Essential for fans of the James Bond books. And who isn’t a fan?
A collection of letters from the creator of Bond, James Bond.
In 1952, former intelligence officer, bibliomaniac, and drinking enthusiast Ian Fleming (1908-1964) acquired what he called a “golden typewriter” (which, he added, cost $174, a small fortune back then) and set out, in a period of doldrums while living in Jamaica, to write a book. On it, he banged out the first Bond novel, Casino Royale, along with a stream of letters that touched on various aspects of the thriller—not just its gestation as a manuscript, but also large details of royalty payments (to his publisher, Jonathan Cape: “If you are feeling in a more generous mood today, for symmetry’s sake you might care to include 12 1/2 percent on the 5,000 to 10,000 [copies sold], but I will not be exigent,” occasioning a decisive marginal “No” from the recipient). Fleming even wrote fine-tuning instructions on the cover art. As this collection of letters progresses, we see a friendly but jousting relationship developing between Fleming and his editor, William Plomer, who laments the death of Oddjob in Goldfinger (“what an exit!”), questions some of Fleming’s more outlandish plot twists, and, as an editor should, suggests better wordings and better titles (Fleming originally wanted to call Dr. No “The Wound Man”). In his letters, we also see the steady dissolution of a marriage and other effects of fame and fortune. The volume includes a few letters from outraged readers who, in those innocent days, objected to Fleming’s “ghastly filth.” Overall, the letters emphasize, as the volume editor observes, that Ian Fleming passed on numerous of his private passions to his creation, including scuba diving, fast cars, golf, and cards, “along with women, tobacco, Martinis, and scrambled eggs.” In that regard, the relationship of art to Fleming’s real life is fascinating.
Essential for fans of the James Bond books. And who isn’t a fan?Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-63286-489-5
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Honest, of course, but also surprisingly approachable and engaging.
W. has his say.
In a page-turner structured around important decisions in his life and presidency, Bush surprises with a lucid, heartfelt look back. Despite expected defenses of past decisions, Bush is candid and unafraid to say when he thinks he was wrong. Critics on both the left and right are challenged to walk in his shoes, and may come away with a new view of the former president—or at least an appreciation of the hard and often ambiguous choices he was forced to make. Aside from the opening chapter about his decision to quit drinking, the book is not chronologically ordered. Bush mixes topics as needed to tell a larger story than a simple history of his administration. Certain themes dominate the narrative: the all-encompassing importance of 9/11 to the bulk of his presidency, and how it shaped and shadowed almost everything he did; the importance of his faith, which is echoed in every chapter and which comes through in an unassuming manner; the often unseen advisor whom the president conferred with and confided in on almost every subject—his wife, Laura Bush; and the wide array of people who helped him rise to the White House and then often hindered him once he was there. The book is worthwhile for many reasons. Even if many readers may not agree with his views on the subjects, Bush’s memories of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and other major events are riveting and of historical value on their own. Additionally, Bush provides insight into the daily life of the president. The author accepts blame for a number of mistakes and misjudgments, while also standing up for decisions he felt were right.
Honest, of course, but also surprisingly approachable and engaging.Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-307-59061-9
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
Bighearted, sobering, and humane.
A bookseller in Wigtown, Scotland, recounts a year in his life as a small-town dealer of secondhand books.
“The pleasure derived from handling books that have introduced something of cultural or scientific significance to the world is undeniably the greatest luxury that this business affords,” writes Bythell. In a diary that records his wry observations from behind the counter of his store, the author entertains readers with eccentric character portraits and stories of his life in the book trade. The colorful cast of characters includes bookshop regulars like Eric, the local orange-robed Buddhist; Captain, Bythell’s “accursed cat”; “Sandy the tattooed pagan”; and “Mole-Man,” a patron with a penchant for in-store “literary excavations.” Bythell’s employees are equally quirky. Nicky, the author’s one paid worker, is an opinionated Jehovah’s Witness who “consistently ignores my instructions” and criticizes her boss as “an impediment to the success of the business.” His volunteer employee, an Italian college student named Emanuela (whom the author nicknamed Granny due to her endless complaints about bodily aches), came to Wigtown to move beyond the world of study and “expand [her] knowledge.” Woven into stories about haggling with clients over prices or dealing with daily rounds of vague online customer requests—e.g., a query about a book from “around about 1951. Part of the story line is about a cart of apples being upset, that’s all I know”)—are more personal dramas, like the end of his marriage and the difficult realities of owning a store when “50 per cent [sic] of retail purchases are made online.” For Bythell, managing technical glitches, contending with low profit margins on Amazon, and worrying about the future of his business are all part of a day’s work. Irascibly droll and sometimes elegiac, this is an engaging account of bookstore life from the vanishing front lines of the brick-and-mortar retail industry.
Bighearted, sobering, and humane.Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-56792-664-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Godine
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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