Customer Reviews

Tomorrow Never Dies (Nova Audio Books)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This novel is based on the screenplay of he film, so the plot isn't going to stray to far from the movie (if you saw it). However, the novel contains one or two or more scenes in which the film didn't include. Such as: Wai Lin's mission briefing in China, Elliot Carver's history, etc. The book was good enough to read even after seeing the movie because it provided enough extras not in the film. They would tell you what each character was thinking, and would also elaborate more on Elliot Carver's past, Paris/Bond relationship, among other things not in the film. It is no going to be any kind of vocabulary quest, so it's a easy read, but if you like Bond, you'll probably like this book (even if you didn't like the film, as i didn't).

It is rare that a movie/novel tie-in matches the movie's quality. Action scenes don't usually translate well and obvious plot holes and inconsistencies become more apparent than ever. Raymond Benson's Tomorrow Never Dies adaptation is an exception. Using the framework scripted by Bruce Feirstein, Benson pulls off an in-depth, intriguing, action-packed novel that actually surpasses the movie it is based on. One of my main problems with the movie was the total lack of character development for the main characters. Stamper, Elliot Carver, Paris Carver, and Wai Lin all had little to no background which made them seem fake and uninteresting. With Benson's version, they all have detailed histories and are far more intriguing people to read about than they were to watch on the screen. Wai Lin, for instance, had an entire chapter devoted to her in the beginning. It detailed her involvement with the Chinese People's External Security Force, her training, her skills, and many other facets of her life that made her a real person. Her relationship with Bond is also much more realistic. From their first meeting at Carver's party, there is sexual tension between the two. Later in the novel, there is a mixture of mutual admiration and trust. Inevitably this leads to lust, but even that is done tastefully. Benson also fleshed out one of the biggest questions left in my mind after seeing Tomorrow Never Dies: just who was General Chang and what was his purpose. In the movie he was seen for about five seconds and talked about briefly. In the novel we learn that he was a high-ranking official who, before he defected, stole a large amount of stealth material. This is what Wai Lin was investigating when she went to Carver's party and met Bond. It was later revealed that he was working for Carver, not with. All these facts would have made the movie far more interesting. Another issue I had was in regards to Stamper. He came across as an inhuman freak that enjoyed pain. With no more background this seemed ridiculous; however, the novel reveals that his pain and pleasure sensors were actually reversed. As a boy, he was hired to kill Carver's real father whom he did with a sick pleasure. Ten years later he becomes Elliot's henchman and almost his child. Again, with more development, the character of Stamper works. By using the screenplay merely as an outline, Benson is able to create a novel that seems like it was never a movie. The plot is exactly the same as the movie, but much of the dialogue has been changed, as have the action scenes. The BMW car and motorcycle chases are still in there, but their content has been changed. Benson also took quite a few creative licenses and added fight sequences while cutting others; for example, Bond dukes it out with Stamper on top of the speeding Sea Dolphin II. Finally, the novel cuts out much of the in-poor-taste innuendoes that filled the movie. What results is a witty, well-paced novel with far sharper dialogue than its cinematic counterpart. Very well done! Power to the Bond fans!!!!!!!!

I love this book. I think it is better than the movie by far. I have noticed they added some stuff in the book which makes it harder to put down. I would reccomend this book to any James Bond fan. I guess it stinks I never got to read the first one.

I've always been a little weary of novelizations. Usually they're poorly written with little to add to the film, TV show, or whatever they are adapted from. The Bond films are much the same (John Gardner's adaptations of Licence To Kill and Goldeneye for example). Yet with the novelization of Tomorrow Never Dies, Raymond Benson does something almost extraordinary. He manages to take the film and make it seem like a genuine Bond book adventure.

The Bond of the book is much the same as the Bond of the original literary novels written by Benson, meaning that it's pretty much Brosnan as Bond in both the novel and film. Yet Benson manages to keep the human elements of the character alive as well especially in the few brief scenes with Paris Carver. But as always, Benson's 007 is best in action and it is this part of the character that Benson really taps into with no problem.

The rest of the characters are really well fleshed out and put their film counterparts to shame big time. We learn of the sinister rise to power of Elliot Carver which makes for one of the most chilling chapters I have ever read in a Bond novel. Plus Carver seems to be less of the film's super villian and more like a real, albeit evil, person. The same can be said of the Stamper character as well even though he is still at heart nothing more then a stereotype.

The two other characters that are fleshed out are the two Bond girls. Wai Lin is given a whole chapter dedicated to her mission that led her to the party in Hamburg. She comes across less as a female version of Bond (being almost too tough for a Bond girl) as seen in the film and more as a real person. The background we are given on Paris helps out with her character as well. Even though she appears in even less here then in the final film she is a much better character here.

