Casino Royale

In between all of the eating and the music, I managed to squeeze in Ian Flemming's Casino Royale. I won't reveal the plot (for the benefit of the handful of people out there who still read), save to say that it is NOTHING like the awful David Niven/Peter Sellers movie.

I did note a few things that I thought I'd mention. The book is a wonderful example of concise, economic writing. At only 180 pages, give or take, the book tells its story and leaves the building. Mr. Flemming gives the reader only what he needs to know and leaves the rest to the imagination. Being a longtime fan of Elmore Leonard and Graham Greene, I marvel at this technique when it is done well. And, as I plod my way through 800+ pages of Quicksilver (thanks a lot, Eric), I find that I appreciate concise writing more and more.

The Bond in this story is different than the one I know from the films. In the movies, Bond is nearly all-powerful. He knows exactly what to do in any situation. He kills with ease and efficiency. The women love him.

The women still love him. But in the book he is known primarily for his skill at cards, which is why he is given the assignment that provides the plot to the story. It is true that he has a "00" rating, and one earns that distinction for killing people, but he has only killed two people before the book begins and he had help. Although his skill at cards and - more aptly - his knowledge of odds is considerable, the game relies enough on luck that he is not guaranteed a win. A lot of things happen to Bond in this story and he is powerless to prevent them. He really goes through the ringer in this one.

This story is also a product of its time. The Cold War is in full swing and all of the characters wear scars from WWII. Bond is a chauvanist and a cad to the female lead. The French are pretty cool and the Americans (represented in a cameo by Felix, the CIA man) dutifully supply the money and discreetly fade away.

If Quentin Tarantino does make this picture, I hope this is the story he uses. I realize that it may be too much to ask that the picture be faithful to the book or even be faithful to the story's time and place. But I think it would inject much needed credibilty back into the franchise.

I want to mention that I also read a book entitled Resume with Monsters over the weekend. It is a quick read about a hapless temp worker who runs afoul of Lovecraftian cults that operate within giant corporations. And it takes place in Austin. The author plays this story straight, and it is suitably creepy and trippy in the right places, but it is also quite funny and has more than a few barbs for modern coporate life. Thanks, Justin!