The Man With The Golden Gun

By Ian Fleming

Was this book written by Ian Fleming? There is some speculation. What I can say is that in The Man With The Golden Gun the descriptions are not nearly as frequent or as detailed as in the other stories. My guess is that Ian Fleming did write the book but died before it was finished and an editor helped to put the book together. If this is in fact the case then it is an interesting look into how he wrote. To me it would indicate the Ian Fleming wrote out the story first and then went back through to add in the detailed descriptions of clothes and food and everything else that James Bond comes into contact with. I don’t know about the 1950’s and 60’s but from the amount of product placement that he put in his stories you would hope the companies were paying him. Kind of like the movies are nowadays. From what I’ve read about Ian Fleming this was just the way he was (maybe it’s just because he’s British) and he added the names of products to distinguish James Bond.

My review of The Man With the Golden Gun was written shortly after reading it. I plan on rereading all the James Bond books and comparing them to the appropriate movie sometime in the future. They are very enjoyable stories to read. For now you’ll have to do with my summary of the story (written more for myself) along with comments about the book.

The book picks up where You Only Live Twice ends. James is back in England, with a vague memory of what has happened other than a nice Russian, Colonel Boris, has told him what to do to get back to see M. James is given the soft treatment when he contacts the service, against the others judgment, M see James in his office. Bond doesn’t have much to report. He does pull out a gun to squirt poison on M. Luckily the Armorplate glass shield that was installed comes down between them in M’s office to protect M. James had been brainwashed! The book actually goes into more detail of this but I spared you. M sends him to be fixed, electroshock therapy, and then on assignment to the Caribbean, Jamaica, to kill Francisco “pistol” Scaramenga. Either James Bond will be killed and given his punishment, also dying in action like a respectful agent there by regaining his standing or he will kill Scaramenga and redeem himself. That M doesn’t mess around. Kill or be killed the life of a 00.

In Jamaica James tracks Scaramenga to a brothel. Scaramenga hires James to provide security at a weekend meeting he is having. Now this sounds more like the movie James Bond than the book James Bond. Walking right in and hooking up with the mark. Well okay so this happens in other books, Moonraker comes instantly to mind, but it all just seems too easy.

Goodnight is now based in Jamaica and is there to assist James. It also turns out that Felix Lighter and helper are already at the hotel as staff, secretly working for America in an effort to stop Scaramenga. Scaramenga is meeting with goons planing various schemes from destroying the sugar cane production to raise prices in the world market to casinos to drugs to hotel development. Hotel development? WTF. If he could make all his money legitimately than why bother with the rest. Oh well, I guess that why these bad guys are show to be crazy. Normal people wouldn’t act this way.

A Russian in the group of goons gets word by phone of a description of James and the gig is up. On a train ride Bond sits up in the cab. The others goons are to “hunt” during the ride to the harbor for lunch and dinner plus girls on a boat.

Scaramenga start the fun and takes pot shots at James. Then up ahead a blond is tied to the tracks. Goodnight? No, a mannequin, but it fools Bond who undeniably blows his cover. I guess he’s gotten soft towards the women at the series continued.

Then all shit brakes loose. As Mark Hazard (Felix) and James off two of the goons. Leighter is in the brake car, pops Scaramenga in the lung, lots of blood. James plus Felix jump off the train; well Felix is thrown by Scaramenga who was faking death. The train crashes off the bridge Felix set to blow.

Hunting in the morass of the swamp, James finds Scaramenga with a debilotating injury. But he’s faking the seriousness of it. Scaramenga gets off a gut shot on Bond who unloads the Walter PPK into Scaramenga.

The bullet Scaramenga shot was laced with snake venom and almost kills James. Almost. Felix turns out ok. Bond of course convalesces with Goodnight at her place and turns down an offer of Knighthood. Don’t want to become a public figure now do we.

All in all The Man With the Golden Gun is not up to par with the rest of the series and quite a bit different. It’s a much simpler story, than the movie with a villain who’s not nearly as bad. But them most would argue that the plot and goal of Scaramenga is not very well defined either. But hey that kind of goes along with the rest of the movies and their villains who have a vague scheme to control the world.