So far I've given the Bond books I've reviewed 3 stars. They walk a sort of thin line. They seem to appeal to younger males, but have slightly adult content (though in todays market they might be thought a bit tamer than they were when published.) They are enjoyable, straight adventure yarns and may deserve a 3.5 at least one will get a 4. They're good books, just not as good as some others.

In this one James saves England's missile program, uncovers a spy and, oddly doesn't get the (a) girl. the only Bond novel where he doesn't have a romantic fling I believe....

Just updated this...I typed "there" for "they're"...sigh.

The more of the Bond novels I read, the more disappointed I am with the movies. The novels are so good. If the movies were honest adaptations of the titles they were using, the quality of the films would have been a million times better. And I know complaining about how the movies are never as good as the books on a book site seems silly, but still. I'm 30, so I grew up knowing the movies better than the books. Most of us did. I'm just glad I'm doing the right thing and reading the Bond novels now.
'Moonraker' was great, because it was ahead of it's time. (And the only similarity this book had to the terrible movie was the title, and the villains name. Nothing else). In the mid fifties, rocket technology was still in it's infancy, and it's use as a long range nuclear delivery system was still being worked out. But Fleming did a very good job portraying a very realist (for the time) nightmare scenario. One that only James Bond can avert, of course.
As usual, I enjoyed it. I love the way Fleming writes. I love how defined and to the point everything is. Bond in the novels is far superior to the Bond on the big screen. And I'm sure I'll say the same thing for all the rest of the novels I have yet to get to. But rest assured, I'll get to them. They're too good not to.

Rocketman. It was a straightforward Ian Fleming novel. Not the best, but the pages kept turning. A little weird reading it at the same time I was reading Gravity's Rainbow.

The jet setting glamour we associate with secret agent James Bond is absent from Ian Fleming's third 007 novel, which is set entirely in England. However, there's still luxurious food & high stakes gambling & the setting delivers fascinating characters & a superb villain in the form of Hugo Drax.
Moonraker opens with Bond practising on a dimly lit firing range in the basement of London's Secret Service headquarters & Fleming describes this brilliantly. Setting this novel in England gave it an old fashioned atnmosphere, but I always find this 1955 novel far superior to the overblown comedy of the 1979 film version.
This novel has one of my favourite endings & the last few pages are worthy of something Graham Greene could have written. Ian Fleming has always been a much better writer than he's been given credit for & for those who dismiss his work as merely "pulp fiction" I respectfully submit that reading Moonraker might change their mind. If it doesn't it's still a hell of a good yarn.

007 is much less incompetent in this one.
Good for you, Bond!



Still, when his inner monologue drifts into describing or thinking about women, things get unintentionally hilarious. Like, I can see how he thinks he sounds suave with his she may be able to break my arm but she still has a mole above her nipple musings.
But really.
Listening to him describe women makes me think that if James were a real person, he'd be the kind of guy who doesn't understand that foreplay is a thing.



And yet!
He's not as big of a douchebag in Moonraker.
I was looking forward to more of his causal assholery and all I got was one uninvited kiss in the ocean. He actually kinda respected this gal in his own weird way.



Like Casino Royale the beginning of this book is all about a high-stakes bridge game.
I'm not a card player so none of the descriptions excited me. But the gist is that this rich dude, Sir Hugo Drax, is cheating at cards in this fancy club that M is a member of, and he wants Bond to beat him at his own game. The point of it is to warn him off cheating without causing a scandal because the guy is a national hero.
Why?
Well, he's funding this Moonraker rocket, which is going to be an integral part of England's defense system, out of his own pocket. His backstory is that he was badly scarred in the war and ended up with amnesia, yet still managed to pull himself up by his bootstraps and become a millionaire.
I realize that now you can't buy a block of generic cheese for less than 1.2 million, but it was a lot of money back in the day.



Before meeting him, Bond is as big a fan of Drax as everyone else, but after he sits down to cards he finds his manners and mannerisms to be thoroughly disgusting.
Spoilery things happen and he ends up undercover at the site of the Moonraker, trying to solve a murder and keep tabs on anything fishy that might be going on.
Let the spy games begin!
But not really because these books are nowhere near as cool and interesting as the movies.



