Casino Royale (James Bond Series)

Clearly this suffers from its date of publication, however, the Bond personality is different from most of the movies with Daniel Craig perhaps closest. The plot resembles quite a bit of the Craig movie actually and the dialogue is pretty good in many parts. The card game is an excellent staged psychological drama. Changes in technology and many cultural standards (avoid Live and Let Die if you can't handle blatant racism and misogyny) aside this novel really holds up rather well. A pretty good read actually.

I'm rereading the James Bond series after fifty years and I'm just as impressed as I was as a young boy! I've always felt the books to be better than the films and rereading Casino Royale confirms this. Mr. Fleming was a terrific storyteller and made you feel like you were there with Bond.

This is where it all starts - a much more complex tale than any movie, and certainly not as jolly as the Casino Royale movies. We see 007's character being developed along with the relationships with M and SMERSH.
While there are a few gadgets, the story relies mostly on people and their abilities.
This story is worth re-reading every decade or so - enjoy it.

After all these years, I had wanted to finally read a James Bond novel, so I started with the original one. It was an engrossing, fast-paced read, and it was interesting to get inside Bond's head, which you rarely can do in the movies. I definitely intend to read more in the series. The atmosphere was wonderful and the explanations of roulette and baccarat very enlightening.

The first installment in the acclaimed james bond series is not very good at all, for the writing lacked any style whatsoever. The book started out boring and uninteresting and then slightly became a more enjoyable read closer to the end but then at the end became more like a cheap romance novel than a spy thriller. Unless you are a die-hard Bond fan I don't really recommend this book.

"Bond - James Bond", one of the most well-known quotes in the Western world spoken by one of the most well-known characters to ever grace the pages and screens. Casino Royale is Sir Ian Fleming's introduction to the character of Bond, and sets the stage for the many successful and popular sequels to follow.

James Bond - Agent 007 - must play a high-stakes game of Baccarat against a Russian named Le Chiffre, and must prevent him from winning roughly 50 million francs. Bond's sole objective is to prevent Le Chiffre from obtaining that money, which would result in a fate worse for Le Chiffre than merely death.

It seems difficult to make a game of Baccarat interesting, yet Fleming did just that and more, adding a great deal of suspense and action, as well as a woman typical of the Bond franchise. The books offer a different glimpse into the life of Bond than the movies, in that the reader is able to understand the thought process of Bond, rather than just witness his actions. This provides a compelling tale of the most famous secret agent in the world, and Casino Royale provides a glimpse into what turns him into the womanizing man he is famous for - especially the chilling last line of the novel.

If your a Bond fan you will definitely enjoy this novel. Ian Fleming was a master at providing great detail in short, concise writing. He also allows the reader to feel Bond's thoughts, emotions, and feelings throughout the story, which is something you miss a bit of in the Movie series. I'm not going to comment on any of the details of the story, because I want you to go in fresh.

It has 189 pages, which sounds short, but Fleming does what he needs to with the story in that amount of time. Prior to this purchase, most of my ebooks have been through Google Play. This was my first real purchase on Kindle Books and I can tell you it works awesome with the Android Kindle App. I definitely like reading through the Kindle App far more than I have on Google's Play Bookstore.

Do NOT purchase this Kindle version, it is at best an abridged version of the original at worst a rip-off by someone else I remember reading the original in the 60s as a teenager and this is NOTHING like it. Buy the Extended version which is authorized by the Fleming family.

James Bond is one of the most famous characters in fiction, and I'd seen several of the films. But I'd never read the books, and I recently decided that I ought to remedy that. I began by going back to where it all started, with Ian Fleming's 1953 novel Casino Royale.

Bond, the best gambler in the British Secret Service, is sent to the Casino Royale to bust Le Chiffre, a Soviet agent, at baccarat and disrupt Communist activity in France. He has help from French and American agents, Rene Mathis and Felix Leiter respectively, and is joined by Vesper Lynd, who aids with his cover as a Jamaican playboy. The tension at the casino is very well done, and Bond's final encounter with Le Chiffre is gruesome. The plot thread of the relationship between Bond and Lind works well enough, but seems dragged out, and could have been half as long and still been just as effective. There's surprisingly little action in the novel, as the key points of tension are the baccarat game, a brutal torture scene, and relationship stress. Outside of a car chase, Bond's spying in this book is based more on nerves than muscle. Still, it works very well as a whole, and is a very good introduction to James Bond.

