Diamonds are Forever - Ian Fleming
copyright 1956
The fourth of Ian Fleming's novels about Agent 007 was my third. I recently have read "Doctor No" and "High Time to Kill" (1999 Bensen) and have noticed a difference between the original author of Bond and the successor. I am grateful to return to the original.
One of the first things I noticed about "Doctor No" was the skillful product placement that Fleming uses in his prose, the subtle mention of the brand of cigarettes that James Bond smokes, to the click of the Zippo Lighter, or what have you. It's subtle enough to paint the picture in your mind. Fleming apparently has done that since the beginning as the same subtle plugs appear in the earlier "Diamonds."
Bensen also uses product placement, but not quite so subtly. There is one point in the book where bond is about to chase a suspected villain up the side of one of the higher peaks of the Himalayan Mountains and returns to his tent for some climbing gear. However, the passage is not as succinct as that. In about the space of an entire page we learn the brand and model of Bond's ECW coat, the manufacturer of the oxygen tank, the maker of his tent, the manufacturer, brand and chemical makeup of each type of climbing rope he uses, and the exact manner in which Bond laces and affixes his crampons to his boots.
With the absence of such detailed product descriptions Bensen writes a good Bond story, but all the marketing really detracts from the story. Not so with Fleming. Diamonds are forever is a fun romp through London and Los Vegas, and I half expected James Bond to bump into Sinatra or Dean Martin as he played the Crapes table.
I still smile with each new character's name "Tiffany Case" and "Shady Tree" come to mind.
All and all I am looking forward to my next adventure with Bond.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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