4-✨
What I found surprising is that Tiffany Case is a stronger female character in the book (1956) and the Wint & Kid duo are definitely not the caricatures they are in the film (1971).
A bit more realistic about spy work: not the superhero saving the world, but still risking his life infiltrating a diamond smuggler's pipeline.
People who are offended by mysoginist and racist remarks better not read these books (and be grateful they didn't live in the fifties).

Lots of action; weirdly likeable characters (including a very cool heroine)!

The most important thing to know about these James Bond novels is they are almost nothing like the movies. Bond is emo, error-prone, narcissistic, and almost always grandiose in his thinking about his skills when he is not worried about them - very very surprisingly bipolar than what the movies have primed us readers to expect. The action events in the books, which are indeed mostly copied or technologically enhanced in the movies, happens over a longer span of time. However, some novels are not at all directly copied by the movies even though the titles and some of the action scenes are. The action might be included in another movie of another name. Bond rarely is rescued in time from undergoing torture, and he has wanted to marry almost every girl who helps him throughout the assignment.

I can't help but wonder what anti-depressants and Lithium might have done for Bond's career. Maybe kill it? His psychological presentation in these novels seems like a snakepit of PTSD symptoms while at the same time Bond appears to be a poster boy for one kind of toxic masculinity. At least, that is my opinion, formed on our values in these modern times. I know other reviewers have written the same observations, too.

In 'Diamonds are Forever', written in 1956, James Bond is explicitly and unapologetically racist against Italian-Americans (he visits Las Vegas on a smuggling case in this novel). He was somewhat taken aback when he was advised by Felix Leiter after arriving in America for an earlier assignment to watch his tongue on certain subjects while in America, such as openly indulging in racial slurs against Black-Americans. I think he is surprised because he is unaware he is being racist - he thinks he is stating the obvious or well-known 'facts'. In 'Diamonds are Forever' he also is disparaging of what he thinks is a problem for 90% of Americans - they are too fat and physically weak. Americans huff and puff and find climbing a few stairs too hard in many of these books.

Basically, in the four books I have read so far in the James Bond series, he has prejudged negatively and is disgusted by what he feels defines the national character of Germans, French, Americans, Japanese, Italians and China. He also subscribes to racial/sexual prejudices about women, Black people and Asians. So far. Added to the list from this novel are obese folk. So, I was pleasantly surprised Bond and Leiter apparently are not feeling anything prejudicial against gay people beyond a comment about homosexual gangbangers as being part of a 'lavender' gang. We readers meet a couple of bad guys who are gay in this book, Winter and Kidd - very competent and scary bad guys. Bond seems to be only disgusted by Kidd because of his obesity.

To be fair (loosely utilizing the definition), when Bond works with someone who is a member of a race, sex, or foreign country he initially feels much contempt towards, he IS willing to work with people he feels are beneath him and the White upper-class men of England as an equal without open hostility. He treats criminals of a different race or nationality with apparent awareness they are skilled or dangerous despite his prejudices, even realizing sometimes his prejudices lulled him into a mistaken judgement call which nearly costs him his life or failure of his assignment.

I think Bond's racism and sexism is based on what was normal post-war English social class and educational beliefs, alongside an ignorance from a lack of extensive cultural contact outside of his social bubble. I think maybe, maybe, Fleming was intentionally focusing the character of Bond on having prejudices. I am beginning to wonder about this maybe authorial intentionality based on a subtle undertone pattern I am beginning to suss out after reading four of the books in the series. Every time Bond encounters these not-English people on these assignments, he appears to grudgingly accept this individual or that person as much more competent than he had expected. I am beginning to think author Ian Fleming was doing what many authors do - introduce and revolve plots around a character which not only does not entirely reflect his views, but is less sophisticated and knowledgeable or more exaggerated than what the author thinks. It is as if James Bond undergoes a reluctant, slow, inching-forward, slight coming-of-age in each book, noticeably a plot pattern, as I have read the series. Bond expresses his distaste for a race or nation in the early chapters, then next, after he deals with competent members of the class/race/nationality he felt were so subhuman, he is always later humbled by those folks he disparaged, inevitably needing rescue, often by an American. Did Fleming do this on purpose, or is it subconscious, because of the outcome of World War II? Was Bond more than a surface caricature sorely needed by an almost defeated nation after World War II? Was Fleming taking his country to the woodshed within a subtly satiric series about a personality type that almost destroyed Britain through arrogance and ignorance? I am starting to wonder....