The biggest takeaway for me was that this installment makes Bond seem like less of a complete chucklefuck, and the dialogue and characters are leaps and bounds less cringy than the last book.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but that actually makes me sad in a way. I've been thoroughly enjoying my romp with 007 simply because these books were a filterless look at the inner workings of a dude who gives zero shits about being a nice guy.

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Edition: Unabridged
Awards: Earphones Award
Bill Nighy - Narrator

Rubbish Book #4.

I too would’ve tossed this one in the bin! This book was written to restore the national pride of any drunken limey after England’s footy team gets knocked out of the World Cup.

Moonraker by Ian Fleming is the third James Bond novel. Before reading this, anyone should take note that this was written in the 1950s with the sensibility of the day, where misogyny and strict gender roles were just beginning to change, as well as the increase of cold war era disdain for the Russians. If these concepts trigger you, then avoid reading Bond books. In some ways, there is an antiquated mindset pervasive throughout the books, but again if this is going to make you uncomfortable: avoid the book. There are some really magnificent touches in this novel. Agent 007 communicates that he is one of only three 00s currently active and double O eleven is one of his pals. After spending his morning on the gun range, he goes to the office to interact with the secretary of the 00s, review files, read and sign a file of new policies and procedures, and meet with M. The beginning is a view of pre-secret agenting that is so mundane that it provided a great deal of food for thought that I devoured. Then the major part of the story revolves on a wealthy British patriot looking to get a rocket into space and his suspicious ways. Hugo Drax is an intriguing and memorable character.

I have to say MOONRAKER didn’t have as much action as either of the two previous Bond novels. At least at the beginning anyway. Sure there was the consummate card game and torture scene, but neither hit as hard or as fast as what happened in CASINO ROYALE. But this was certainly an entertaining read, even though the female characters seemed to wilt at the first sign of trouble, or at least gave the distinct impression of the likelihood of such an occurrence.

I know it’s too much to ask (and it’s certainly not going to stop me from reading the rest of said novels), but just once I’d like to see a woman kick some serious butt in this series. I’d have to say the closest female so far has been Vesper Lynd, and even she had her flaws. Gala Brand held a certain amount of intrigue and promise, but I felt like the afterburner element was missing from her character.

Bond does show a bit of his human side in this one by not actually getting the girl (being just a mere mortal like the rest of us), which does make his character a bit more interesting, even if said girl (Gala) does notice his ample charm. And he, in turn, notices her abundant curves. Yes, these novels might be called fluff, but like Bond, these novels hold a sophisticated air and charm that isn’t easily quantifiable, and that’s what makes them so gosh darn entertaining.

Cross-posted at Robert's Reads

Bond, cards, drugs, bombs, girls, etc. Back on track again, this novel is more of a return to form.

7.5/10

This was the best Bond I’ve read to date (admittedly, it is only my 3rd) with the book split into three parts and each one having a different feel to them. The action is toned down compared to what some would expect from Bond and there was no action in space – not once did Bond go Pew Pew, which I’m pretty sure he did in the film.

First things first, my approach to all the Bond books will be tainted by the films. With “Live and Let Die” I knew the film well and enjoyed it – the book less so. I must have watched “Moonraker” once as a child and my memory of it was very poor. I remember Bond in space and Jaws (not the shark) – I don’t even remember the theme song which is unheard of!So with no preconceptions I was able to enjoy this for what it was.

As I mentioned it felt like the book was split into 3 distinct parts:

The 1st part where Bond is playing cards to find out why Hugo Drax is cheating at an exclusive club. This was a little like Casino Royal but the tension builds well and it was a good battle of wits. Admittedly I didn’t know the card game they were playing so I was lost on some of the terms but it shows how well it was written to draw me in.

The 2nd part is Bond being sent to the Moonraker site after someone is murdered. This felt like Agatha Christie/Shutter Island in the mystery of why someone was murdered in a secure community leaving Bond to find out what has gone on and unravel a deadly plot.

