Casino Royale

Casino Royale
by Ian Fleming
read: 2012
Guardian 1000 Novels

I've seen most of the James Bond films, but I'd never read any of the novels until Casino Royale. It's surprisingly not very action-packed; Bond doesn't kill anybody, and doesn't even really get in a fight with anyone. Fleming makes the baccarat scenes impressively compelling, and captures Bond's paranoia and his romantic confusion with Vesper Lynd. A lot more of the action takes place in Bond's head than in the movies.

Bond is a misogynist, and it's unclear to what extent Fleming is trying to excuse his misogyny. Bond's lack of respect for women is set up partially to make his falling for Vesper all the more tragic, but when he starts talking about "the sweet tang of rape," that's a bridge too far. Any character development of Bond's attitude towards women is erased by the events of the novel, so I expect more cringe-inducing moments in the subsequent books.

Bond at one point gets in a discussion with fellow agent Mathis about the moral value of what they're doing, but his argument lacks the moral weight found in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; it feels abstract and  shallow, and Bond ultimately comes to feel it a childish perspective. Casino Royale isn't as complex as a le Carre novel, but it's a gripping read and I'm sure I'll read more novels in the series.