The James Bond Bedside Companion

by Raymond Benson

  The Secret Service headquarters also owns a machine called the Identicast, which enables the user to assemble a person's facial features on a screen until a likeness of the individual is formed. These machines were actually recently developed at the time of the novel.

  In comparing GOLDFINGER to the preceding novels, there is no doubt that it is weak. The lack of suspense and the absence of a truly believable plot account for this. But the revelations about James Bond and other aspects of the agent's world keep the novel interesting. Apparently, combining strong characters with a logical, suspenseful plot was difficult for Fleming to accomplish—only in a handful of the novels does the combination work successfully. But GOLDFINGER is certainly not boring, for it shows an ever-maturing style and development.

  FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1960)

  Fleming's eighth offering is an anthology of five short stories. The subtitle for the book in England is "Five Secret Occasions in the Life of James Bond" (in America it is "Five Secret Exploits of James Bond"). All five stories have something interesting to offer, and they are all up to standard. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY proves that Fleming is as adept at writing short stories as full-length novels. A couple of the stories are experimental in nature, while the other three are straightforward secret service adventures.

  "FROM A VIEW TO A KILL"

  The story concerns James Bond's investigation of the murder of a NATO dispatch-rider who was shot in the back while driving a BSAM motorbike from SHAPE headquarters in Versailles to his base in Saint-Germain. After gathering clues, Bond disguises himself as a SHAPE dispatch-rider, and drives a BSA down the same road. As expected, the assassin attempts to repeat the crime. But Bond is ready for him; when the killer draws his gun, Bond brakes and skids around to shoot him. After killing the man, Bond rides back to the underground Russian hideout which had been camouflaged with a rose bush. Station F forces help the agent clean up the case.

  This opening story is a tightly knit, compressed yarn which easily holds one's interest in a single sitting. It has a typical Fleming structure: the story opens with an incident (the murder of the SHAPE rider); James Bond is then assigned to investigate that incident; the agent does preliminary fact finding; and he finally unravels the mystery and closes the case. The opening scene, as usual, is set up with care and deliberation. It immediately grabs the reader's attention and sets a mood which remains through the end.

  The Fleming Sweep moves at a steady pace, carrying one through the sequence of events that lead Bond to the Russian espionage team's hideout. The story is rich in the familiar Fleming detail: the description of the woods include images of colors and sounds which are among Fleming's most textured.

  A possible theme in the story may be Fleming's own criticism of the fact that British Intelligence has a bad habit of criticizing smaller branches located in other areas. Fleming seems to express the opinion, through the thoughts of Bond and M, that each little subgroup (such as SHAPE) is jealous of the other and believes that all the branches should mind their own business. This is the basic problem with Colonel Schreiber, the head of SHAPE in Versailles. He insists that his team has done everything it can to investigate the murder; he looks down his nose at Bond, who has come into the case from another department of the Service.

  As far as characterizations go, there are no new insights into James Bond. It is revealed, though, that he lost his virginity at age sixteen in Paris. The female character, Mary Ann Russell, is not very well-drawn. She saves Bond's life at the end, which is the first time Fleming has allowed a female to do so. Bond has just exposed the hideout beneath the rose bush, as Station F forces appear from the woods with drawn guns. But one of the Russians knocks Bond off balance and aims a gun at his head. A shot rings out, killing the Russian just in time. It is revealed that Mary Ann fired the shot.

  The highlights of the story include the opening murder scene, the discovery of the hideout in the woods, and the subsequent attack by Bond and the forces from Station F. The hideout in the woods incorporates another gadget: the entrance is a fake rose bush which splits into halves, revealing the hole in the ground. A periscope disguised as a rose is in the center of the bush. The attack on the hideout happens quickly and is exciting, especially once the rest of the forces appear to aid Bond.

  "From a View to a Kill" is a sharp piece of fiction in the traditional Fleming mold.

