Solo Review
Shatterfang
Posts: 538MI6 Agent
i just finish Solo. Im not really into books and i know people hate it but i liked it. The only part i hated was him making up the country. He could've just sent bond to the Congo. I loved the war zone, bond wandering through the wilderness, and the stakeout, and trying to outsmart the CIA and get Kobus before they did. The Country hopping usually doesn't work as well in Novels, i guess for pacing reasons, but it worked! Let's see he goes from America < England < Dahum (or whatever) < England < America (Hollywood-Washington), < Back to Dahum < back to England to debrief with M < and back to America to date Fitzgerald. - So that is like 8 country hops, that's more than in the movies! And it didn't feel overcrowded! Also Kobus was a great villain - like people complained he was a henchman and not a main villain. Well yes but what is wrong with that? Plus he was getting more and more deformed so he was really intimidating looking by the end. The 2nd part i hated was that he will 100% has no chance of returning in a future bond, i mean c'mon. I don't think the author got the dates right, i don't like to think that Bond was 37 through all 12 original books, and then this new mission pops up in 1969. Apparently the Broccolis agreed with me and argued about him, as the dedication page said at the beginning of the book.
Comments
Have you read DMC and Carte Blanche?
Trigger Mortis next?
different things) but I found it hard going just to get through it.
Carte Blanche next for me then back to the Flemings again!!
I have read Carte Blanche during a hunting trip and well that was a long time ago, but i think i prefer Solo. There just wasn't much action in Carte Blanche given its length. The recycling thing was kind of silly but the theme of decay was really cool. I read it right before Skyfall and i remember thinking this could be a precurser to Skyfall.
Again the Bond's mom might be a spy thing was cool, but it will never be touched on again so it was completely worthless. I don't know what it is with the author's doing all these 'might's'. Is Kobus alive or isn't he, and was Bond's mom a spy or wasn't she? - If they can get some balls and make up their mind they might have a more lasting impact.
And i had to look up a 1969 Jenson FF. it sort of looks like an Aston Martin banged a station wagon and had a baby, and it has a giant rear window. i mean this thing looks like it was built for family travel and trunk space so i don't know if it would fit bond. but im not car expert i just like to try to be
I was also disappointed in the lack of PPK action, especially since it's period appropriate to this novel. That Beretta he replaces it with is BIG...not at all ideal for concealed carry work. It wouldn't have been hard for him to find a PPK or even PPK/s in a US gun store in 1969. Or, if Boyd really wanted to set our hearts a-flutter, he could have had Bond pick up one of the first ASPs
Check out my Instagram: @livingthebondlife
"I never joke about my work, 007."