SCRAMBLED EGGS ‘JAMES BOND’

- 12 fresh eggs
- Salt and pepper
- 5-6 oz. of fresh butter

Break the eggs into a bowl. Beat thoroughly with a fork and season well. In a small copper (or heavy bottomed saucepan) melt four oz. of the butter. When melted, pour in the eggs and cook over a very low heat, whisking continuously with a small egg whisk.

While the eggs are slightly more moist than you would wish for eating, remove the pan from heat, add rest of butter and continue whisking for half a minute, adding the while finely chopped chives or fine herbs. Serve on hot buttered toast in individual copper dishes (for appearance only) with pink champagne (Taittinger) and low music.

This recipe for eggs is included with the last short story in this book, 007 in New York. After reading this, I could only say “James Bond eats 12 eggs at a time! That’s impressive!” Only Cool Hand Luke has a more impressive egg eating resume.

This book collection of short stories was the last Ian Fleming James Bond release. It was also released posthumously . You will recognize the titles of two of the short stories from the movie series and some of the elements you see in the movies did come from here. But, in the grand scheme of things, the connection is only minor.

OCTOPUSSY – 3 out of 5 stars
This one is not much about Bond – of the close to 50 pages, he is only in it for 4 or 5. It is a decent story about a good guy going bad and what happens in the aftermath. And, in this case,  Octopussy is actually an octopus!

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY – 4 out of 5 stars
This contains an element I remember the most from the movie, Octopussy: a Fabergé Egg. Other than the story having the egg in it, I cannot remember if any of the other elements/plot points were in the movie. I guess it is time for a re-watch!

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS – 4 out of 5 stars
I seem to be reading and watching lots of stories that take place in Cold War era Berlin lately. I cannot remember if the movie version of this story had anything to do with Cold War Berlin, but it does include Bond encountering a blonde Cello player, which was in the movie.

007 IN NEW YORK – 2 out of 5 stars
This is basically Fleming’s hate letter to New York. If you love New York and you want to continue liking Fleming and Bond, you may want to avoid this story!

A fun and eclectic collection of short stories that mostly focus on James Bond in un-Bond-like situations.

Again, paralyzed with options! Here we have Octopussy (the movie came out in 1983) and The Living Daylights which came out... later... with Timothy Dalton. But these are novellas, they're short, and apparently they were published together in this short story collection. (Though I beg to ask - can you have a "short story collection" when said collection includes only two stories? I feel like that's cheating.)

This is an exceptionally short book, even with both stories together. I think it clocks in somewhere just slightly over 100 pages, the print is large, and every so often there's a page dedicated to some pointillist drawings. I read the whole kit and caboodle in less than a half hour. It's just a fast read, I'm not a a machine. (Or am I...?)

Octopussy the story is absolutely nothing like the movie. The movie involves some clowns and some acrobats and neither of those things make an appearance in the book. Which is just as well because clowns tend to make me cry. (Seeing Roger Moore dressed as a clown is no exception. That's just terrifying.) I understand the plot of the movie comes from some other story (or stories) that I haven't read yet, and seriously. It's hard enough keeping up here. This is the craziest project ever.

The real Octopussy story involves some underwater creatures, which I'm all about, even if it means going to Jamaica (ugh, it's humid there, right?) to see them. Bond is required to apprehend a World War II hero, Major Smythe. That's the story. Oh, that's not true. There are some flashbacks and, like I said, some underwater creatures, but it really is a short story. The best is the ending - very vivid, which goes back to what I was saying yesterday after reading For Your Eyes Only - Fleming really seems to blossom in his short stories in ways that he did not in his novels. I think, for example, in his novels he spends a considerable amount of time building up the relationship with whichever Bond girl happens to cross his path, whereas in the short stories there's no time for any of that. There are some women, but there's no time to woo them. They are there, they contribute, they do some stuff, and that's that. No time for objectification.

For those keeping track, the theme song is brought to you by Rita Coolidge. Meh. I would have liked it better if she had managed to find a way to bring "octopussy" into her lyrics. Oh well.

It's difficult for me to even discuss The Living Daylights because (guh!) I haven't (re)watched the movie yet, and this just throws off my entire life. I might revisit this review once we do reach that movie.

I should mention that these short stories are the last two Bond books Fleming wrote. There are like a gazillion other books written by other authors, and undoubtedly I will be reading them along this process as well. Not sure if that will be a good or bad thing, but it is what it is. This is science.

Next up... A View to a Kill which I've already read because it was in yesterday's For Your Eyes Only. And then after that is The Living Daylights, sigh. In light of this unfortunate and stupid setback I will probably try to get my paws on something else by or about Fleming, depending on what's available in the library. Don't worry, this project isn't over yet.

Next actual Bond book... License to Kill, a non-Fleming novel.

3 stars for the short stories.

5 stars for Tom Hiddleston's narrations.

The short stories were good. Here we have Octopussy, The Property of a Lady, and The Living Daylights. All three have very different tones to them and all have a different version of Bond.

