Fleming is insightful and purposeful in his description of gambling, the elite rich and, especially, the world of the secret service agent. The prose is beautiful, flowing smoothly and with a grim demeanor that mirrors the story’s leading man. We get to hear 007’s thoughts, his cool, calculated manner - and we get a glimpse of his humanity and fallibility.Īfter the initial, knee-jerk discomfort (it does feel alien after watching 007 only through cinematic portrayal), seeing Bond’s thoughts along with Fleming’s clipped, British narration is both comfortable and enjoyable. In film, we take for granted that we’re being shown James Bond for who he is, what he does in prose, though, this description reaches an entirely different level.
The old rule in writing is “show, don’t tell”.
