Guardian newspaper reviews James Bond the literary character
15-Dec-2002 • Media Alert
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The first week of review analyses the character that is Bond, James Bond.
Fleming does not exactly invent the secret agent, but he bequeaths his properties to those who come after. The likes of Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum could not exist without him, though they never manage his wit. Bond is the incorruptible gambler, the individualist who defends the nation for the relish of it.
Unlike his film counterpart, there is little of the nouveau riche glitter of money about him. British secret service pay, we are told in From Russia with Love, is modest. "J`aime les sensations forte", he tells Kerim, quoting his friend and French secret agent Mark. Licensed to kill, but a connoisseur of life.
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