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redfiona99Novelisation of the film of the same name.
I've tried to be fair to this book. The plot isn't the author's fault, it's been foisted on him by the screenplay, and most of my problems with the events in the book are due to it.
The book also fleshes out a lot of things that the film either chose not to cover or cut out, particularly Zhao's motivation and feelings, and Miranda Frost's backstory, which aids understanding why they do various things. It also explains a little more about why a lot of Colonel Moon's plans become quite so wild.
The downside is that the book contains some terrible prose. It's very leaden and over-descriptive, but in the opposite way to purple prose. The writing seems to be determined to remove all lyricism and excitement and to state everything as plainly as possible. Worse, it's boring. The example I am going to use is from the early hovercraft battle.
"As Bond's craft sailed into the Demilitarised Zone, he moved forward and grabbed the pilot by the neck. He pulled the man away from the controls and threw him over the side. The man fell directly onto a mine in the dirt and disappeared in a fireball. Bond was now in command of the hovercraft."
Adjectives and adverbs are at a premium through out, losing any sense of immediacy or tension. Therefore, even accounting for the ways in which the writer was hamstrung before he even started, I cannot give this any more than 2.5 out of 5.
1.Licence to Kill by John Gardner
2.The World Is Not Enough by Raymond Benson
3.Tomorrow Never Dies by Raymond Benson
4.Goldeneye by John Gardner
5.Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
6.From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming
7.Zero Minus Ten by Raymond Benson
8.High Time to Kill by Raymond Benson
9.Thunderball by Ian Fleming
10.Live And Let Die by Ian Fleming
All the Fleming ones are ones I haven't read so I can't comment, but it really annoys me that this terrible book is held in such good company, because the Fleming books are terse and sharp, but not badly written dross.
No unsuggestions
I've tried to be fair to this book. The plot isn't the author's fault, it's been foisted on him by the screenplay, and most of my problems with the events in the book are due to it.
The book also fleshes out a lot of things that the film either chose not to cover or cut out, particularly Zhao's motivation and feelings, and Miranda Frost's backstory, which aids understanding why they do various things. It also explains a little more about why a lot of Colonel Moon's plans become quite so wild.
The downside is that the book contains some terrible prose. It's very leaden and over-descriptive, but in the opposite way to purple prose. The writing seems to be determined to remove all lyricism and excitement and to state everything as plainly as possible. Worse, it's boring. The example I am going to use is from the early hovercraft battle.
"As Bond's craft sailed into the Demilitarised Zone, he moved forward and grabbed the pilot by the neck. He pulled the man away from the controls and threw him over the side. The man fell directly onto a mine in the dirt and disappeared in a fireball. Bond was now in command of the hovercraft."
Adjectives and adverbs are at a premium through out, losing any sense of immediacy or tension. Therefore, even accounting for the ways in which the writer was hamstrung before he even started, I cannot give this any more than 2.5 out of 5.
1.Licence to Kill by John Gardner
2.The World Is Not Enough by Raymond Benson
3.Tomorrow Never Dies by Raymond Benson
4.Goldeneye by John Gardner
5.Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
6.From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming
7.Zero Minus Ten by Raymond Benson
8.High Time to Kill by Raymond Benson
9.Thunderball by Ian Fleming
10.Live And Let Die by Ian Fleming
All the Fleming ones are ones I haven't read so I can't comment, but it really annoys me that this terrible book is held in such good company, because the Fleming books are terse and sharp, but not badly written dross.
No unsuggestions