Octopussy was probably my favorite. Bond is actually only a minor character and the story really centers around Major Dexter Smythe, a retired WWII hero who is implicated in a murder that involved a stash of Nazi gold. Smythe is a very interesting character and the story is mostly told via his flashbacks of his involvement in the murder. And, of course, there is Smythe's famous Octopussy, his pet name for the giant Octopus living in the coral reef off of his bungalow who ends up having a surprising role to play in the story.

The Portrait of a Lady was only worthy of note for me because here Bond is a much more laid back character. He was very amusing in this piece and the stakes are not really that high as he mainly attends an auction in order to identify his target, who is then simply deported from London. Bond's inner thoughts during the whole auction proceedings gave me quite a few laughs.

The Living Daylights has a much more serious tone throughout and I actually loved Bond in this piece more than the other short stories and even the previous two books that I read in the series. There is a lot of depth and complexity to him here that I was surprised to find.

The other day I came across this audiobook of James Bond short stories narrated by Tom Hiddleston.

I was like, well hello there.



Had no idea that he did this! So I checked it out from my library, listened to it, and enjoyed it.

I’ve seen all the Bond films and have always thought about reading an Ian Fleming book someday. Discovering that Tom Hiddleston had narrated these short stories was all the push I needed, and icing on the cake. I was happy to see that two of the three he narrated happened to be a couple of my favorite Bond movies, “Octopussy” and “The Living Daylights”.

First up, “Octopussy”. At first I was a bit lost because I kept comparing it to the movie. My mistake, I know. I was all, what is this? Where’s the female league of thieves and smugglers? Q? The circus? The Faberge egg? Louis Jourdan? Yeah, the movie was completely different from what Fleming had originally penned. I mean I figured there’d be some changes, that’s what happens with most book-to-film adaptations. I just wasn’t expecting that big of a change. But after I got over my initial surprise and pushed the movie out of my head, I settled right down into the story and got caught up in it.

Next was “The Property of a Lady”, which actually turned out to be my favorite of the trio. The Faberge egg turned up in this one. I was like, aha! So this is where the Octopussy movie got that from. It was a fun short story and I really liked the tense atmosphere of it taking place in Sotheby’s, an upscale art auction house in England. For some reason, whenever a story revolves around bidding on works of art (especially at a place like Sotheby’s), it always fascinates me. I guess I like the poshness of it. Now having listened to this, the movie’s auction scene kinda pales in comparison. It was more dramatic the way Fleming wrote it.

And then lastly, “The Living Daylights”. The movie version of this seemed to have stuck pretty close to the plot, the beginning anyway. They changed it a bit and added on a whole lot more to the story, and I mean a lot. There wouldn’t have been a movie if they didn’t. It was interesting to see how the screenwriters expanded on what Fleming had written. What he wrote was good. I liked knowing what was going on in Bond’s mind while on a mission to kill. But now I want to go back and watch the movie again to “finish” the story. I just really loved that storyline and how it played out. So I think the short story and movie go well together. Start with the book, end with the film. Works for me.

I liked Fleming’s style of writing and found these to be entertaining short stories. They're not as action packed like the movies, they're more subtle and slow building with a certain calculated coolness, but there’s still that sense of danger and suspense. As for Tom Hiddleston’s narration, he did a great job and I enjoyed listening to him. I also liked his insightful interview at the end. He said that he loved “The Property of a Lady” too and its atmospheric writing.

The Living Daylights is like condensed Bond mystique. At a scant 35 pages (in the Quantum of Solace collection), Fleming frames and develops his character through a simple encounter, a mission in Berlin, a shot from a hotel window. The key to this story is how much it doesn't accomplish. Bond goes nowhere. He gallivants, of course, as that's his MO, that's who he is. He gets fixed on a girl, too, naturally. But he stays on mission. He stays in the room, with one foil to bounce some very insightful conversation and reflection, and sees it through. In keeping Bond stationary, in preventing the ubiquitously expected regalia of travel from overtaking the event, Fleming gives us a distilled shot of James Bond's consciousness throughout the encounter, which is a prized commodity at least for this reader. Truly one of the best windows into his psyche. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Octopussy gets high marks, too. Although Bond appears in the story as a mere emissary, and the story is told from another character's perspective, we get Bond's presence, which, we find, carry's import (and was a very nice touch at the end). The story itself is great. Fleming gets to flex his muscles on another character, a couple locales, and he does well. The character isn't a deformed lunatic- he's very human, although perverse, and that makes it interesting. It's a great character study and a good story, perfectly at home in the world of James Bond. High marks, as I said.

I really do enjoy the Bond short stories because in the absence of broad-reaching plots and numerous characters, Fleming gives us insight into the character that's difficult to convey on film.