  "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY"

  In this story, a middle-aged couple named Havelock are murdered in their home in Jamaica by a Major Gonzales and two hit men working for one von Hammerstein. It so happens that the Havelocks are personal friends of M. Bond volunteers to assassinate the men as a favor to his chief. As 007 is spying on the killers' cabin in the woods of Vermont, he encounters a girl armed with a bow and arrow. The girl is Judy Havelock, daughter of the murdered couple. She has tracked down von Hammerstein and is seeking revenge. She succeeds in piercing von Hammerstein's back with an arrow as he dives into the lake. All hell breaks loose at this point, and Bond manages to pick off Gonzales and the two hit men in an explosive gun battle.

  The title story in the collection is by far the most successful. In a way, it is a "mini novel": it has all the elements of a Bond novel compressed into a well-told and exciting short story. Again, there is a typical Fleming structure: an incident at the opening of the story involving a murder; Bond's interview with M; fact gathering and the introduction of the heroine to complicate the plot; and finally the showdown with the villains. The story sweeps along from scene to scene in the manner of the longer books, yet there is no problem with keeping the logic intact in switching locales.

  The theme in "For Your Eyes Only" deals with the question of determining justice outside the boundaries of the law. In this instance, James Bond volunteers to assassinate the murderers of some personal friends of M. Since the killers have fled to America, there isn't much British police can do. The American officials can merely cancel the men's visas, which would only put them on the run again. M, who has taken a personal interest in the case because he was best man at the Havelocks' wedding, knows he cannot simply order Bond to go and "do justice." In fact, no orders are ever spoken. Bond volunteers to execute the justice that a court of law, in this case, could never rule. Therefore, Bond becomes a personal "hit man" for M. There is no question that von Hammerstein and his colleagues are evil and must be destroyed. The question remains as to whether their rights should or shouldn't be respected. Fleming doesn't attempt to answer the question, but only reveals his particular stance by allowing Bond to "do his duty."

  There are no new revelations in Bond's character. However, a bit of a sense of humor is revealed when he first meets Judy Havelock in the woods near the killers' cabin. Since she is dressed in hunter's clothes, he amuses himself by addressing her as "Robina Hood."

  Judy Havelock is a determined, vengeful girl. Even though little information is imparted about the character, a clear picture emerges from the details with which Fleming describes her. Apart from the usual striking good looks (blonde hair, sensual wide mouth, etc.), she has the "vibrations of a wild animal." She's tough, and will not stand for anything but what she hopes to achieve, which is to avenge the death of her parents. Her insistence and confidence convinces Bond that she means business, and he allows her to have the first shot at von Hammerstein. Judy proves her competence by shooting an arrow through the villain's back. Only after all the killers are dead, and she is wounded, does she become someone more traditionally feminine whom Bond can pamper and protect.

  The major highlight of the story, though, is the scene between Bond and M. So much is revealed about the Admiral here: his feelings about his responsibilities, and the weight of the Service on his shoulders. Finally, one can see the fatherly figure whom Bond admires so much. Gone is the crabbiness that characterized him in the previous two novels. M is at a stalemate, and has turned to Bond as his only hope in resolving the Havelock case. Bond is flattered and warmly pleased that M has turned to him in this matter, and the relation
ship between the two men is never more revealing.

  "For Your Eyes Only," of all the short stories Fleming wrote, is certainly the best.

  "QUANTUM OF SOLACE"

  This story is in the form of an anecdote told to Bond by his friend, the Governor in Nassau. One Philip Masters, a shy, naive, and vulnerable sort of chap, had fallen in love with an attractive airline hostess named Rhoda Llewellyn. The couple eventually married; but in time, Rhoda became bored and unhappy and began an affair with a young golf pro. Masters reacted like a wounded puppy; his work efficiency slipped and his disposition became morose. Masters was transferred to Washington for a special six-month project. In his absence, Rhoda's affair ended, and she decided to reconcile with her husband. But when Masters returned, he was a changed man. He didn't want Rhoda's reconciliation. During the year, the couple kept up social appearances as if they were still happily married, but alone at home they never spoke. Finally, Masters left Rhoda, alone and practically destitute. A social friend eventually found her a job in Jamaica and provided her the funds to move. There, after a few years, she met a rich Canadian and they married. The Governor then reveals that Bond has met Rhoda Llewellyn—she was a woman with whom he had chatted at a party earlier that evening.

