Devil May Care

Considering the hype surrounding the release of this book, and the author's undoubted credentials I was expecting something pretty special with 'Devil May Care'. Instead this book is a poorly-written rehash of just about every Bond story you can name. Okay, I appreciate that my background in Bond is based upon the films which were generally set in the present, whereas the books were mostly written in the late 50s early 60s, and therefore the authors' constant reference to other stories 'Bond thought back to his encounter with Scaramanger/Goldfinger/Drax' (no really, they're all mentioned) adds nothing to the narrative except confusion. Which is a shame because the general premise of the story is a good one. It is set in the mid 60s. The USA is embroiled in the Vietnam War and is looking to the UK to join them. The UK refuses and the USA are angry at this, as they consider they saved the UK's bacon in 2 world wars (gotta love those boys). An evil mastermind with a deep hatred of the British and their colonial history cooks up a plan to bring the UK to its knees. He will engineer a conflict with Russia which the UK will have no chance of winning. The USA will not come to the UKs aid, and the UK will become a 3rd world country. Like I said, a pretty sound premis for a plot. But it's in the telling of the story that everything goes wrong. The narrative is basically clumsy, and with a plot twist that you will guess about 2 pages after the character appears. The set pieces are pretty much all taken from previous Bond films; the tennis match where the Bad Guy arranges for the net to raise every time Bond serves (the steeplechase fences in View To A Kill); the henchman who gets sucked out of a plane when a gun goes off (Goldfinger); the fight aboard the tourist boat in Paris (View to a kill again); the close combat fight in the moving train (Spy who loved me) and so on and so on. This book should've been called 'For Old Rope'.

Colin, WATFORD, United Kingdom

22/07/2008

I've never read a Bond book so was a bit dubious about this but have no regrets. It draws you in and it's easy to visualise the action and events. A real must listen!

Claire, Horsham, United Kingdom

05/10/2008

Marvellous evocation of 60s Bond brilliantly brought to life by a perfectly matched reader. A pastiche of various other plots and novels but with enough originality to prevent charges of parody. The twist at the end is signposted in neon throughout the book but its still a cracker ! Faulks injects just enough of his own richness of language to raise the descriptive bar. The book is slow to start but its worth the price for the elctrifying reading of the tennis match alone - from then on it shifts gear considerably Very highly recommended

highfidelity, United Kingdom

12/10/2008

I bought this download at the same time as Flemings Casino Royale. Sebastian Faulk's new story is close enough in style and plot to be as authentic as an original. The Cold War setting reminded me how different the world was 40 years ago. This is a great Bond story with an interesting ending. The narrator is very good, clever accent changes and real style. Excellent!!

Sara, United Kingdom

15/10/2008

I listened to this audio book as was disappointed, the story is poor and to be honest it has far more style than substance, I believe the author spent too much time trying to effect Flemings original style and that the story itself was almost an after-thought.

miisdmdr, Ashbourne,, United Kingdom

06/08/2008

Very disappointed. Listening to the story I was reminded about scenes from virtually every Bond film ever made. There was nothing original in this book, just cliché after predictable cliché. The experience was worsened by the graphic violence that were several degrees worse than than Fleming's. My seventeen year old daughter thought the opening vile and unnecessary.

Richard, Swindon, United Kingdom

22/08/2008

Excellent yarn that really captures the spirit of the earlier Bond stories. My imagination definitely had Connery (rather than Moore)in the starring role. The bad guy is a traditional 'bond baddie' which is reassuring and there are many clever references to scenes from earlier Bond stories for the Bond purists. This was my first Audible download and I really enjoyed it.

Paul, Bath, United Kingdom

04/10/2008

This was my first Audible experience and it has set a very high standard for others to follow. I loved the book itself which has all the action and intrigue that you expect from Bond as well as that little bit of romance. I also think Jeremy Northam should be made to record every audio book in existence as, not only does he have a gorgeous voice, his characterisations were all distinct and beautifully performed. I like to listen to books while I walk my dog. He was wondering why he was going for three walks a day! Brilliant!

Sally, Australia

07/01/2009

I thoroughly enjoyed this book having no experience of Ian Fleming by which to make comparison. It has it's faults such as plenty of small inconsistencies in the plot and a very predictable 'twist' at the end, but all in all it offers you want, with women, drink, action and a Dr Evil character who, and I don't think I am ruining the plot here, meets a suitably gory ending. Harmless fun more than a sensible spy story, but at only 8 hours long, it's worth the time.

