Customer Reviews

Die Another Day

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Yes, I know they already made a film of "Moonraker" which had basically nothing to do with the book, so they're free to use plot elements. But it's almost shameless to use this many plot elements. A space weapon (only it's called "Icarus" instead of "Moonraker"), a "zero-to-hero" public persona for the villain (as well as his being honored by the Queen and not at all what he seems), the villain's blonde secretary who's a double (British S.S. and his secretary), a showdown at a club...I could go on and on. Why waste $$$ on this novelization when you could pick up Ian Fleming's original "Moonraker" at a library or used book store? It's much better, plus you get to see a "Bond Girl" who thinks he's stupid (at least at first, but then SHE dumps HIM). How rare is that!?

After a long string of highly successful Bond novels, this is Benson's last one. Having just read it, I can see why.

In addition to Benson's masterful Bond novels, I have always enjoyed his novelizations of the movies, as they have given the character extra depth, and turned sometimes lightweight movie scenes into deeply absorbing writing. His Bond feels far more real than the movies, while retaining the excitement, action and fun.

Admittedly, he had a pretty dumb screenplay to work with here (invisible cars, anyone?), but he hasn't even tried to write a book. This feels more like a notebook of scene directions than a story, and simply tells you everything Bond does without adding anything, i.e. "Bond ran across the corridor. He kicked open the door. He ran down the stairs. He shot his gun"... there are paragraphs of this stuff. No attempt to make it into a novel.

I think he just put the movie on TV, scribbled down everything he saw onscreen, handed in this literal description, took his paycheck and ran.

A sad ending to a great career writing Bond novels. Don't bother with this one.

Garbage! This is not Ian Fleming! If you think this is Ian Fleming you are mistaken. Read Fleming's books if you want to read about James Bond, what makes him tick, what makes him alive. This is garbage, in the first degree. Go back to Ian Fleming, not this! This book is based on the worst James Bond film ever made. Merry Christmas!

Raymond Benson has done a superb job with his own Bond series,combining the modern film Bond with the classic Fleming Bond.(its a shame that it appears that he won't be doing anymore)His novels are all fast paced entertaining reads.His novelisations of the Brosnan series have almost always improved on the movies-adding alot of character moments as well as a great deal of depth and dimension to the villians.This one,however,reads like a great action movie.The pace is relentless as it is basically one giant action scene after another following a shocking beginning where we see 007 as we have never seen him before.Now as a movie this will be alot of fun to see but as a novel it seems to be over much too quickly(I finished it in a day). The character moments Benson usually puts in his own series were few and far between because of the incredible pace of the story . While this works on film you end up missing these moments on the printed page and waiting for a little break in the action.That being said,this is filled with one incredible scene after another.In fact,you end up smiling and cheering just as you would in the movies.The action sequences are all original and exciting and 007 is better than ever...coming through the most harrowing experience he has ever been through on film.If this plays out as written it will easily be Brosnans best Bond film to date.Benson captures the feelings of a "Bond movie on paper" perfectly.This may not have the depth of his original stories but it has all the fun of the movies.
If this is his last Bond novel he has gone out in style.

It is hard to be objective when it comes to reviewing an audio book, as there are so many elements one can be sidetracked into reviewing. At the same time those elements have to be included in the review, but the most important part is always the audio itself.

The Unabridged Brilliance Audio Die Another Day Audio Book spans 4 casette tapes or 2 CDs and is approximately 6 hours in length. It is based upon Raymond Benson's 245 page novelisation of Die Another Day, which is taken from a screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

Sitting down and listening to the adventure that is Die Another Day is a vastly different experience from sitting down and watching the adventure unfurl onscreen, but this doesn't ever seem to detract from the audio book, nor does it detract from the novelisation. It isn't necessarily true that Raymond Benson's work is better then the film, but the novel, and in turn the audio book, does posses a unique quality; scenes that will never appear on the silver screen. It is obvious when listing to the story that particular scenes, for instance flash backs, just won't make it to an print of Die Another Day. The novelisation definitely feels closer to Benson's Tomorrow Never Dies then The World Is Not Enough due to its added scenes.

The novelisation is read by American Michael Page, and first uncertainties about an American accent reading a Bond novel were soon dispelled. This is largely due to Page's theatre background, most modern actors aiming for a neutral accent that Page easily finds. Furthermore, he brings in accents for particular characters, some of which he does repeat, but never in the same scene. Jinx and Miranda Frost have particularly different accents and Zao's voice is brilliantly delivered. Colonel Moon's voice is almost touch and go at times as it sometimes comes across as a satire Asian accent.

Despite his theatre background, some of Page's pronunciations may not hit directly home with the audience. For instance, his pronunciation of Omega tended towards `a-mega'. Another pronunciation that `felt' strange was that of Zao's name. To date it had always been sounded, in my head at least, as `Zay-oh' rather Page's pronunciation is closer to `Zah-oh'. Page's pronunciation is similar to that of the onscreen pronunciation, so any unfamiliarity will be seemingly dispensed after the films release.

An audio-book is definitely not for everyone, however, Brilliance Audio's Die Another Day Audio Book does `work' and is very entertaining. Bond fans should definitely buy either a copy of the novelisation or a copy of the audio book, depending on their reading preferences.

Die Another Day was a great Bond novel. It fell exactly into place of the movie and the deleted scenes that are not shown in the film are no doubt explained in Benson's Die Another Day novel. The pages flew with colors and action. Great book and an awesome read for Brosnan's last outing as James Bond. We'll miss ya Pierce!

This novel, by Raymond Benson, is based upon the movie screenplay of the latest Bond movie by the same title, and by the way, I loved the movie. But in my view both the book and the movie had one bothersome flaw, and that is, they are too predictable. I don't blame Benson here with this novel, he was just following the screenplay and I consider Benson a highly capable novelist as he has written several excellent stand alone Bond novels in the past. Perhaps a 'dark' Bond novel or movie could be done, with BOTH of the Bond ladies turning out to be villains, or even Bond himself taking a turn to the 'wild side' and maybe not coming to a conclusion until the next movie, similar to the Star Trek movies in which Spock 'died' in one movie and came back in the next. The ideas are almost endless here, only imagination needed. But this novel is well worth reading regardless, being full of action in a well conceived plot, an easy, fun read.

The basic premise of the book was already written by Ian Fleming. Benson does a good job but I could not help think he owed much of this to Fleming. It is a good effort and a good read just the same.

Raymond Benson has been a Bond fan for years. That being said, Benson took the film's script and elevated the material to a point where it at least has plausibility and some style perhaps out of respect to the memory of Ian Fleming. Also, the focus in the novel is on James Bond, not computer generated stunts (that's rather hard to do in a book any way you look at it). This is a great improvement over the various plot elements and this time out they work. I was pleased that we got something good out of this last Bond movie.

Benson does a great job of turning this film into a real novel. More than a "novelization" Benson crafts a great story, puts in some great additional material, while still keeping the tone of the movie. First rate work.