Here's a 007 trivia. Ian Fleming wrote all of his James Bond stories at his Goldeneye estate in Jamacia. In 1956, Fleming started writing a script for the proposed television series, Commander Jamaica. However, it never went beyond the script stage. Later, he used the ideas for a novel, with the working title, The Wounded Man. The title changed to what we all know as Dr. No, the sixth James Bond novel.
Upon its publication in 1958, Dr. No received harsh negative reviews from British critics. The late journalist Paul Johnson of the New Stateman said, "I have just finished what is, without doubt, the nastiest book I have ever read." Of course, we all know, EON Productions adapted the novel into the very first James Bond movie in 1962 starring Sir Sean Connery.
At the very beginning of the novel, readers learn James Bond survived being poisoned at the end of From Russia With Love. For his next mission, M sends him to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of Jonathan Strangways, the commander of MI6's Station J. Strangways' secretary is also missing. Bond's investigation leads him to Doctor Julius No, a Chinese-German living on a Crab Key island.
Shortly after arriving in Jamaica, Dr. No's henchmen attempt to kill Bond via a basket of poisoned fruit and a deadly centipede hidden in his hotel bed. He teams up with an old friend, Quarrel (a character from Live and Let Die), and the duo locates Crab Key. On the shore, Bond meets the lovely Honeychile Rider collecting shells. The henchmen show up and capture the trio. Unfortunately, Quarrel is burnt alive by a flamethrower attached to an armored swamp buggy.
To save the day, Bond has to fight off an army of deadly spiders and a giant squid. As goofy as this sounds, it's more realistic than the movie.
Final Thoughts
Dr. No might not be the best James Bond story, but it deserves better praise than what it received from critics in 1958. Calling it nasty is a bit of stretch, as it's pretty tame compared to modern spy thrillers. There's no so-called theme to the story. Dr. No is the typical 007 baddie who wants nothing more than power, and James Bond is the stereotypical hero with only one purpose - stop the villain.
Overall, Dr. No is an entertaining 007 outing. Sure, it's a little goofy and cliched at times, but it's still a fun read.
I've never liked James Bond much, but I am curious about this book!
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting. It's amazing to me how much I watched these movies growing up and knew so little about the backstory from the novels! Anyway this is fun. Probably one of my favorite Bond movies. Love Jack Lord as Felix and Quarrel (I was seriously bummed when he died). And Crab Key!
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