Diamonds Are Forever

I’ve only written a few of the original James Bond novels and while some of them felt a little slow I did enjoy some parts of the overall series. In recent times James Bond films are more action-oriented and less of a mystery but here in the novels is the original mystery of the Ian Fleming vision. For those of you who like mysteries and are less of action buffs, this may be your ticket to fun. There were some parts that reminded me of the movie (which I’ve only seen once) and while I don’t remember a lot, it did its job. I’m giving it four instead of five stars because the story was interesting but Ian Fleming’s novels feel a little slow for me. Still, it provided us with a glimpse of a post-WW2 world where the Russians are a major superpower.

While the worldview of the novelist is still stuck in the fading British Imperialism of the 1950s, Diamonds are Forever presents a fairly compelling storyline and some interesting characterizations. Building off the deeper insights into 007s character provided in Moonraker, our diligent civil servant weathers the slings and arrows of American mobsters to confront a diamond smuggling ring and get the girl.
Fleming has always had a taut pacing and keen eye. What was once a tale of exotic places to his English readers is now a descriptive journey through time.

As I move through the Bond novels it is easy to see Mr. Fleming getting better with each book. Bond is beginning to really become a more fleshed out character and the people around him are beginning to improve.

The Spangled Gang was a great team of villains for Bond to battle and the death toll in this book was higher than the previous books. The license to kill is quite useful!

Tiffany Case was a solid Bond girl that helped when she was needed and never got in the way.

Again, my favorite so far!

If I were a woman, I might conduct a sance, and then throttle the spirit of Ian Fleming. He’s not a bad guy, mind you, but just once, I’d like to see a female character give James Bond a run for his money. So far I’m still waiting for a return on my initial investment. And I know this is one investment that probably won’t pan out, but I can still hold onto a faint glimmer of false hope.

Vesper Lynd did come close, but she ultimately failed when paired next to Bond’s wit and charm. Tiffany Case, however, pales in comparison. But you don’t read James Bond to gain profound insights into the female psyche, unless you want to end up several miles in the wrong direction with a broken radiator and a flat tire.

I do find it interesting that once again Bond is tortured, and once again the reader completely misses out on the experience. Mr. Fleming must have decided that he couldn’t top the scene in CASINO ROYALE, which brought a whole new meaning to the word punishment, so he decided to not even try. Life, though, proves a whole lot more interesting and fun and exciting, when you toss a cement wall in the middle of the highway every once in a while.

While I enjoyed DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, the main bad dude felt a bit nebulous, almost like an evil presence more than an evil person. And while the action was present and accounted for, it felt a bit less than full throttle, and the scenes seemed to end much too quickly.

I’ve enjoyed the Bond study thus far, simply because of his vast influence, and I’m happy to continue my journey, but I am thankful there’s no test at the end.

Robert Downs
Author of Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator

I am not a literary reviewer, but I will share that I had some curiosity about the original Ian Fleming books and his protagonist James Bond. Having seen all of the movies, I wanted to understand what the original stories were like before they got the Movie Studio treatment. The earlier Movies followed along the books in a good and positive way, but of course the later movies diverged a great deal, and often for good and commercial reasons. Diamonds are Forever was a good read, as our Hero winds up in the Desert Southwest on the trail of a large Diamond smuggler, in the company of the lovely Ms. Tiffany Case. Enjoyed this Story.

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