Perhaps, Fleming also was undergoing a slight evolution of mind despite his upper-crust identity as his books became popular in spite of their very White post-war English viewpoint. Idk.

Whatever.

Do I really need to describe the plot of 'Diamonds are Forever'? Ok, then. Diamonds are being smuggled out of Africa. Since an English company owns the African mines, Bond is put on the case by M to find whoever is masterminding the stealing. To do this, it means he must follow the mule, or mules, carrying the diamonds secretly through international borders from Africa to England to Las Vegas in America, as it turns out. M, Bond's secret service boss, through his contacts discovers who one of the mules is, and Bond inserts himself into the mule's place in London. Bond happens to look a lot like the carrier for the diamond smuggling outfit. So, undercover, he meets the other carrier as well as card sharp, the gorgeous Tiffany Case, and the nefarious assassins Wint and Kidd, and other members of the Spangler Gang, as he tries to unmask the criminal leader of the gang known only as the mysterious 'ABC'. Of course, there is horse racing, and card games, and guns and shootings, car chases, explosions, helicopters, and martial arts, weird criminals with fetishes and ticks, and even an ocean voyage of deadly danger on the Queen Elizabeth.

There are continuing characters, so possibly readers should start with Casino Royale. But it is possible readers will not abide Bond's mild racism or the old-fashioned type of male-romance spy-thriller Fleming indulged himself in writing. It is a little bit like spending time in the company of an old White ex-military grandfather. But at least he can tell an exciting story! Have some tolerance and learn, gentle reader. This is what the 1950's were like. This is from what we all have moved on. Most of us.

Rating: 3.5* of five

Again a reminder that these reviews are for the movies by these titles, NOT Fleming's books. I wasn't at all drawn to the book I read, and I've since sampled a few others, and to me they're repellently dated.

So this 1971 outing is based on the 1956 novel, and marks the last *canonical* film Connery made. Never Say Never Again wasn't a Broccoli-produced film, and made use of a story not ever precisely made into a novel, so...

Jill St. John spends a good deal of time scantily clothed. This mildly annoyed me as she tended to drape herself over pieces of furniture I wanted to look at, and her mammary hypertrophy blocked my view of Connery once in a while.

The plot is of a ridiculousness expected from a Bond film; Bond drives a 1970 Mustang, possibly the lowest styling point that Mustang has ever hit; Charles Gray (the Criminologist from Rocky Horror Picture Show) eats up the scenery as Blofeld, the ongoing villain/nemesis; so, you know, what's expected of a Bond film viewing experience.

Shirley Bassey sings the second most-boring theme song (after Adele's dreary "Skyfall") in the canon. It amused me, mildly, and the inclusion of two gay killers was pretty hotsy-totsy stuff for 1971. So, well, it was Bond so it was better than boring; but it lacked something, so I can't give it a good rating. Just not enough SOMEthing.

Another excellent instalment in the James Bond series. I have probably read these about three times now.

Las Vegas, car chases, a train chase, a cruise ship, helicopters - "Diamonds are Forever" was excellent man fiction!

I cast Sean Connery as James Bond and Suzanne Somers as Tiffany Case! I also casted Alec Baldwin as M and Daniel Craig

After reading the first four James Bond novels, I can safely say, the Bond from the films with all his nifty gadgets and his disdain of women can be found nowhere on the pages of Fleming's books. Literary James Bond is a romantic who falls constantly in love and contemplates marriage often. He finds his job wearisome, but he is compelled to do what he must and is loyal to Q.

I love the Daniel Craig portrayal of James Bond, and I think Casino Royale was a revelation on the screen, but I also feel that if you don't read Fleming's novels, and you think of Sean Connery when you hear Bond's name, you don't know James Bond.

The blandest Bond volume I've read. Normal amounts of sexism, imperialism, and racism. Rather dull.

We get to know James Bond a little better in his fourth outing, which bears little resemblance to the film, except that there are scenes in Africa, Las Vegas, and the Queen Elizabeth, and there's a girl named Tiffany Case, who is a much darker character than that played by Jill St. John. A fun read.

7/7/2023: I reread this book, and I am satisfied with my prior review. This time I notice more than I remember noticing before that Ian Fleming was an excellent writer. Another thing that is striking me is how annoying he makes Bond’s women.

