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Rating: 
Summary: "The Spy Who Loved Me" is a worthy, explosive read.
Review:
It's been said that Ian Fleming was not fond of his book, "The Spy Who Loved Me". Since he placed a note at the book's beginning, claiming someone left the manuscript on his desk, one can guess that this might be true. Whatever the author's feelings were, "The Spy Who Loved Me" is an enjoyable novel, although it does differ from Fleming's other Bond novels. "The Spy Who Loved Me" is unique for a James Bond novel, in that the story is told through the eyes of a "Bond Girl". Vivienne Michel recalls her travels, her new job at a motel and the danger she encounters one night at the hands of a couple thugs. Enter James Bond, who is more heroic than ever as he fights to be her savior. In recent years, the Ian Fleming Bond novels have gone in and out of print. Don't hesitate to pick up "The Spy who Loved Me" and the other Bond books before they become impossible to find!
Rating: 
Summary: Different, but entertaining Bond book.
Review: This is a really unusual, but most enjoyable James
Bond book. As is often the case of the Bond novels
made into movies released in the 1970's, this novel
and the 1977 film have absolutely nothing in common
other than the title. But in this case even the main
character is different. Bond does not even appear
until the final third of the book.
The story is told in first person by a woman who
ultimately crosses Bond's path. "The Spy" is Bond and
"Me" is Fleming's main character, Vivienne Michel.
She is an attractive, single, 23-year old woman who
has been shafted by two lovers as the story begins.
The very idea of a 54-year old man writing a story
from the point of view of a woman more than 30 years
his junior is interesting. However, when the older
man is Fleming and known for creating characters with
names like Pussy Galore, it is not only interesting
but amusing! The narrator, Vivienne, uses flashback to describe the
events of her life as the novel opens. As a naive
young girl she was burned by one lover and in spite of
that experience, she allows herself to be burned
again. At the completion of her trip down memory
lane, she suddenly finds herself in the clutches of
two thugs. She has no idea what they are up to except
that they want to harm her. It is, of course, Bond
who becomes her knight in shining armor and rescues
her in spite of his admitted carelessness. There is a story within the story here as well. Bond
describes his most recent assignment, thwarting a
SPECTRE plot involving the attempted assassination of
a Soviet defector. It is a shame that this vignette
has never been the subject of a movie. The potential
for a good action flick is there. Although much of the book reads more like a romance
novel than a spy thriller, it is never slow. The
action is good and there are some fine
characterizations as well. Fleming uses Vivienne to
make a statement about men (himself?) and their
treatment of women. Bond is compared to the bad guys
on multiple occasions. He is cut from the same cloth
as the bad guys, but without the evil. Recommended to
anyone who has seen the same old Bond formula many
times. You may find this a pleasant surprise.
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