10 Things that Bug me about FRWL
Firemass
AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
From Russia With Love was the first Bond novel I read back in 2002. I decided to re-read it since I have recently read all the Fleming novels, but FRWL was no longer fresh in my mind. Although I enjoyed it for the most part, it definitely raised more questions than answers for me.
1. Klebb describes Bond as "An English spy. Perhaps the most famous of them all." Yet, none of the high ranking SMERSH officials can recall Bond's name off the top of their head. Despite recent missions (and novels) where Bond destroyed a SMERSH operative and scheme.
2. Fleming can be considered "old-school", but where does he get these sweeping generalizations? I thought we were all agreed that homosexuals were about the worst security risk there is. I can't see the Americans handing over many atom secrets to a lot of pansies soaked in scent. Bond replies, "All intellectuals aren't homosexual. And many of them are bald." Um okay..thanks for setting the record straight there Mr. Bond.
3. Kerim is continually puzzled by the breach of peace and assassination attempts. "It is most confusing. I am hoping it has nothing to do with this case of ours" and "God knows why they suddenly want to kill me, but I cannot allow such annoyances" and "Was it anything to do with the Romanova business? How could it possibly tie in?" Well, I finished the novel and I am still confused why Krilencu was starting trouble? How did he fit in with the SMERSH plot? It would have been helpful to hear Kronsteen's full briefing so I knew what the hell was going on.
4. Kerim is a psychopath. He probably shouldn't tell his new friends about the time he kept a woman chained naked under the table and fed her with table scraps like a dog. Eventually she fell in love with him. "An interesting lesson in female psychology," says Kerim with a laugh.
5. Installing a periscope in the Russian consulate without microphone for audio seems like a strange blunder. Unless all you are interested in seeing is Romanova's legs.
6. Upon first meeting Tatiana why did Bond get so offended when she said he looked like an American film star? He practically threw a tantrum and spoiled the whole evening.
7. Why didn't SMERSH kill them both in the hotel room instead of letting them try to escape together by train?
8. Why didn't Bond and Tatiana FLY to London instead of taking the train?
9. A large portion of the novel was devoted to Red Grant being the chief executioner for SMERSH. We don't hear from him again until practically the end of the novel and he is a HUGE let down. This is by far the worst example of a villain revealing his plan instead of simply killing Bond. Not only does he give away the clever plot, but goes even further to name Kronsteen as the planner, Rosa Klebb as head of SMERSH and tells Bond her hotel room number and the time of their meeting in Paris.
10. Why did Rosa Klebb travel all the way to Paris to meet with Grant? Why did she have so many booby-traps in the hotel room? Surely, even if Grant failed his mission he would not reveal her room number to Bond? There's no way Klebb would have been expecting Bond to walk through that door.
Honorable Mention: FRWL felt like a short story with lots of padding. Here are the important bits: Bond is sent to Istanbul, meets Tatiana in the hotel room, and then attempts to escape by train with her and the Spektor. On the train a man posing as Nash tries to kill them. The rest of the novel is needless backstory on Grant, and sub-plots involving Darko Kerim which are never fully resolved.
1. Klebb describes Bond as "An English spy. Perhaps the most famous of them all." Yet, none of the high ranking SMERSH officials can recall Bond's name off the top of their head. Despite recent missions (and novels) where Bond destroyed a SMERSH operative and scheme.
2. Fleming can be considered "old-school", but where does he get these sweeping generalizations? I thought we were all agreed that homosexuals were about the worst security risk there is. I can't see the Americans handing over many atom secrets to a lot of pansies soaked in scent. Bond replies, "All intellectuals aren't homosexual. And many of them are bald." Um okay..thanks for setting the record straight there Mr. Bond.
3. Kerim is continually puzzled by the breach of peace and assassination attempts. "It is most confusing. I am hoping it has nothing to do with this case of ours" and "God knows why they suddenly want to kill me, but I cannot allow such annoyances" and "Was it anything to do with the Romanova business? How could it possibly tie in?" Well, I finished the novel and I am still confused why Krilencu was starting trouble? How did he fit in with the SMERSH plot? It would have been helpful to hear Kronsteen's full briefing so I knew what the hell was going on.
4. Kerim is a psychopath. He probably shouldn't tell his new friends about the time he kept a woman chained naked under the table and fed her with table scraps like a dog. Eventually she fell in love with him. "An interesting lesson in female psychology," says Kerim with a laugh.
5. Installing a periscope in the Russian consulate without microphone for audio seems like a strange blunder. Unless all you are interested in seeing is Romanova's legs.
6. Upon first meeting Tatiana why did Bond get so offended when she said he looked like an American film star? He practically threw a tantrum and spoiled the whole evening.
7. Why didn't SMERSH kill them both in the hotel room instead of letting them try to escape together by train?
8. Why didn't Bond and Tatiana FLY to London instead of taking the train?
9. A large portion of the novel was devoted to Red Grant being the chief executioner for SMERSH. We don't hear from him again until practically the end of the novel and he is a HUGE let down. This is by far the worst example of a villain revealing his plan instead of simply killing Bond. Not only does he give away the clever plot, but goes even further to name Kronsteen as the planner, Rosa Klebb as head of SMERSH and tells Bond her hotel room number and the time of their meeting in Paris.
10. Why did Rosa Klebb travel all the way to Paris to meet with Grant? Why did she have so many booby-traps in the hotel room? Surely, even if Grant failed his mission he would not reveal her room number to Bond? There's no way Klebb would have been expecting Bond to walk through that door.
Honorable Mention: FRWL felt like a short story with lots of padding. Here are the important bits: Bond is sent to Istanbul, meets Tatiana in the hotel room, and then attempts to escape by train with her and the Spektor. On the train a man posing as Nash tries to kill them. The rest of the novel is needless backstory on Grant, and sub-plots involving Darko Kerim which are never fully resolved.
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Comments
In regards to the movie, I was hoping the novel would better explain the whole Krilencu vs. Kerim subplot, and it hinted several times to reveal how it was connected with Bond's mission, but alas nothing ever came of it.
The movie did a better job of keeping Grant busy with killing people, instead of dropping out of sight completely. However, his mission of killing agents remains a mystery to me. "The cold war in Istanbul will not remain cold much longer" -Rosa Klebb. Okay, but what does that have to do with the smear campaign against Bond?
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Yes….I liked it up until the battle with the giant squid.
Why do you ask?
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
Would he have thrown it in the bin, say yes you guys are right it's crap !
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
Fleming meant to kill Bond in the end. He probably was burnt out on the whole idea.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
I believe he would have written a few more.
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
(correct me if I'm wrong)
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Happy to oblige: In the introductory chapters isn't Grant's bloodlust and regular need to kill every full moon described in some detail? Such as when he was serving as a soldier and also, didn't he kill the Head of Z before boarding the train?