Casino Royale's Bond is new to his Double-0 status, and much of what was later developed for the character is not yet fully formed. Gadgets barely make an appearance, and Bond is much more focused on business than on romance, at least until the job is done. But Bond still possesses the style, worldliness, and nerves of steel you expect. The most interesting aspect of Bond portrayed in Casino Royale is the personal reflection he undergoes about what he does and why he does it. It's not the sort of thing you expect from Bond, and you wouldn't want Fleming to rehash it every novel, but it's very intriguing here, and it gives purpose to Bond's future exploits.

I listened to Casino Royale as read by Robert Whitfield. Whitfield does a great job portraying Bond, really bringing him to life, and is also very effective with the other characters, his accents serving well to add to the international flavor of the story.

Casino Royale isn't a perfect book, but it is exciting, and reading it one can see why James Bond caught the popular imagination so well. Fleming is extremely effective at creating the tension needed for the spy genre, and I'm definitely planning to read more of the novels. That, and watch some of the films again.

When British journalist Ian Fleming handed the manuscript for this novel to friends they implored him to write a second one, reasoning that if "Casino Royale" failed he would never want to produce another one.
They need not have worried, as the James Bond books became one of the most enduringly popular series of novels in modern history and now, over 50 years later, much of "Casino Royale" still grips it's readers with a taut, yet breezy style.
Having first read the novel in my youth I decided to revisit the Fleming series after the phenomenal success of the movie "Casino Royale." Over the years I had listened to a large portion of James Bond fans who consider this to be the best of Flemings Bond novels.
But, I quickly realized upon rereading this novel that the pages did not turn quite as willingly or excitedly as they do for some of the other novels such as "Moonraker," "From Russia With Love" or "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."
I think that Fleming had yet to settle into his rhythm and perfect his characteristic "Fleming sweep." Though a very enjoyable read I felt it too episodic with the climax of the novel seemingly mid-way through the book.
Taking his inspiration from a real World War II incident in Portugal in which Fleming had attempted to defeat a Nazi at cards this freshman effort by Fleming pits his fictional creation against SMERSH's banker Le Chiffre.
Much like Fleming had attempted a decade earlier(he lost the game against the German), British intelligence sends the best card player in the service to the fictional French casino in an effort to bankrupt the operations of the Russian intelligence service.
This novels climax to me is the card game for there is no greater novelist who can enliven the action at the card tables like Fleming. And fittlingly the baccarat game in "Casino Royale" is riveting, holding the reader's attention throughout. It is not surprising therefore that I had forgotten the second half of the book in which Bond is tortured and ultimately falls in love with Vesper Lynd, as the most interesting and entertaining section of the book had already passed.
That's not to say that you should not read this novel, you should. It's a fun read and a good introduction to the world of 007. just don't be surprised if you find your attention tends to wander during the second half.
Well recommended.

If your knowledge of James Bond comes from the long running movie series than you should read this the first novel that introduced the famous spy to the world. The Bond in this book is no superman and he does make mistakes along the way. This what makes him human and not comic book hero as he has often been portrayed in movies.

I have finally gotten around to starting to read James Bond, and all I can say is wow. This book absolutely blew me away; honestly, my expectations for it were somewhat low (rose-colored glasses and whatnot); but this book delivered so much more than I was anticipating. The characters are intriguing, the plot is gripping, and the writing is superb. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

After watching the amazing film adaptation this past year I decided to give the Ian Fleming novel a chance. I'm sure glad that I did, for even though it shows its age through and through it's still a great introductory novel into the world of James Bond. While some have already noted that the action itself is subdued I feel it bares repeating since this novel is all about establishing character, and with that in mind it does a fantastic job.

In `Casino Royale' we meet British Secret Service agent James Bond, newly crowned 007, as he embarks on a mission full of deceit, murder, torture and high stakes gambling. Sent to the Casino Royale to turn the tables on the Russian spy Le Chiffre it appears that Bond has one of those `sitting-pretty' type assignments, but things aren't as easy as they initially appear. First he has to contend with his partner, the beautiful Vesper Lynd. Bond, while a surefire ladies man, prefers to keep their company strictly bedside and struggles with the idea of entertaining and ultimately trusting her. Le Chiffre himself also poses a problem in that he is not only smarter than Bond imagined but also much more determined to end up on top then Bond would have given him credit for.

