In the novel that introduced James Bond to the world, Ian Fleming’s agent 007 is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who’s been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table.One of SMERSH’s most deadly operatives, the man known only as “Le Chiffre,” has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years. If Bond can wipe out his … out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be “retired” by his paymasters in Moscow. But what if the cards won’t cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soon finds himself dodging would-be assassins, fighting off brutal torturers, and going all-in to save the life of his beautiful female counterpart, Vesper Lynd.
Taut, tense, and effortlessly stylish, Ian Fleming’s inaugural James Bond adventure has all the hallmarks that made the series a touchstone for a generation of readers.
The text in this edition has been restored by the Fleming family company Ian Fleming Publications, to reflect the work as it was originally published.
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Bonds story started here in 1953 and a legend was born. Books, movies and fandom grew with each story. My rating isn’t favorable but this was a solid debut for a character. With this version of Bond I enjoyed visualizing Sean Connery running through the streets and smoking a cigarette at the casino bar. I had trouble with the written style which seemed poem like and I did struggle keeping attention to the story line. All in all, I see you Mr. Bond.
Casino Royale (James Bond, book one, Ian Fleming, 1953
My favorite quote: ” ‘People are islands,’ she said. ‘They don’t really touch. However close they are, they’re really quite separate. Even if they’ve been married for fifty years.’ “
Notable characters: James Bond, 007; Vesper Lynd, the femme fatale; LeChiffre, the wicked financier
Most memorable scene: The ball torture (because ouch!)
Greatest strength: The action
Standout achievements: It’s unrivaled ability to make card games and gambling interesting
Fun facts: Ian Fleming had serious doubts about this book — so much so that before it was published, he sent a copy of it to his friend, William Plomer, explaining that, “I really am thoroughly ashamed of it … after rifling through this muck you will probably never speak to me again, but I have got to take that chance.”
What it taught me about writing: Simplicity is power
How it inspired my own work: I always learn something about action sequences — particularly guns, bombs, and fights! — when I read anything from this series (you just have to try to ignore the sexism and other issues that were prevalent when these books were written)
Other media: 2006 film of the same name starring Daniel Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
The book that launched James Bond. If you’ve never read Ian Fleming, you’re in for a real treat. He’s such an excellent writer, a master of vocabulary and prose.
I read all of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels back in high school. I won’t say how long ago that was other than to say it was in the last century. It was far enough back for my memory of the canonical Bond books to be fogged by time and bad Bond movies. Therefore, when I saw the Fleming novels were reissued, I decided to start the reading adventure again, beginning with the first Bond book, Casino Royale.
In Casino Royale, Bond has just received his double-O license to kill, a status about which he feels conflicted. His assignment is to bankrupt a Russian agent who is trying to win enough money in a high-stakes baccarat game to cover the funds he embezzled from his Soviet employers before they terminate him. Baccarat is similar to 21, though nine is the wining point, and the cards are dealt from a shoe containing several shuffled card decks, making card counting impossible.
In re-reading this book, what struck me most by how human Bond was. Far from the flippant, philandering, knows-no-fear-or-conscience protagonist portrayed in the movies, Fleming’s Bond regrets the death he’s inflicted on others, and he knows fear too well. Moreover, Fleming’s plot and his ancillary characters are believable.
Right after finishing the book, I was able to watch the 2006 Casino Royale movie starring actor Daniel Craig. I pretty much stopped watching Bond movies after Sean Connery left the franchise, and I’ve never read any of the 30-plus Bond books written since Fleming’s death. I guess I’m a purist that way. However, I wanted to see how the movie producers handled Fleming’s plot while it was fresh in my mind.
Well, the answer is, they didn’t. The movies starts and ends with two of the silliest and improbable chase scenes I’ve ever watched. The card game was switched from baccarat to poker, which is like exchanging a fine champagne for cheap beer. There was little cohesion to the plot. Moreover, the love story between Bond and his fellow agent, Vesper Lynd—whose death haunts Bond through the rest of the Fleming novels—is reduced to a minor side story in the movie.
If you want to know the real “Bond, James Bond,” you need to read the real Bond novels. You won’t find him in the subsequent knock-offs or the movies.
The first James Bond book. I read it because it’s highly rated for its description of car chases. The description of the car chase is thrilling, so I am happy I read it. Lots of sexism, which shouldn’t be a shock (this being James Bond and the 1950s), but it was.
It is a bit dated for younger reads but it is still a great read. Much shorter in length than modern day writer’s books. Enjoy
The first and, in my opinion, best James Bond book. A great read for fans of the movies and newcomers alike.
CASINO ROYALE – The first book in a series, which spawned a franchise, is Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. James Bond, secret agent 007, targets a communist paymaster, LeChiffre, under the Soviet murder organization named SMERSH. A game of baccarat, white hot lovers, a dapper dashing gentleman, a femme fatale, some brutish torture and a double crossing twist ending … rise and fall in this suspenseful spy thriller. The introduction and resolution occur outside the casino; otherwise the characters inhabit a world of sumptuous elegance amidst lurking danger in Royale-les-Eaux. The casino is set in a fictional seaside resort off the coast and beaches of Brittany. Fleming’s vivid descriptions are effortless, no doubt firmly rooted in the years he spent as a foreign correspondent in Europe. His expert command of French and English references are admirable, leaps and bounds above mediocre fare of the spy/ thriller idiom.
https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2019/02/thriller-fiction.html
If he never wrote another James Bond novel, Ian Fleming would still have gone down as one of the greatest spy novelists of all time. This is the first and by far the best of the series, unpolluted by expectations and the weight of the character. A realistic novel based on a world the author understood fully (unlike later entries). Beyond recommended.
Meet 007 in his first and best adventure… Ian Fleming created a character that has lasted decades, and spawned a billion dollar franchise. But the literary Bond is a much different character than his film counterpart…
The least favorite of the Bond books but it’s Bond. The outline of the character is presented and it would several books before the spy known and loved the world over is fully formed. I expected that. What I didn’t expect was an unbelievable plot surrounding a fund raiser via a card game. There is of course the famous torture scene that set the tone for the dark aspect of James Bond – but there is also page after page after page of card playing! It’s really hard to make that interesting. Despite of all that, Bond comes forward. He is a man of extremes in his tastes in cars, food and women. I like to use the Fleming novels as a doorway into the mind of Man circa 1950. The story is just an excuse for Bond to go to cool places and do cool things
this book is as equal to the Daniel craig version.
The original Bond novel. The movie is only loosely based on this action packed book with some very intense moments.