Octopussy took me by the greatest surprise as it has nothing at all to do with the film bearing its name (although the film did happily borrow significant elements from The Property of a Lady and Moonraker), and indeed added more fuel for Spectre than anything. What we have here is a fairly dark tale that shows Bond's taste for a little revenge when the job gets too close to home. It's a combination of a classic World War II tale, Bond spy-work, and the Telltale Heart. Could it get better? Ironically mirroring the story, Bond is only a minor figure in this one, but his brief presence drives the events, proving the power a well-crafted character can have on a narrative. And once again, Fleming is out to prove that octopuses are nature's deadliest predators.

The Property of a Lady shows Bond hobnobbing with the London elite, as he does when he has to, but where he seldom feels at ease. This works as a good excuse to have him serve as an audience surrogate and have a world rarely seen explained to us without seeming condescending. I enjoyed seeing the original, simpler version of a scene I knew well from the Octopussy film. It also gave me a greater appreciation for the screenwriters who took an already intriguing sketch and fleshed it out into a much bigger story.

The Living Daylights is another instance of film taking a basic story and expanding it very successfully, all the while remaining true to the source material. Perhaps this story more than many others show Bond's true feelings towards some of the nasty assignments he has to endure and the way in which his vices play into his decisions. He's a real human character, not just a quip and a suit, and we get to see that here, flaws and all.

Then there's 007 in New York. Not much here to write about in terms of character development, although it is fun to watch Bond fantasize about his day in the Big Apple. Fleming's brand name-dropping account of the high life is on full display here, and I very much enjoy tidbits like these for the sort of snapshot of a time they provide. And two welcome surprises - the only mention of Bond's preferred Martini mix and a humorous ending! Who knew Fleming was capable?

I'm glad the series goes out with a bang instead of a whimper. Frankly I don't think I'd enjoy a full length novel with these sorts of stories, but at these lengths, they really work well. I really can't recommend the books enough to anyone who enjoys the film series. Much like the films, there are some that will leave you scratching your head and some that feel dated, but most of them are at least good, a handful are great, and if nothing else you will gain a bounty of insight into the stories and characters you think you already know so well.

Major Smythe looked candidly into the cold, clear eyes. ‘Sorry, can’t help you.’

The cold clear eyes belong to James Bond, Commander James Bond, from the Ministry of Defence. The man looking into them, Major (ret’d) Dexter Smythe is a bibulous former special services officer living a privileged life in Jamaica after World War Two, but burdened by a dark secret from his days with the Miscellaneous Objectives Bureau.

Every day in his Caribbean idyll Major Smythe is familiar with the maritime inhabitants of the nearby reef, including the deadly scorpion fish and a resident octopus, hence the title of the tale, Octopussy, which bears no relationship to the Roger Moore Bond movie of the same name.

At the Major’s villa, Commander Bond, at one stage leaning negligently against a wide mahogany window sill, questions Smythe about events in the Tyrol immediately after the German surrender. While mopping up Gestapo hide outs, Major Smythe is consumed with greed, which brings him wealth, but ultimately dissolution, self-loathing and the loss of someone dear to him. Bond sets out the pieces of the puzzle and waits in the garden.

The denouement? Fleming excels in his construction of events, detailed descriptions of the physical process of Smythe’s Tyrolean activity, Bond’s understated interrogation and above all, the role of the reef creatures in bringing the tale to its conclusion.

I usually find wartime stories most convincing when told by authors who were actually there. This is certainly the case with Ian Fleming.

The Living Daylights, Fleming’s story about Bond attempting to neutralise a Russian sniper at the Berlin Wall before they get a shot at a defector, is reviewed separately here.

Best. James. Bond.

Octopussy and The Living Daylights is the last book of the James Bond 007 books written by Ian Fleming. It contains three short stories (at least the Pan version I possess does. Published 1967). Two of the stories, Octupussy and The Living Daylights were turned into movies. I don't know if they followed the premises of the stories.

The three stories are very simple and to the point. The first, Octopussy, shows Bond in a very minor role. He is in Jamaica to arrest Ret'd Maj Dexter Smythe for crimes committed at the end of WWII. But for the most part Bond is there as an observer as he listens to Smythe's story. I saw the ending coming (sort of) but the story was interesting and to the point.

The Property of a Lady was a bit of a throwaway but still interesting. Bond goes to Sotheby's for the auction of a long lost Fabergé emerald for the purpose of discovering a Russian spy in England. Once again a very simple story, but the small bit of spycraft made it a fun read.

The Living Daylights is the most typically Bondish story. Bond is sent to Berlin to kill a KGB assassin who is trying to prevent a Russian scientist from defecting to the west.

I don't often enjoy short stories as I find writers, who don't normally write them, don't know how to get to the point and also don't know how to end them. But Fleming did an excellent job with these three. Each one got to the point, got you involved right away and basically ended on a satisfying note. You could say they were a bit Bond-lite, but they were still nicely matter-of-fact and enjoyable. I've now read all of this series and enjoyed them all. (4 stars)

The final Bond book is a short collection of short stories and it was rather magnificent! Beautiful, moving Bond stories, or nuggets really, that once again paint a completely different picture of Bond, which adds to the complexity of this interesting character. I'm gonna miss that fella.

Audio fine short stories provided me with a great way to put 007 to rest.