Live and Let Die (James Bond Novels) (Paperback)

by Ian Fleming (Author) "There are moments of great luxury in the life of a secret agent..." (more)
Key Phrases: scorpion fish, big switchboard, harpoon gun, The Big Man, The Robber, Mister Bond (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Live and Let Die is the second documented mission of James Bond, secret agent 007. This breath-taking hunt for secret treasure takes Bond to Harlem, Florida and Jamaica and brings him to Mr Big, a SMERSH operative and criminal mastermind who holds the dazzling fortune-teller Solitaire in his deathly grip. In Ian Fleming's second Bond novel, agent 007 faces his most dangerous enemy yet, and faces hazards no reader will easily forget.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142003239
• ISBN-13: 978-0142003237
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,595 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The James Bond Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fleming finds his style., July 28, 2005

By	A. E. Kaiser (Eugene, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After "Casino Royale" (1953) introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Fleming quickly followed up with his second novel, the vastly superior "Live and Let Die" (1954). Whereas its predecessor is an apprentice work and one of the weakest of the whole series, "Live and Let Die" is fine Fleming, with all the characteristics that mark the best Bond novels: quick pacing, deft characterization, a solid plot, and Fleming's own inimitable style.

The plot is straightforward: someone is smuggling gold coins into the US and the British Secret Service wants to find out who. M sends Bond to America, where he hooks up Felix Leiter to pursue the nefarious Mr. Big, a gigantic Haitian who works for SMERSH and uses voodoo to maintain his control over his minions. Bond, of course, succeeds, but only after much death, suspense, and sexual tension with Solitaire, his delicious female companion.

I would rank "Live and Let Die" in the second-tier of Bond novels, along with "From Russia, With Love" and "Moonraker." It doesn't quite reach the level of such absolute masterpieces as "Doctor No," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," or "You Only Live Twice," but it's certainly superior to such relatively weak entries as "Goldfinger," "Casino Royale," and the disastrous "The Man with the Golden Gun." All in all, a classic Bond thriller.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Spy Fiction, June 20, 2003

By	Greg Hirst (Casper, WY USA) - See all my reviews

Ian Fleming readers will know what they are getting, and fans of the movie may not. This is the second Bond outing in novel form, the first being CASINO ROYALE. But like the movies, it's unnecessary to see or read them in order. There are a few references to the first novel, mostly vague "from the Royale incident" statements, but nothing major.
Bond is darker, less suave than the movie version, and it comes out in this dark novel. It's actually has more to do with the movie For your eyes Only than LIVE AND LET DIE. There's an ocean motif in this one, lots of sharks and underwater perils.
Vivid and exciting. good stuff

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid, May 2, 1998

By	N. P. Stathoulopoulos "nick9155" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Live and Let Die (Hardcover)

Fleming's second James Bond novel, Live and Let Die is a solid thriller although it certainly has room for improvement. And Fleming would improve and polish Bond's adventure very very well as time went on. Here, his prose is more terse, often feeling less descriptive than it would in later novels, but still very smooth. There is some really solid action and Bond is also given a very believable reason to go after Mr. Big, the villain (what else could he be with that name?) Felix Leiter, Bond's CIA chum, is mauled by sharks. (This part of the story was not in the film Live and Let Die but was rather used in the later film Licence to Kill.) Bond also forms a solid romance with the mysterious Solitaire and in the end...well, give it a read. A lot of fun for sure and very smooth.