Octopussy & the Living Daylights (Ian Flemings James Bond) [Hardcover]

Ian Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2002 | Series: Ian Flemings James Bond

M looked coldly across the desk. It was going to be dirty work and Bond had been chosen for it. "You've got to kill this sniper. And you've got to kill him before he gets Agent 272. Is that understood?" So, it was to be murder.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A must for Bond buffs.” (Newsweek) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Born in London in 1908, Ian Fleming worked as a banker and journalist before serving in the British Naval Intelligence during World War II. He published his first novel Casino Royale in 1953 and thus started the astoundingly successful James Bond novels and films. Fleming died in 1964. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (April 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670910503
• ISBN-13: 978-0670910502
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,307,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look Cubby! Bond with no gadgets and no women., August 26, 2005

By 

john purcell "johneric99" (Purcellville, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Octopussy and The Living Daylights (James Bond Novels) (Paperback)

Ian Fleming penned 14 Bond adventures before his death in 1964. He lived to see the first few movies made, was hopelessly smitten with the young Ursula Andress, and fortunately did not live to see the excesses of his sucessors.

This book is a compilation of three short stories in Octopussy, The Living Daylights, and Property of a Lady. There is no real resemblance to the similarly titled films, but some of the scenes and characters from the short stories made it to the big screen.

These stories show what Bond would do on a slow day, no gadgets or romance involved. Bond does not entertain three women per story, in fact, he meets none. He is smitten at a distance with a cello player, but nothing develops romantically, and the female lead of the third story is described as unattractive.

Bond simply closes out a few files, as one might do in a short week before heading out on holiday. Of course, M and Ms. Moneypenny appear here, with M and the unnamed Chief of Staff providing Bond with his orders and accoutrements.

Octopussy is the best of the lot here. In fact, Bond barely appears in the story set in Fleming's beloved Jamaica about 15 years after the war. A British army major comes into a treasure in the closing chaotic days of the war in Europe. His techniques included murder and eventually he is tracked down by 007 who had been an acquaintance of the "Good German" victim.

The Living Daylights features a challenge between two trained assassins, which will be familiar to viewers of the Timothy Dalton film. Fleming very cleverly sets the scene at Checkpoint Charlie just before the Wall went up. Both sides use innovative cover to muffle their killer's sounds and movements. We get a real sense of the unpleasant side of the business, as Bond's portfolio is murder. He does not relish the assignment, in fact, he speaks of a preference for demotion, drinks whiskey before the event, and fails to complete all parts of the assignment.

Property of a Lady is a primer on Faberge with the famous auction scene, brought to the big screen in a Roger Moore film. Rather than lamely stealing the real article, Bond uses the event to better ends. Here Bond shows more initiative and insight than M in flushing out an important Soviet agent while keeping a useful double agent in place.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bond's "regular" assignments, January 5, 2005

By 

Kimberley Wilson (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Octopussy and The Living Daylights (James Bond Novels) (Paperback)

Octopussy and the Living Daylights is a terrific collection of stories that show some of James Bond's smaller, more ordinary assignments. Of course since he's Bond even his more routine stuff is thrilling reading. First out is Octopussy which has nothing to do with the horrible Roger More movie. This story was really about a retired English major who once had a fine career in military inteligence. At the end of the war the major makes a terrible decision and years later in his middle age a man named Bond shows up at his Jamaican home and makes him pay for it. This story is very well written and shows that Ian Flemming had a real knack for characterization.

Property of a Lady shows Bond on a pleasant but serious assignment. For a change he never has to leave London or even break a sweat but he manages to expose one high ranking Russian spy and wryly observes a low level double agent playing the spy game badly.

Living Daylights in my favorite of the stories. Bond has been ordred to Germany to take out a sniper so an agent can escape to the West. This is not a nice job and Bond spends a surprising amount of time considering his distaste about the job. The little details about Bond's preparations, his school marmish old contact, the velvet snipers uniform and walking and eating around Germany are all fascinating. And in the end Bond makes a decison about the Russian sniper and his fellow agent whom he's been sent to save.

The last story and the shortes is Bond in New York. He's been sent on a mission of mercy and plans to enjoy himself in Manhattan. We learn of Ian Flemming's opinion of frozen food and that Bond once had an apartment in Manhattan!

I wouldn't buy this short story collection first. Try the full length novels and then this one because it's all so much about showing the other side of Bond. This is a treat for serious Bond lovers, old and new.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fleming's least known 007 book, February 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Octopussy (Hardcover)

As Conan Doyle did in the late 1890's (and as others like Ellery Queen and Agatha Christie followed), Ian Fleming seemed to has suscribed the theory that sometimes "less is more" in writing a story, thus chosing a short tale instead of a long one for more impact. This book comprises, in its final form, three novelettes a la "For Your Eyes Only". The book was first printed in 1966 (being the last release of a Fleming original), but the stories were written and fictionally occur after "The Spy Who Loved Me" and before "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". The title episode is another showcase for Fleming's ability to write a story in the true sense, picturing a tale of a man's life since the WWII up to his last days in the Caribbean. Bond is merely an excuse for a dramatic tale of greed, murder and treachery. This story is highlighted by another excellent underwater frame-sequence. "The Living Daylights" is pure Bond, from his practice with the rifle outside London to the tense climax at Berlin. This story is another twist of the plot of "For Your Eyes Only", showing 007 as an assassin questioning about his job but doing it the best he can. Excellent surprising villain(ess). "The Property of a Lady" is a brief example of the author's master touch for describing with great detail and gusto parts of recent history and all kind of things and subjects, in this case jewels and auctions. The development itself is direct and simple, too short indeed, with an ending that doesn't matter as much as the description of the events. By the way, this episode refers to another traitor in the Service. A collection of odd but varied 007 missions.