  "Quantum of Solace" is an offbeat, experimental story for Fleming. Kingsley Amis describes it as a "Maughamish" anecdote; this is not surprising, since Fleming was a Maugham fan as well as a personal acquaintance of the writer. It is not a Secret Service story, but a morality tale as told to Bond by his friend, the Governor. It doesn't resemble any other work by Fleming, and this is precisely why it is so intriguing. The story is rich in characterization and feeling, and it is apparent that Fleming enjoyed writing it simply as a departure from the usual Bond.

  The theme is that no adventure story can top a real-life human drama. Bond comes to this conclusion at the end of the story, as he is leaving the Governor's house to finish up the assignment on which he is currently working. He reflects that his present job is "dull and unexciting."

  Interwoven with this theme is the premise of the title. The "quantum of solace" is a theory the Governor holds about the amount of comfort on which love and friendship is based. He maintains that unless there is a certain degree of humanity existing between two people, there can be no love. This quantum can be measured numerically, with zero as the absolute absence of any kind of love. When Philip Masters and Rhoda Llewellyn were married, the quantum of solace between them was very high; but at the end of their relationship, it was zero. Apparently, Fleming believes in this theory himself. His rather rocky marriage must have given him cause to create the theory and incorporate it into a story.

  Again, nothing new is revealed about Bond, except, perhaps, more of his views on marriage. Otherwise, Bond is merely a sounding board for the Governor's story. But Bond is also made to seem more human than usual, simply because he reacts with compassion to the story; he is able to relate it to his own life. The Governor (his name is never revealed) is a friendly chap who is actually speaking in Fleming's voice. As a character, he is unimportant. The truly important characters in this story are Philip Masters and Rhoda Llewellyn. Masters, though shy and vulnerable, is quite intelligent and resourceful. Rhoda is pretty, ambitious, and a much more aggressive character than her husband. This is what finally breaks up the couple. No sides are taken by the author in the story of this divorce; both partners become equally cruel to each other. Rhoda, perhaps, pays the most for her wrong doings, but she at least emerges from the story a happier person than Masters, who will spend the rest of his life in a civil service post in Nigeria.

  The story, with its surprise ending of Rhoda turning out to be Mrs. Harvey Miller, somehow rings true to life, and it is ultimately very moving. Even though "Quantum of Solace" has no intrigue, action, or thrills, it has a quality which is missing from most of the other Bond stories—human drama.

  "RISICO"

  In this story, James Bond is assigned to break up a drug smuggling racket operating from Italy to Britain. He is ordered to offer an informant named Kristatos a large amount of money to stop the drug flow. Kristatos agrees to Bond's offer only if the Englishman will kill the head of the drug smuggling operation. He says the leader is Enrico Colombo. Unbeknownst to Bond and Kristatos, Colombo has managed to record the men's conversation by an ingenious wire-tap located in an empty chair at their table. Later, Colombo has Bond captured and brought aboard the smuggler's ship, the Colombina. There, Colombo insists that it is actually Kristatos who is running the drug operation. The next morning, the Colombina arrives at Santa Maria, where men are loading what appear to be rolls of newsprint onto a ship. The Colombina'screw attacks the smugglers. Kristatos is discovered in the warehouse, and Bond shoots him before he can escape. Once back at sea, Colombo explains that the Russians were backing Kristatos.

  Fleming returns to the usual format in "Risico," with Bond pursuing and breaking up, for the first time in the series, a drug smuggling racket. There are structural problems, though. The story begins in the flash-forward manner: there is an opening scene which takes place before any exposition is made, then a jump back in time to M's office where Bond receives his assignment. In the traditional Fleming novel, this flashback technique usually works; but in a story as short as "Risico," it is damaging because there is not enough space to flesh out a fully realized situation and then go back to illustrate the exposition. Also, the change of locale happens too quickly. "Risico" could have been expanded to an exciting, lengthier novella. But as it stands, the story is too frantically overcrowded with scene changes, plot developments, characterizations, and, exposition. 'Risico" is rich with detail, though, and contains some fine characters. Its main problem is a lack of focus.