Sara, United Kingdom

26/02/2009

Nothing especially 'wrong' about it, but on the flip side nothing especially 'right'. Story is fine, but characterization is a little light on the ground - ensuring you feel slightly ambivalent to their eventual outcomes. Not a gritty Bond book, more the screenplay to an average Moore film.

goldcd, Bath, United Kingdom

23/07/2008

A well read jaunt, this Bond book is integrated into the Ian Fleming timeline. The story is entertaining, with plenty of action and the obligatory girl. My only slight criticism is that the plot twists are a little predictable - but I won't spoil anything in this review! Worth a listen if you're into Bond.

Mark, Southampton, United Kingdom

19/11/2008

This just didn't make the grade. I have read most of the Ian Flemming novels and the Bond novels written by John Gardner and it did not compare.

beauthewhippet, Preston, United Kingdom

18/11/2008

a brilliant listen!bond is most definately back

Christopher, Letchworth Garden City, United Kingdom

07/07/2008

First ever Bond book i have listened too and have to say i was really impressed. With the glamour of Casino Royale it was going to be interesting to see how a book will be as exciting. Excellent book and it makes a nice change to imagine the action than see it. Very good soundtrack too.

mpruthi, United Kingdom

05/07/2008

Great audio book, typical bond styling and the narration was excellent. Only slightly let down by the fact that it seemed to slow down rather quickly at the end and seemed to lack some of the suspense compared to the rest of the relatively fast paced story. Don't let that put you off though - thoroughly recommended.

Simon, Penkridge, United Kingdom

26/06/2008

It's long, long time since I've read an Ian Fleming novel, but as far as I can remember, this is an authentic-enough pastiche. I'm not a massive Bond fan but I found this entertaining enough and the texture of the reader's voice is perfect. I thought the plot was a bit creaky in places. Would Bond really have been so eager to have a banker who had never fired a gun alongside him on a dangerous mission - however good-looking she was? And would Bond and his girl-friend really have been able to cut a swathe through Soviet Russia, leaving a trail of petty theft in their wake, without encountering a single authority figure? But never mind - I guess realism is not what Bond is about.

Simon, Leeds, United Kingdom

26/10/2008

I really enjoyed this, partly because I have never read/heard any Bond before I think. The story lacks a little complexity - you will have no problems in following the plot, but the style of the 1960s is appealing, and hearing Bond's inner monologue is a rare treat when you have only seen the films. The relationship between the two main characters is for me the most compelling part of the book; the villain has a typically Bond wildly implausible disfiguration, which is cringe-worthy, but only to be expected. Not necessarily the best book of the year by a long shot, but genuinely enjoyable.

skybluemornings, United Kingdom

08/08/2008

I really enjoyed this, it was in the true spirit of Bond stories, fun, exciting, well told and engaging. The only thing that spoilt it for me, was the ridiculous physical handicap of the villain - I appreciate they're all traditionally "odd", but this stretched the boundaries a bit far for me.

jamiedonald99, swindon, United Kingdom

30/12/2008

I didn't expect alot from this book but was intrigued as it wasn't a Fleming book. It was brilliant! Full of the action you expect from the most famous British agent and lots of humour that littered the Fleming originals. To anyone that is not sure, believe me you will not be disappointed!

Carl, United Kingdom

17/11/2009

I listened to The Devil may Care on a drive to Austria. The pace and dialogue was very good. I thought the story line and intrigue excellent and very fitting to the Bond theme. I have seen all the Bond movies but this was the \" first\" book. A very enjoyable experience and I look forward to watching the movie.

Stephen, Lisse, Netherlands

08/03/2009

Faulks has done a good job, this is 'classic' Bond in a way. Not very PC, but this is a fun, utterly unchallenging listen. Will certainly while away a few hours. Well read also.

Sarah, Grange-over-Sands, United Kingdom

01/08/2009

Although I listened to the end, it was more to see if the story got any better, rather than because I was enjoying it. The story is, in my view, a poor rehash of most of the other bond stories - the villain is a deformed version of Hugo Drax, the henchman a deformed version of Oddjob. The plot is full of so many inconsistencies; for example, without giving away the plot, Bond checks into a hotel in a far distant county and within minutes character X drops in to see him, Bond thinks \"Character Y will have said where I am\", but instantly it is clear that the two characters haven't spoken, and then Bond does not say \"How did you know I was here?\"; also how does the villain fight in a war or serve the ball in tennis with his particular deformity? I could go on and on, but the main point is that I didn't enjoy it.

willyeckerslyke, Gressingham, United Kingdom

18/12/2008

Not a recording that I felt inclined to finish.

Angela, United Kingdom

21/08/2008