as its lack of a serious antagonistic match for Bond make it feel like “just another Bond novel.”
Moonraker
Bond is no longer the superhero of the first few novels. He is a man who makes mistakes, has hobbies and regrets and addictions.
Casino Royale
James Bond arrived fully formed long before the films transformed him into a cultural icon.