Solo (James Bond – Extended Series #46)

I am a fan of William Boyd’s writing. That is why I was intrigued in reading his version of a James Bond Bond thriller. I have recently read some nine Bond thrillers written by Ian Fleming, and one written by Anthony Horowitz, Forever and a Day. This is a good story. I like it. The plot was intricate. No problem there. Boyd can do that. He knows his craft. Yet, when the book reach the part when Bond went solo, the plot started to trip over itself, as the story moved to the end, Boyd’s writing became less disciplined, careless, lazy. Then in the last ten pages he let Bond and Felix Leiter wrap up all the loose ends for us over drinks, including all the geopolitical ramifications, like the last forty-five seconds of a prime time tv cop show. It is cheap writing lacking in imagination and craftsmanship. It cheats the reader. I imagine Boyd was being paid well to write this in between books and as his deadline as drawing near he had to wrap up the end with the flourish of the characters telling us what happened and it’s meaning. I am giving Boyd four stars (or three that I should) not because it’s a bad novel (it isn’t) but because Boyd knows how to write better.

This appears to be set in about the time that Fleming\’s novels stopped. The basic mission is for Bond to defeat a small country that is trying to break away from a big country. This matters enough to send Bond because it is sitting on huge quantities of oil. OK, you are saying — I\’ve read enough. Imperialism run rampant. Bond on the wrong side. After he almost dies at the end of his mission, Bond decides to pursue some loose ends … and discovers another plot hiding behind the original one. This is a lot better, as he is going after people who are bad guys. The ending is a bit … unfinished. It is almost as if the author were planning to use one of the bad guys in a sequel. But, still, it /is/ a James Bond novel.

Sometime back in the early 1960’s I read “Casino Royal” the first James Bond novel written of course by Ian Fleming. I read that Fleming wrote about one Bond a year, and I read them all. When I think about it, writing a book a year for several decades, which being a writer myself, I find pretty darned amazing. Like the author of this recent Bond, William Boyd, mentioned in his Author’s Note at beginning of his resurrected Bond novel “Solo,” he was “governed by the details and chronology of James Bond’s life.” And I for one feel he’s done a bloody good job of nailing 007. Had to be pretty true to the character of Bond to have it approved by the Fleming family, who holds the rights. I thoroughly enjoyed “Solo” and really brought me back to those thrilling days of yesteryear when James has been ordered to ship out to an African civil war. “What am I meant to do once I get there? Bond asks. “Stop the war, of course,” replies M. If you like Bond, James Bond, I’m pretty sure you will like this one. Even if you’ve merely seen the movies, which are a bit different than the books, you’ll like this 007 adventure. I hope Boyd gets hooked on Bond and will write more. I’ll certainly read them.

William Boyd, an established author, sets himself to write a Bond adventure spy story. And this is good. The style of his writting is much more distinct and deep, his descriptions and his language not so …. (excuse my expression) \”childish\” as Ian Flemming;s. The use of the language and the way he presents Bond, makes the hero more human, more of a trainerd expert, but with human flaws. Bond, is a trained spy, with some eperience is covert army operations and not the super commando turned agent, that we are used to, in all Bond films. He is not the martial arts expert and the relentless fighter, that we already know (again from some of the films and some other books, e.g \”Carte Blanche\”) so that he can get over every situation. Maybe it is because the era that Boyd sets his book is less action oriented and more of a strategy one, requiring a more classical spy story like the ones you can read in a John Le Carre book, or a Len Deighton book. So why the three stars ? The book is divided in a way in two sections: the story that makes Bond go solo and the going-solo one. Different style of a story in the first section and another one in the second. A more noir view in the first part, a more Bond style in the second. Another kind of role, for Bond, in the first one and the … Bond role for Bond, in the second. Bond the strategist and the military advisor (!!!!) in the first part and Bond in his real self (the one we know that is) in the second part. A more easy going and kind of slow narrative in the first part and an action fast paced spy style in the second. The outcome: If you are not get bored on the first part, you will love the second part. There are also the women. Two of them. A young mulatto girl and a more mature white one. Same antithesis is reflected here, as with the rest of the style of the book. This is not a bad choice, of course, but it shows that you have to read through a two styles in the same book kind of writting, that mixes the reader. Plus, a bitter taste at the end and the sense of the unfinished, as to how Boyd wishes to plot his story. Final scenes seem to introduce an unseen foe ? What ? Is there something we need to know ? Will Mr. Boyd release a new book ? Why the kind of cliff hanger with a tease ? Not a stand alone book, from an author who tends to write different kind of stories each time he sets a new book ? We will have to see. And there you have it. Bond goes noir in the first part of the book, with some hints of exotic adventure and a role we have never seen Bond in. Some Bond elements are kept to a minimum (Moneypenny, M, Q, the Agency). And then comes the second part, the more Bond one, with familiar faces and familiar past stories (see in CIA characters). A linear story as in all Flemming Bond books and most of the movies, few twists and the sense of the unfinished at the end. By all means read this book. It is essential that you understand the style and you will be able to compare with Jeffery Deaver\’s \”Carte Blanche\” – kind of a Bond reboot and with Sebastian Faulks\’ \”Devil May Care\” – a Sean Connery Bond kind of classic. Maybe you will come to agree with me – after you finished reading the book, of course