  Whatever theme the story contains, the Kristatos character more or less states it at the beginning: "In this business there is much risk." The point is driven home far too many times in the story, finally becoming a little trite.

  The characters are interesting: aside from the usual Bond (nothing new here), there is the colorful ally Colombo. Colombo is reminiscent of Darko Kerim in FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE. He is that familiar heart-of-gold type of man, brash and extroverted, with a penchant for bragging and boasting. He, like Kerim, embraces life and lives it day to day with no expectation of tangible rewards. Kristatos is a slimy villain, although not much is known about him. It is a clever twist that the author leads one to believe that Kristatos is the ally and Colombo is the villain at the beginning of the story. Lisl Baum, as a heroine, is practically nonexistent. She appears briefly and is never successfully incorporated into the plot

  But M is back to his stuffy self in "Risico." Here Fleming reveals the various idiosyncrasies in M's running of the Service, as well as his disgust at involving the organization in a drug smuggling case.

  As usual Fleming's descriptive travel passages are excellent: he paints a clear picture of Venice and the Lido peninsula. The final shootout at Santa Maria is exciting and well done; but overall, "Risico" suffers from Fleming's insistence on confining its sprawling storyline within undersized boundaries.

  "THE HILDEBRAND RARITY"

  In this story, James Bond has a week's leave in the Seychelles Islands before returning to England. His friend, Fidele Barbey, tells him that a rich American, one Milton Krest, has offered them a job of helping him hunt for a rare fish called "The Hildebrand Rarity." The boorish Mr. Krest has no qualms about showing that he is boss of his attractive wife, Liz. She doesn't seem to mind, but Bond senses that she actually fears her husband. During a tour of Krest's luxurious yacht, Bond notices a stingray tail hanging on the wall of the master cabin. Krest admits to using it on his wife, calling it "The Corrector." Krest has set up The Krest Foundation as a tax shelter, and has recently been collecting rare animals for the Smithsonian Institution by bribing owners with large amounts of money. But Liz foolishly reveals that the tax people will reclaim their yacht if Krest fails to bring back a catch this time. As a result, Krest uses "T
he Corrector" on his wife that night.

  Krest is very drunk the night after the Hildebrand Rarity is found, and he insults Bond and Barbey. He goes to sleep in a hammock on deck. As Bond listens to him snore, the sound is interrupted by a choking, gurgling sound. When he investigates, 007 finds that the rare fish has been stuffed into Krest's mouth. Bond throws Krest's body over the side. Back in port, neither Barbey nor Liz Krest admit to the murder, and they all pretend that Krest fell overboard.

  "The Hildebrand Rarity" is another off-beat experiment for Fleming, and is probably the most successful story in the anthology after "For Your Eyes Only." It is straightforward structurally, and each sequence proceeds logically from the previous one. Although it isn't a secret service story, it contains elements of intrigue, danger, and murder.

  The theme of the story is similar to that of "Quantum of Solace." Here, the question is: how much abuse can a person take before rebounding with offensive action? Krest is a boorish, sadistic braggart. One wonders why the couple married in the first place. The murder of Krest is an act of retribution, to be sure. Although the murderer is never revealed, it is strongly hinted that Liz Krest killed her husband; it makes the most sense that she is the culprit.

  The story has well-drawn characters. A new side of Bond is revealed: his temper. Throughout the story, Bond must do everything he can to restrain himself from striking Milton Krest. But his better judgment reminds him not to become involved in family quarrels. He is attracted to Liz Krest, but keeps his distance. He feels sorry for her having to put up with such a disgusting husband, but he allows the situation to work itself out His opportunity to help her comes after he has discovered Krest's dead body. Bond throws it overboard so that there will be extreme difficulty in proving Krest was murdered.