Why did I love this book?
The first James Bond novel. Obvious choice for me; Iām a huge Fleming/Bond fan and came to the original novels via the films. It was Bond that inspired me to write while on a narrowboat crossing an aqueduct on a Welsh canal thinking this scene should be in a Bond movie. Flemingās first novel introduces us to a James Bond many wouldnāt recognize. Bond is already tired, vulnerable, and beginning to have serious professional misgivings. The novelās plot and subplots are based on real-world knowledge Fleming picked up during WWII.
His descriptions of the casinoās glamour and the sensuous descriptions of food and drink would have brought color to the sepia-tinted lives of austerity Britain still navigating past bomb sites and dealing with food rationing when the book was published. Thereās troubling chauvinism but there are twists and turns a plenty and a resolution that should garner some sympathy for a physically and emotional battered Bond. I donāt think itās Flemingās best (my personal favourite would be From Russia with Love) but to understand Bond you have to read Casino Royale.
6 authors picked Casino Royale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
In the novel that introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Flemingās agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent whoās been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table.
One of SMERSHās most deadly operatives, the man known only as āLe Chiffre,ā has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years. If Bond can wipe out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be āretiredā by his paymasters in Moscow. But what if the cards wonāt cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soonā¦