`Casino Royale' may spend most of it's time in the close quarters of the casino floor but it serves up some very interesting background information on everyone's favorite secret agent. It establishes Bond as a person, not just a pretty face with muscles and brains, but a man stripped to the core with real human emotions and feelings. `Casino Royale' is the book that sets the foundation for the remaining Bond novels. His relationship with Vesper plays a huge part in the man Bond becomes and this novel helps the reader come to better understand this iconic character.

While I personally preferred the 2006 Blockbuster to the novel, mainly because the style of writing is dated and moves a little slow, I will say that it's well worth the read. I myself am now determined to read through the entire Bond series to get a full picture of the man we all love to watch film after film. This is where Bond began and is a must read for any fan of the films that this immortal character inspired.

When Daniel Craig took over as James Bond, the character changed from how all the actors before him portrayed James Bond. After reading Casino Royale, I now understand why. Daniel Craig has captured the real essence of the character as originally portrayed by Ian Fleming. Bravo! I was surprised how short the book was, but it was thoroughly entertaining.

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. This is a vastly different depiction of the James Bond character. He is a believable and mature individual. There are no exotic gadgets, endless chase scenes, gratuitous scenes of violence, etc. In this book, Bond's world is plausible and recognizable to those who lived through the "cold war".

Tough, bright, worldly and even philosophical. A pleasant diversion from the outlandish cinematic incarnation that many of us have been exposed to via the film industry. Though, I do respect the latest cinematic incarnation, as displayed by Mr. Daniel Craig.

I would recommend this book to anyone who may be interested in reading an intelligently written and suspenseful story.

A big thank you to the author Mr. Ian Fleming!

When Daniel Craig took over as James Bond, the character changed from how all the actors before him portrayed James Bond. After reading Casino Royale, I now understand why. Daniel Craig has captured the real essence of the character as originally portrayed by Ian Fleming. Bravo! I was surprised how short the book was, but it was thoroughly entertaining.

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. This is a vastly different depiction of the James Bond character. He is a believable and mature individual. There are no exotic gadgets, endless chase scenes, gratuitous scenes of violence, etc. In this book, Bond's world is plausible and recognizable to those who lived through the "cold war".

Tough, bright, worldly and even philosophical. A pleasant diversion from the outlandish cinematic incarnation that many of us have been exposed to via the film industry. Though, I do respect the latest cinematic incarnation, as displayed by Mr. Daniel Craig.

I would recommend this book to anyone who may be interested in reading an intelligently written and suspenseful story.

A big thank you to the author Mr. Ian Fleming!

At the recommendation of a friend, I purchased Casino Royale. Great recommendation; terrific book. I'd seen most of the Bond movies, but never read one of the books. Casino Royale allows the reader to discover the original James Bond. Detailed descriptions, fascinating characters and the Cold War intertwine to make this a great read!

This great book is better than the movie. Be warned however the movie does not stay try to the movie. Fleming wrote great novels and this is one of the earlier works.

James Bond agent for British secret service travels to royale in a plan to destroy an enemy agent. Action and adventure ensue as Bond gets on the case.

Before there was a British spy who ordered his vodka martinis "shaken, not stirred," and used his Beretta as an extension of his right arm and flowed smoothly from one beauty to another, there was a tentative civil servant just trying to do his best for God and Country. Along the way, he fell deeply in love, but it was not to be.

Now that Casino Royale has been released as a movie I decided to reread the book to see if it held my interest as several readings before, and yes it did.

When Ian Fleming set pen to paper to write about things he knew well, having been involved during WWII with such matters, he tailored the figure of Bond on things he not only knew well but fashioned Bond after many things he, Fleming, spent his entire life pursuing. While Bond is not an exact clone of Fleming he is most certainly somewhat Ian Fleming's near shadow.

This first book not only establishes a style and pattern of writing for the other 13 books in the Bond series, but sets a new enemy before us: SMERSH, short for SMYERT SHPIONAM which translates "Death to Spies". And in the case of James Bond in this first book he gets the ideogram for SMERSH cut by a knife into the palm of his hand. As Bond would later say in another book, "he got the point".