This leads to the 3rd part where everything kicks off. I won’t spoil anything but it was a good, if not great, finish to the story with some emotional toying with Bond at the very end.

Overall, this was Bond but not as I know him but that didn’t alter the fact that it was a good read and a welcome improvement over “Live and Let Die”.

If you like this try: “The Mozart Conspiracy” by Scott Mariani

A good James Bond novel.

Ian Fleming first published Moonraker in 1955 and it is the third book featuring his master spy, 007. Oddly set in England (Bond is almost always sent out of country due to jurisdictional procedures) this features an erstwhile British rocket project with some loyalty issues. Bond takes a lead from M and then in classic Bond fashion gets in to a lot more than he bargained for.

I will need to revisit the 1979 Lewis Gilbert film starring Roger Moore as Bond, but I think that elements of the book were used to create the 1995 Bond film Goldeneye starring Pierce Brosnan.

Fleming’s villain this time around, Sir Hugo Drax, was very similar to Auric Goldfinger in that both are wildly successful tycoons who have a different measuring stick for winning. Fleming used the proximity to World War II and the ongoing Cold War weapons race to fuel some of the anxiety and paranoia central to the plot.

For all of you who read my previous James Bond reviews (Casino Royale and Live & Let Die) this four-star review will be giving you quite a shock.

James Bond is going about his normal life as a Double 0 Operative. And I really mean normal! He reads boring reports and goes to the shooting range. Then, he's called into M's office. He and M discuss a man who's a current English celebrity: Sir Hugo Drax. A very rich man who has invested tons of money into creating a Moonraker, a large rocket/thing that will be launched into the sky, and from there able to defend England from foreign threats. A loud redhead with very bad teeth, lots of hair on his face and body ... and a huge scar on half his face from when he was found injured after WWII. He was so injured, in fact, that little is known about him. He doesn't even remember anything before the explosion. He got out the hospital and went to work making money, becoming a millionaire in 5 years. Everyone admires him and is grateful for his gift of the Moonraker to England. It's going to be tested in a few days.

Bond knows M isn't one to chew the fat, so he's waiting rather impatiently for M to get to the point. This is the point: Drax cheats at cards. M is worried about this for a few reasons. Why would such a wealthy man risk everything by cheating at some lowly card games? Also, if he gets caught cheating at the super-exclusive club he belongs to, he will disgrace himself and England. So, M invites Bond to the ritzy club to beat Drax at his own game, so to speak.

Bond elegantly and brutally reduces Drax to nothing, earning 15 thousand pounds in the process. Drax is angry and humiliated and threatens Bond.

That night, while Bond and Drax are playing at cards, two men in Drax's employ on Moonraker are killed in a murder-suicide. Allegedly over a beautiful woman who is also a secret agent: Gala Brand. (Her full name is Galatea, so Gala is pronounced Gah-lah.) M knows that blaming her for the murder-suicide is bullsh*t. She is a professional and an agent. Even Drax had hit on her repeatedly, and she always refused him, wearing an engagement ring. When he gets too aggressive, she's forced to defend herself physically, which she is able to do, being an agent.

Bond is assigned to take the dead man's place working for Drax. Right into the heart of enemy territory. What is in Drax's past? Why are all his men sporting shaved heads and mustaches? Why are they all German? Is the Moonraker mission going to be sabotaged?

....

This was a thrilling, engaging, edge-of-your seat mystery. Fleming leads you along with little tantalizing clues and glimpses of what's REALLY going on with the Moonraker, and you are right alongside Gala and Bond as they work together to figure it out before the impending launch.

James Bond definitely has a type: so far, every single "Bond girl" has been black-haired and blue-eyed.

Gala Brand is one of the best additions to the book and by far the best "Bond girl" yet. Fleming makes her an agent, and he doesn't hesitate to show us how smart, capable, strong, and determined she is. Unlike Vesper who was sulky and sullen, and Solitaire who was obedient, trusting and submissive to Bond, Gala really holds her own - even against England's most dangerous agent, 007. Fleming really hammers home this point by letting Gala narrate (3rd person) the story at numerous points. This was very exciting to me and also helped me relate to and sympathize with the character in a way I never could with other "Bond girls." I loved seeing the world through Gala's eyes, and seeing her spy, plan, and figure things out (often even before Bond!).