I downloaded this novel just before a flight from Crete to London. As reading on journeys, James Bond books have often accompanied me. I managed to read the whole book on the flight which is a tribute to the pace and quality of the writing on show from William Boyd. As I write this I am left with some inevitable reflections on attempts by Ian Fleming\’s literary heirs to create successor novels to the originals. All I have read to my mind have been good reads, which do capture at least something of the originals. John Gardner and Raymond Benson tried to extend Bond into more recent times giving the character and extended life span, avoiding any aging. Jeffrey Deaver bravely attempted to create a Bond living in more modern times. I have also recently read one of Anthony Horrowitz\’s outings which makes an attempt to fill in gaps in the Fleming saga, and even uses an idea from the creator. All enjoyable. But, still I feel the most successful are those attempts by authors who are regarded as literary. The first of these was Kingsley Amis in \”Colonel Sun\” which remains one of the most successful in the eyes of many Fleming fans. I would also consider Sebastian Faulks \”Devil May Care\” worthy of mention as he intentionally managed to capture Fleming\’s voice. In this category this one must now also include William Boyd. Boyd has another aspect of connection. Ian Fleming appears as a character in Boyd\’s other novel \”Any Human Heart.\” How far the two are connected I will leave readers to decide for themselves. What Boyd dies achieve here is a pacy read set in the late sixties with Bond convincingly portrayed living in London. We learn about Bond\’s lifestyle, including one of his affairs with a woman, and how he in the end leaves her in part to protect her from the dangerous side in his life as a secret agent. It is this aspect of Bond as a loner that is perhaps what Boyd explores most, though the thriller aspects of the novel are well paced and convincing. Early on Bond is sent on a mission into Africa, that perhaps has something more of Frederick Forsyth territory, but which the story remains convincingly 007. The mission is completed with some matters unresolved which make Bond sets off on a revenge mission on his own. This part too is carried off effectively, though there is not really a dominant villain (like say Blofeld of Goldfinger). This does somewhat detract from the format though Fleming himself did do a similar thing in \”Diamonds Are Forever.\” There are also certain musings about the domination of oil companies which seem a little far from the spirit of Fleming\’s originals. In terms of characters, by and large these are convincing. Certainly with Bond and M. The women Bond is interested in are also well portrayed, though there is none of the insouciant \”chauvinism\” that the original author showed. The one slight let down is the portrayal of Felix Leiter. This seems a problem with all authors who have tried to portray him as well as in the films. Nobody except Fleming seems able to capture the humour and liveliness of that character. That last bit, I guess shows power of the creativity of the originals with out which this book would not exist. As with attempts to imitate Sherlock Holmes, there always remains something in the originals that defies complete imitation. That said, \”Solo\” is a worthy continuation of the Bond cannon. One of the best yet done. Bond and Fleming lovers need not hesitate. Boyd deserves plaudits for this work.

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