The location of the story is Royale-les-Eaux and casino, situated as a resort in N.E. France. Since the book was first published in 1953 that may be an approximate time for the action, and it most certainly has to be a few years after WWII from references made by Bond. Quite a bit of the story is set at the card tables within the casino involving the card game baccarat. Other than 'M' there are only 5 main characters: James Bond, Vesper Lynd, Rene Mathis, Felix Leiter, and one of Fleming's most interesting creations: Le Chiffre or the cypher. And had it not been for the intervention of SMERSH, Le Chiffre had the best of Bond and would have killed Bond in this first novel; Le Chiffre certainly came close enough. Sub characters concern a group of Bulgars or Bulgarians who are hired hit men trying to use several camera bombs to blow James into tiny, little pieces. The reader's interest is held to all of this as the story unfolds, what could have happened 50 years back is quite plausible yet today, too.

As Raymond Benson states in synopsis of this first James Bond novel: "Most atmospheric of all novels; most serious and violent of all novels; Bond at his coldest and most ruthless.". I would also add as the reader arrives at the end of the book, a most philosophic James Bond, and through his philosophy as he speaks to Rene Mathis, James gives us his reasons to continue on with the "00" number. He explains that his number is 007 and the "OO" number is only given to agents after they have killed two people in cold blood prior to becoming an agent. When he begins his lengthly philosophy Bond seems bent on resigning from the secret service, but by dialogue's end, he has convinced himself he must, however, take on this new evil: SMERSH.

And as all of us having both the books and DVDs know quite well, it has been and continues to be, one glorious and bumpy adventure, one after the other.

If you are a newcomer to James Bond and decide to read the books, and that is really the only way to come know Bond, it is advisable to read them in the order written. Though they stand independently, one from another, and can be read as such, reading in sequence will allow your knowledge of things "Bondian" a gradual growth. As in this first novel we find that Mr. Bond wears suits that cost $6000.00. Now in the 1950s that could amount to 2 year's salary for most factory workers! Just one of many other inside items never finding its way to the silver screen.

Good reading, shaken but never stirred.

Semper Fi.

As much as I love Daniel Craig's interpretation of a Bond who doesn't know how to shift from SAS door kicker to MI6 spy, the film adds so much pointless meandering to the tight story in an attempt to make Bond a sympathetic character that its nice to be reminded that he was never supposed to be. Also baccarat is far more interesting a game than any variety of poker will ever be.

This review is for the $0.99 Kindle edition. This is an abridged version which has little of the detail that makes the book so great. It is not labeled as abridged anywhere on the web site, so be warned.

The book is wonderfully descriptive and the images leap off the page but with a James Bond book I would expect more action. The climax happens in the middle of the book and the last 70 some odd pages are the results of the climax.

Although the circumstances are exotic, fantastic, and wild they have an incredible flavor of someone who has actually lived them or lived very close to them, rather than just a writer's fantasy. And the characters have much more complexity and depth than I imagined, having seen some of the film versions. Readers who are hunting for some morality underneath it all will be disappointed.

The first Bond movie was Dr. No. followed by From Russia with Love'. I read the books and discovered this was wrong, Russia came before No, This worried me at the time. At the end of Russia Bond almost gets killed by a Russian agent. Then, at the beginning of Dr. No, the book, as in the movie he is being given a new gun. So why didn't they make that one, Russia, the first one? In fact why didn't they make all the movies in the same chronological sequence as the books? Stuffed if I know.
But Casino Royale had been previously made twice, once a television drama and in 1967 a terrible mish mash of a movie, Sir James Bond was played by David Niven, With Peter Sellers and Woody Allen as his nephew Jimmy Bond? Anyway the rights were owned by
Charles K. Feldman who wanted to sell them to Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman but could never agree on terms.
So we came to 2006 when Daniel Craig became the latest Bond in, Casino Royale, arguably the best of the entire series, at least as good as Connery's, 'From Russia with Love' which is much beloved by fans, also noteworthy was the early Connery ones had very little in the way of gadgetry.
The book was written in 1953, Reputedly Fleming needed some money as he was getting married so he wrote a book about a spy who, in one sequence, as in the movie, gets his testicles flogged! Go figure. Evidently it worked, he got money and got married.
As for the book, take it as a period piece, no Aston Martin, Bond drives a classic Bentley 1930. Enjoyable read, I've read it a few times.