Bond himself is scads better regarding sexism in this book (I can't comment on racism since there are no people in this book except whites). I mean, he's no liberal woman's rights activist, and that's not what I'm asking - that's not what I expect him to be. ALL I ASK from James Bond is that he a.) sees the woman he's with as a person - not a toy or a stupid nuisance and b.) that he only engages in/fantasizes about consensual sex and doesn't hurt/want to hurt the "Bond girl." THAT'S IT. Those are my only requirements. I'm not even asking him to treat a woman as his equal - only asking that he consider her a human being with feelings and desires of her own. You'd think this wouldn't be too much to ask, but then again - it's James Bond.

ANYWAY. He is ALMOST perfect in this book. He really looks after Gala - he wants to protect her. When she's in danger he worries about her (instead of planning to let her die, as he so coldly did with Vesper in Casino Royale). He saves Gala's life numerous times, often shielding her body with his and taking most of the punishment: once during a landslide and once during an explosion. He does his best to protect her and save her and keep her from harm. He never made any snide, angry comments about how useless or weak she was (which he often did with Vesper). I was very proud of him.

And on Gala's part, she is amazing! Even Bond admits "she's got a great head for numbers." Gala impresses Bond with her bravery and intelligence again and again. She even comes up with the final plan to save England at the end. Bond is going to do something that would save England but kill a lot of people and she's tells him that he expects her to just take orders from him, but instead she's got a better plan. Bond listens to her. He trusts her. In the end it's her own plan that saves England.

The only times I was angry with Bond and this book didn't get 5 stars because of it. 1.) Stealing a kiss from Gala - even that I could forgive, if it had been the only infraction. 2.) And this is really my main problem - Bond wanting to kick Gala as a punishment for (get this) not flirting with him. o.O This kind of male entitlement annoys me to no end. And after the Isla Vista killings, I can't even stand reading about this kind of man who wants to hurt women simply because they are not sexually interested in him. If I didn't have enough to worry about from simply being born female, now in addition I find myself fretting over turning men down for dates. I can't even tell you how awful and scary it is to think that rejecting a guy will lead to him hurting/killing you. My friend asked me the other day, "How do I reject a guy in a way that he won't murder me?" and it just BROKE MY HEART. For these reasons, I could not forgive Bond for thinking this way, and if the Isla Vista killings had never happened this might not have affected me so strongly, but they are still fresh my mind and the minds of my friends/family.

Bond's relationship with M is explored more in this book and it's very touching. I was even going, "Awwwww" sometimes when Bond and M were talking to each other. Fleming really shows what a strong friendship the two of them have together.

Lastly, I feel like Fleming did a great job of showing Bond's humanity. He doubts himself, second-guesses himself - even berates himself for mistakes in this novel. He's human both mentally and physically - he takes quite a few beatings in this novel and Fleming does a great job (as usual) of showing a pretty realistic recovery period and how injuries would affect Bond's fighting abilities. I really appreciated this more human side of Bond's mind and body.

Overall, this is a great book. Bond really steps up and improves his behavior, Fleming provides us with our first capable love interest, and in addition we get a mystery that is fun to try and put together. I can only hope that other books in this series continue with these trends. I don't want to have to write a 1 star Bond review again - BUT I WILL IF I HAVE TO. Do you hear me, Fleming? ;)

UPDATE: Okay, I saw the 1979 film with Roger Moore. Um.

The only reason to watch this film is to see all the beautiful women in it. There are tons of gorgeous women in the movie.

However, if you're not attracted to women, or you actually want some kind of quality in your movie - there's nothing else. No cute men, no acting abilities, and zero plot. It's confusing, silly, and nonsensical. Almost a parody of a spy film. I do not find Roger Moore attractive in the least.

If you're choosing between the book and film, DEFINITELY pick the book. It's 100x better.