Bond, James Bond. I have probably watched every movie multiple times, and at this time of year, my husband and I enjoy watching the Daniel Craig films on Saturday nights. My husband is a huge fan of Craig as Bond but will watch the Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore installments of the franchise. My dad, on the other hand, will only watch those original films starring Sean Connery as 007. As a teen, he ushered at a fancy movie house in downtown Chicago and got to watch the first few movies while at work. Not a bad gig, and he was hooked and managed to watch most of the Connery films. Growing up I saw these as reruns on tv because my dad is not the type to rent mainstream movies. Regardless, I have seen most if not all of the Bond films and enjoy them immensely. Supposedly, Aaron Taylor Johnson has been tabbed as the next Bond, but the movie studio is keeping tight lips so we fans wait with bated breath for the next film. In the meantime, I periodically read Ian Fleming’s original Bond books, the ones he churned out once a year, and listed JFK as an early fan of his work. Diamonds are Forever was one of Connery’s early films in the Bond franchise, and I desired to see how Fleming’s work matched up to Bond on the silver screen.

As with most of these books occurring during the days of the Cold War, the action starts slow. There is always the threat of SMERSH but the Russians are notably absent from this installment. What I enjoy as the action gets started is Bond’s conversations with M. At this time 007 has not yet achieved the peak of his notoriety, and M questions if he is up for a case against the American mafia, who can be ruthless. From what Bond understands, the Americans are Italians who eat spaghetti by day and order killings by night; however, the mob, specifically the Spangled Gang, is much more organized and brutal than that. The brothers Spang have made a fortune by creating a pipeline to smuggle diamonds from points in Africa to be sold in America at a considerable profit. London is a key jumping off point, so M has been informed by his Chief that MI-6 should get involved even though this case should be in the jurisdiction of the CIA. Knowing that the CIA during the Cold War could be just as brutal as the mob, I prefer Bond going undercover with his license to kill only if necessary. His job is to pinpoint where the pipeline starts and ends and to eliminate the perpetrators only if needed. As in other cases set during the Cold War, Bond is off to America, traveling in a ritzy business class variety.

Being in America could only mean one thing: collaboration with old friend Felix Leiter. The two make a formidable pair and provide humorous conversation. Injured on an earlier job with Bond, Leiter now works on contract for Pinkerton, who happen to have a network located all over the country. He drives a souped up Studebaker-Cadillac hybrid, which Bond claims has nothing on European cars, and he is probably right. But what is a James Bond movie/book without a car chase. Here, Bond and Leiter fight the Spang Gang from New York to Saratoga Springs to Las Vegas in its early days as a gambling den paradise. From as early as Casino Royale, fans know that Bond is an astute gambler who usually wins unless there is a fix on. It is tough to say if the Spangs know of Bond’s true identity early on, but they are on to him in the form of two goons who do their heavy hitting. These men known as Wint and Kidd follow Bond around the globe; they are merely thugs, and I prefer the cunning of the Russians to the brawn of the Americans. At least in this case, the Bond girl aptly named Tiffany Case- diamonds- is fearful of all men and knows how to protect herself in a fight. In this regard, she provides a better backup for Bond than his usual girl, who usually falls for him immediately and stands aside while he wins skirmishes against thugs. Not Tiffany Case so that is a refresher for the bulk of the action.

Bond eventually gets his men, foils the diamond pipeline, and returns to work. Even Tiffany Case, who is fearful of all men, succumbs to Bond’s advances in the end. If she didn’t submit to him, it would not be a classic James Bond case. At only a little over two hundred pages, there was not much space for the action to build up and then resolve itself. By the fourth book in the series, Fleming found his formula and stuck with it. Eventually he would write fourteen Bond books before his premature death and then other writers with good intentions took over the series, an eye on each book becoming the next blockbuster Bond film. Bond stands out in America, yet this case lacks the intrigue of his cases involving the Russians. Such is the nature of a franchise that began during the Cold War and needed the presence of the Russians as a necessary evil. With the Spang brothers out of the way, Bond can return to MI-6 and go back to fighting SMERSH, and, of course, Spectre, who is mentioned in passing with the name of a hideout town run by the Spangs. At this point, Spectre had yet to make their first appearance in the series, but Fleming must have had an inkling here of the direction that the Bond series would go in. Reading from a 21st century lens, I appreciate his foresight in developing an overarching series as he wrote a single book. Little did he know how enduring his hero would become.

