(B+) 77% | GoodNotes: British-quaint, no theme restraint (confections, cars and crime), a kiddish tone with adult bones, distinctly of its time.*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: Progress updates:05/18/2025 - Preamble(1) This is one of those cases where the film's far more popular but I've only ever read the book.- Otherwise I'd have outfitted these updates with GIFs, as is my wont. Though I hear the film's a big departure from the source material, and so it wouldn't really fit...

This book is about a family that purchases a beat up car. There is more to this car than they thought they were getting and soon they are on an adventure.. This was written by the author who wrote the James Bond novels.I had a lot of fun with this book. I listened to the audiobook of this story and I believed that helped my enjoyment. It was read by David Tennant and he is terrific as a narrator of audiobooks. He has done a lot of them with the Doctor Who novels. Seriously, I think he could read...

4.5 Stars for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (audiobook) by Ian Fleming read by Andrew Sachs.

This was a great story. I think this really shows just how creative Ian Fleming was. I think I may have seen the movie when I was really young but I had no idea that it was based on a book. This was a real treat.

The story in this book is a gift to the young and young at heart.

I think every avid reader must have a list (even if it's just in their head and not actually written down) of books they would like to read, but never seem to find the time. My list of "someday'' reads is quite extensive, but I have vowed that this year I will read more books from my own library shelves and also more books off my I'd-really-love-to-read-that list.When I found out years ago that Ian Fleming (author of all those lovely 007 spy novels) wrote a children's book that one my favorite c...

"Never say no to adventures. Always say yes. Otherwise you'll lead a very dull life."Too, too cute! I'm glad this lighthearted kids' novel was selected as a buddy read. The way Commander Pott took care of the car reminded me so much of my father-washing, waxing, spot check before and after driving. So the book is not at all like the movie, which I didn't expect, but it was still brilliant. The children are brave, the father is ingenious, there's actually a mother. Bad guys galore to vanquish. An...

While most famous for his work on creating Agent 007, Ian Fleming wrote this classic children's story many years ago, which entertains as much as it captures the interest of many young readers. Commander Caractacus Pott has a long history of inventing things, which provides limited success and forces the family to gather round in times of financial strain. After selling one of his ideas to a local confectionary, the Potts head out to purchase their first family car. Commander Pott brings his wif...

I've wanted to read this book since I first found out it was written by Ian Fleming. This is the only novel he ever wrote that wasn't part of the James Bond series and it's a bizarre little oddity.If, like me, your only previous experience of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the movie, you're in for some surprises. The original book bears little resemblance to the movie version. Some of the characters are different and the plot is very different indeed. I'd actually quite like to see a new movie adapt...

(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Is this the real world, or is it magical? This family is much too quick to accept that their car is enchanted and sentient.

"I'm not interested in your Shitty Shitty Gang Bang," is essentially what I told my bestbud back in elementary school when he was trying with all his ernest might to make me see the light and enjoy the wholesome, family-fun goodness that is this book. This was at a time when he was listening to Weird Al and I was learning how to bang my head to Quiet Riot.Fast-forward about 30 years…I've finally read Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and I see the light! This book is delightful! There's kooky characters, ...