The story also reads a lot better. Benson was obviously working from an earlier version of the script and from what is in the novel it is a shame that the filmmakers didn't stick to this one. Because let me tell you it's a much different story here. Not that the sequence of events is much different. But the nature of Carver's plan is much different and a lot more realistic then the one in the film. In fact considering the world today, the plan as seen in the book is chilling to say the least.

As for much of the content, those of you familiar with the Benson 007 novels will have much to like about this. If you aren't then this is a book you should read to see how good Tomorrow Never Dies should have been. This might be the one time a novelization has actually been better then the actual film.

Review

Raymond Benson's novelization of the eighteenth Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies is an absolute must-read for those avid Bond fans. In this non-stop action novel, Mr. Benson admirably adds all the excitement of the movie in addition to in-depth character development and enlightenments of aspects of the movie that all Bond fans can appreciate.

Mr. Benson has done a wonderful job of reviewing the Bond film in depth and for those readers who have seen the movie, the story is such that it was still "hot off the presses" - an analogy appropriate to the storyline. Another quality, I enjoyed in this novelization was how Mr. Benson has implemented his own artistic licence in quite a few areas of the storyline. For instance, the sequence of events between those at Saigon and those aboard the stealth boat are elaborated on, filling the slight gap that was present in the movie.

In addition to the preceding novelization features, I believe that Mr. Benson should also be recognized for his intricate attention to detail and alluring descriptions of the setting. One thing is for certain - Raymond Benson means a good quality read!

Plot

A British naval frigate, the H.M.S. Devonshire, sinks off of the coast of China under mysterious circumstances and an international media mogul, Elliot Carver, sways the British into believing that the Chinese are responsible for the vessel's fate. With military plights arising between Britain and China, the head of M-I6 Intelligence, `M,' sends her most capable agent, James Bond 007, to investigate the sinking within a forty-eight hour time frame. Bond's investigation leads him to Hamburg, Germany where he meets up with a former girlfriend, and recovers a device that could be responsible for the hostilities. Proceeding to Saigon, Bond allies with a beautiful Chinese agent, Wai Lin and discovers who is clearly the adversary in this incident... and it's not the Chinese. The only question is, will Bond be able to stop him before World War III begins?

Conclusion

Raymond Benson's novelization of Tomorrow Never Dies is an outstanding read, and perfect for those who like a good action/mystery movie. This novel has inspired me to read Mr. Benson's very own original James Bond novel, "Zero Minus Ten," which is another example of this author's talent. An excellent job, Raymond! A+.

Tomorrow Never Dies was the first James Bond movie I ever saw, and I've seen it a few million times now, so I know the plot back and forth. Benson's novelization, while based on the screenplay, is so much better in many ways. One is that he added in a lot. Another is that he tells what the characters are thinking (a third-person omniscient instead of a third-person narrative), and he explains everything, like why Elliot Carver is evil, and even a bit about Bond as a schoolboy. All in all, great book. I also liked how he explains all the gear and weapons.

This was a very good book and Benson did a wonderful job of explaining things and it is just like the movie.

Yes I know everybody else has said the same thing but I'll say it again. The thing that makes this book work is the character development. Personally my favorite person in the movie was Stamper because he was sick and twisted and funny to watch. Well in the book he is even more sick and twisted, for example, instead of just giving the tape of the gunned down men from the devonshire to Elliot he actually gives a naration of it, and at one point he says "look at that one, he tried to get away,oop got 'em" Me and my friend joke about that all the time. well enough about Stamper. The book is a great addition to James Bond series, and an easy read for a plane ride or something. Definitly get this one!

A man who can start a war anytime and anyplace-and profit from it-would be the most powerful man in the world. Elliot Carver knows this. And he has a plan to turn his media conglomerate into a true empire, exploiting global conflicts he creats with on-the-spot news coverage guaranteed to bring him the highest ratings in television history. It strats with a sudden mysterious skirmish that leaves two Chinese MiGs and a Royal Navy frigate at the bottom of the South China Sea. It could end with an all-out world war on live TV. But there is one man who can stop it... James Bond. Buy this book! It is for die heart 007 fans to read!

A man who can start a war anytime and anyplace-and profit from it-would be the most powerful man in the world. Elliot Carver knows this. And he has a plan to turn his media conglomerate into a true empire, exploiting global conflicts he creats with on-the-spot news coverage guaranteed to bring him the highest ratings in television history. It strats with a sudden mysterious skirmish that leaves two Chinese MiGs and a Royal Navy frigate at the bottom of the South China Sea. It could end with an all-out world war on live TV. But there is one man who can stop it... James Bond. Buy this book! It is for die heart 007 fans to read!