As I wait impatiently for the next Bond film, I know that I can always go back and watch my favorite films and read through the books. I do not read these for their literary prowess, simply because I need a Bond fix in between movies. Craig remains my favorite, and, as much as I have tried to convince my father to watch those, he remains partial to Connery. Hopefully, the next Bond will measure up to both. Diamonds are Forever must have appeared more sultry on screen with Connery chasing thugs halfway across the globe and ending up with a formidable girl. Reading these are pure brain candy but fun and make me pine for fall weekend evenings where my family tunes into whichever Bond film floats our fancy. I will have to make Diamonds are Forever our next Bond family movie night. I have a feeling that 007 will exude more of his manly charm on screen than he did in print. Bond, James Bond.

3.75 stars

Either Fleming is stuck in a rut or I am. The fourth novel in the 007 series follows the formula that the third (Moonraker) avoided. Bond scouts out his mission, flashes back to Bond's interview with M, infiltrates the villain's organization, meets the girl, etc. As with Live & Let Die, the job is a treasure hunt (diamond smugglers) rather than actual espionage. But because it involves the Mafia, the spy element feels slightly more authentic than it has in previous novels.

Or it would if Fleming bothered to give his villains depth. These are yeggs right out of central casting, grimacing goombas in loud suits. I get the sense that Fleming spoke with a contact in the FBI, but that he only recalled what confirmed his stereotypes.

Bond himself is a terrible terrible spy. He can't keep a low profile: after a week on the case, he pals around with a Pinkerton agent (recurring char. Felix Leiter) & stirs up trouble that gets a G-man killed, himself tortured, & the girl raped. That girl, a streetwise American named "Tiffany Case" is frigid until Bond melts her with his tough, forceful love. I haven't even mentioned the pair of homosexual hit men. My god, this is conservative writing!

And yet, it's not bad writing, not quite. It's got a momentum that pushes you through the novel. Bond himself is compelling, partly because he's such a cad & partly because he's authentically smart (except when he isn't). And Fleming's getting better as a writer: previous novels have had one or two nice set-pieces that kindle the imagination (gambling scenes, usually). Here, there are several good ones, most importantly an apocalyptic climax involving Bond derailing a steam locomotive in the desert. The opening chapter's downright poetic.

After enjoying Moonraker, I figured I'd read a few more 007 novels. Since I've already got the next volume, From Russia with Love (I picked it & Diamonds up on discount at the Strand), I'll follow through. But while I'm enjoying 007, I find the racism, the sexism, & most of all, the sadism kind of disgusting. There's also a pleasure to reading Fleming's series - in the tight, confident style and, yes, in the conservative sense of righteous violence - but it diminishes with each return. But my greatest disappointment is that 007 isn't actually a spy. I'm crossing my fingers that From Russia has bona fide espionage. That'll be enough to carry me through.

You won’t find any of this in the novel of Diamonds Are Forever.

Diamonds Are Forever is the fourth James Bond book. Bond’s mission is to enter a diamond smuggling pipeline as a carrier and follow it as far up as he can. This assignment leads Bond to New York, Saratoga Race Course, Las Vegas and finally Sierra Leone. Along the way he meets diamond-smuggling gang member Tiffany Case and is assisted by his old friend Felix Leiter (now a private detective following the injuries he sustained in Live and Let Die).

Sad to say, I didn’t enjoy Diamonds Are Forever as much as the previous three Bond novels. I knew as I was reading the lengthy account of a scorpion’s demise which begins the novel that this wasn’t going to be my favourite in the series. Alas, things didn’t get much better. Maybe it’s because I have no interest in horse racing that I found the protracted subplot at Saratoga so tedious. This subplot, which narrates Bond’s pay-off for smuggling the diamonds into America, ends up lasting for about a third of the novel. When Bond finally confronts the villain, the result is so like something out of Looney Tunes as to be almost risible.

Diamonds Are Forever is not a book I would hurry to reread. It lacked the glamour and nostalgia of the preceding Bond novels. And its only real saving grace was the fact that it was a quick read. Nonetheless, I remain optimistic and anticipate better things from From Russia with Love.

That’s all folks!