Bond. James Bond.When I first started reading the Bond books, I really wasn't impressed by his treatment of women or his skills as a secret agent.But now?Bond is not only the man, he's a whole different kind of man. After reading Casino Royale I wondered if this was going to be a stagnant series of stories about a sexist spy who wasn't very good at his job. I'm glad to report that it really isn't.In the first few books, James seemed to blunder around his assignments, grabbing at whatever woman w...

Dr. No happens to be one of my favorite James Bond movies, because it was the first; the Bond villain is Killer-Great. I did not realize that the movies were not in the same order as the books, but here as I read the sixth book, I was startled at some of the similarities and more importantly the differences in the book. I generally favor the book and here too, I find myself impressed with Fleming’s writing of this iconic character. There are of course triggers here. This story transpires in the ...

Another mad genius dreaming of world domination, this time from his isolated island hideout. The plot is decent enough, though it has a few holes—likely due to the abridged translation by Nabil Farouk. Overall, Dr. No by Ian Fleming makes for a perfect, quick palate cleanser between more dense, heavy reads. If you're looking for a classic spy thriller book review, this is a fun, breezy addition to the series.

Originally published in 1957, this is the sixth book in the iconic James Bond series. It’s the story made famous by that unforgettable scene where Ursula Andress emerges from the sea, stopping Sean Connery in his tracks. We follow Honeychile Rider (what a fantastic name!) and James Bond as they go up against the handless Dr. No in the lush setting of Jamaica. While Dr. No is breathtakingly and undeniably outdated in so many ways by today's standards, it remains a thrilling adventure read! 6 out ...

RIP, Sean Connery, aged 90, always the grinning James Bond in our hearts.Dr. No is a film I have seen a couple times in my lifetime and recall enjoying for the sheer entertainment (i.e., Ursula Andress with Sean Connery), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlYkn...with Bond fighting spiders and squids to defeat the villain.So the films are less offensive than the books. In the films Bond is charming, debonair, amusing, but in the books he is edgier, nastier. If you are going to get all picky about ...

Mr. Incredible: I was wrong to treat you that way. I'm sorry...Syndrome: See? Now you respect me, because I'm a threat. That's the way it works. Turns out there are lots of people, whole countries, that want respect, and will pay through the nose to get it. How do you think I got rich? I invented weapons, and now I have a weapon that only I can defeat, and when I unleash it...[Mr. Incredible throws a log at Syndrome, who dodges it and traps Mr. Incredible with his zero-point energy ray]Syndrome:...

Provocative... tedious. Charming... and entertaining too. He is the cold, super-British agent—well-groomed and utterly dull. James Bond, the creation of Ian Fleming that eventually outgrew its creator. I love novels set on isolated, deserted islands, and it’s even better when they take place in Jamaica. Dr. No had all the ingredients for a successful bestseller when it was released in 1958, capturing the youth of that era and becoming the very first James Bond film. It features a mysterious Chin...

(A-) 84% | Very Good
Notes: In Dr. No, Ian Fleming pits James Bond against a team of noble savages as they face off against some truly twisted characters: the trans-human recluse himself and his multi-ethnic henchmen. This classic spy thriller is a must-read for any fan of the 007 series looking for a definitive book review of Bond's early missions.

I loved this book. Best Bond book yet...possibly the best one of all time, but we'll see....We ended the last book (From Russia With Love) on a cliffhanger. Bond is kicked with a poisoned blade by the evil lady torturer Rosa Klebb.Now, after months of medical treatment, he's ready to go back to work. The head doctor begs M. to take it easy on Bond, but M. doesn't believe in coddling agents! He sends Bond down to what he thinks will be a relatively easy job in Jamaica. Two Secret Service agents h...

Was this the moment Ian Fleming started phoning it in? I’ve genuinely enjoyed several of the earlier Bond novels, but this one was packed with purple prose and even more cringe-inducing racism and sexism than usual. I mean, we are talking about James Bond—a character who was a total misogynist even when sanitized for Hollywood—but Dr. No feels like wall-to-wall racial caricatures, paired with a vapid sex kitten of a Bond girl. I know what you’re thinking: “How is she any different from the other...