Bond, James Bond. I've probably watched every movie multiple times, and this time of year, my husband and I love watching the Daniel Craig films on Saturday nights. My husband is a huge fan of Craig as Bond but will also watch the Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore installments. My dad, on the other hand, will only watch the original films starring Sean Connery as 007. When he was a teen, he ushered at a fancy movie house in downtown Chicago and got to watch the first few movies while at work. Not a...

For the most part, *Diamonds Are Forever* by Ian Fleming is an improvement on its predecessors, especially in how it handles the female lead. She's portrayed as an actual person with complex motivations and a believable backstory. It also brings Bond back to basics, relying on his wits and ingenuity to uncover a diamond smuggling ring that stretches from Freetown to London, New York, and even trendy Las Vegas, Nevada. No SMERSH, no national security angle, no cartoonish plots to avenge WWII on B...

The fourth book in the James Bond series. This series is quite amusing, really. Four books in, and you'd think we'd be getting to know Bond a bit better by now. However, there's no character development here; Bond is as superficial as he was in book one. It's been said countless times that these books are a product of their time, and the handling of women and race is pretty awful. That aside, there's something very readable about these books. If you're looking for James Bond book reviews, you co...

Has Bond gone soft?That's what she said.Tiffany Case, the Bond girl in *Diamonds Are Forever*, feels like an actual human being, and James treats her like one. Bond likes her, respects her, and, because he knows about a trauma in her past, he actually treats her with kid gloves.He even takes the time to think about what it would mean to her if they slept together!WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JAMES?!Don't get me wrong, I liked it.Mostly. We also get a more badass Bond.While the movies ...

Just finished book number 90 for the year, hitting my reading challenge goal! And unlike my 300th book *ever*, this one wasn't a total train wreck. Seriously, what is it with Evelyn Hardcastle popping up in all my reviews? As I started reading *Diamonds Are Forever* by Ian Fleming, I immediately wondered, "Why isn't this a movie?" Oh, wait, it IS a movie... and it's considered one of the five worst Bond films. Since this is only my second Bond book, I'm no expert, but I enjoyed it a smidge more ...

The Ian Fleming James Bond books are one of the series I committed to starting and finishing this year. *Diamonds Are Forever* is the fourth book in the series, published back in 1956. That year is important because, in my humble opinion, you can't really judge it with modern eyes or ears. You've gotta consider these books in their historical context. It's over 65 years old, after all. Are these books misogynistic and racially insensitive? To a modern reader, quite possibly. But remember, it was...

Fresh off Raymond Benson's fantastic thriller *The Hook and the Eye*, a prequel of sorts, I dove right into Ian Fleming's *Diamonds Are Forever*. Seemed like the only sensible thing to do!Fleming kicks things off with a bang in *Diamonds Are Forever*, painting a vivid picture of a scorpion taking down a beetle. The detail is incredible, pure Fleming at his finest, showcasing that marvelous prose we all love.This time around, M sends James Bond undercover as a diamond smuggler, and 007 quickly fi...

(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: James Bond battles nefarious American capitalists, makes his getaway by road, air, rail, and sea, and has his swear words censored within the text. If you're looking for exciting spy thrillers, you can't go wrong with Ian Fleming's "Diamonds Are Forever".

James Bond versus the American Mafia. James Bond's beloved M gives him the assignment to destroy a diamond pipeline. In going after the diamond smugglers, Bond travels to America and is paired up with a woman working for the diamond smugglers - one Tiffany Case. He travels to New York City, Saratoga Springs, and then to Las Vegas.The book, as so many Bond books do, focuses heavily on gambling. We have copious amounts of, not only card playing, but horse racing in this novel. If this bores you, I...

If I were a woman, I might conduct a séance and then throttle the spirit of Ian Fleming. He’s not a bad guy, mind you, but just once, I’d like to see a female character give James Bond a run for his money. So far, I’m still waiting for a return on my initial investment. And I know this is one investment that probably won’t pan out, but I can still hold onto a faint glimmer of false hope. Vesper Lynd did come close, but she ultimately failed when paired next to Bond’s wit and charm. Tiffany Case...