The James Bond Bedside Companion (39 page)

Jill Masterson, who appears briefly, is a more typical Bond-girl. Described as a "classic English beauty," Jill immediately falls for Bond (which unhappily, and in contrast to Pussy, marks her for Goldfinger's death list). Jill is more or less a "party girl"—the kind of girl with whom Bond can freely have an affair and have no regrets, or so he thinks. He certainly regrets it later when he finds out he was the cause of her murder. Jill's function in the novel, though, is to serve as a catalyst to get the story rolling, so to speak.

Oddjob is an interesting minor villain, who provides not only the few mysterious elements in GOLDFINGER, but some of the humor as well. Oddjob, a Korean, and "one of the three men in the world holding a black belt in karate" (surely in 1959 there were more than three), is only menacing when he's angry. Otherwise, he's a particularly funny character whose vocabulary consists of nothing but grunts like, "Arrgh!" and "Garch a har?"

Felix Leiter appears briefly at the end of GOLDFINGER, again in the form of "cavalry to the rescue." He saves Bond's life and the Englishman admits that Felix is "always good" at doing so. Felix, who still works for Pinkerton's, is the same amiable character who is so refreshing to have around. It's too bad his appearance is so brief.

M is getting crabby in his old age. After being in such a foul temper in DOCTOR NO, M's sarcastic mood in GOLDFINGER seems only slightly more pleasant. After teaching Goldfinger a lesson during the canasta ploy, Bond decides to do a little research on the man and asks C. I. D. Records to run a trace on Goldfinger. Later, after being summoned to M's office for an assignment, Bond laughs at the coincidence that the assignment concerns Goldfinger:

"What's the matter?" M's voice was testy. "What the hell is there to laugh about?"

"I'm sorry, sir." Bond got hold of himself. "The truth is, only last night I was building his face up on the Idenlicast." He glanced at his watch. In a strangled voice he said, "Be on its way to C.l.D. Records. Asked for a Trace on him."

M was getting angry. "What the hell's all this about? Stop behaving like a bloody schoolboy."

Bond said soberly, "Well, sir, it's like this .....Bond told the story, leaving nothing out

(GOLDFINGER, Chapter 5)

But M finds another reason to attack Bond. After hearing 007's story, M asks Bond what happened to the $10,000 that Goldfinger was forced to pay Bond.

"Gave it to the girl, sir."

"Really! Why not to the White Cross?"

The White Cross Fund was for the families of Secret Service men and women who were killed on duty.

"Sorry, sir." Bond was not prepared to argue that one.

"Humpf." M had never approved of Bond's womanizing. It was anathema to his Victorian soul. He decided to let it pass.

(GOLDFINGER, Chapter 5)

HIGHLIGHTS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

F
leming expands his use of sex in GOLDFINGER: there are
three
Bond-girls in this one, even though Bond eventually "conquers" only two of them. But the sexual activity still remains tame when compared to today's standards.

The canasta ploy and golf match are highlights in the novel, but, as mentioned before, neither have a real bearing on the main plot. But these sections do substantiate the statement that Ian Fleming is at his best when describing gaming contests. Each detail of the card game and the golf match is thought out and related in a suspenseful manner.

There is an increase of gadgetry in GOLDFINGER. Bond is equipped with an Aston Martin D.B. III containing a secret compartment for hiding objects such as gold bricks. It also is equipped with an ingenious homing device used for tracking another car. One simply has to plant the transmitter on the car being followed, and the Aston Martin picks up the signal within a safe distance. The film version of GOLDFINGER expanded the accessories of the Aston Martin to include machine guns, oil slicks, bulletproof shields, and smoke screens. Fleming's imagination was wild, but not that wild! In addition, Bond is outfitted with shoes that house small throwing knives in the heels. One of these knives comes in handy at the novel's end, when Bond decides upon the perfect method of ridding himself of Oddjob.

The Secret Service headquarters also owns a machine called the Identicast, which enables the user to assemble a person's facial features on a screen until a likeness of the individual is formed. These machines were actually recently developed at the time of the novel.

In comparing GOLDFINGER to the preceding novels, there is no doubt that it is weak. The lack of suspense and the absence of a truly believable plot account for this. But the revelations about James Bond and other aspects of the agent's world keep the novel interesting. Apparently, combining strong characters with a logical, suspenseful plot was difficult for Fleming to accomplish—only in a handful of the novels does the combination work successfully. But GOLDFINGER is certainly not boring, for it shows an ever-maturing style and development.

F
leming's eighth offering is an anthology of five short stories. The subtitle for the book in England is "Five Secret Occasions in the Life of James Bond" (in America it is "Five Secret Exploits of James Bond"). All five stories have something interesting to offer, and they are all up to standard. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY proves that Fleming is as adept at writing short stories as full-length novels. A couple of the stories are experimental in nature, while the other three are straightforward secret service adventures.

T
he story concerns James Bond's investigation of the murder of a NATO dispatch-rider who was shot in the back while driving a BSAM motorbike from SHAPE headquarters in Versailles to his base in Saint-Germain. After gathering clues, Bond disguises himself as a SHAPE dispatch-rider, and drives a BSA down the same road. As expected, the assassin attempts to repeat the crime. But Bond is ready for him; when the killer draws his gun, Bond brakes and skids around to shoot him. After killing the man, Bond rides back to the underground Russian hideout which had been camouflaged with a rose bush. Station F forces help the agent clean up the case.

This opening story is a tightly knit, compressed yarn which easily holds one's interest in a single sitting. It has a typical Fleming structure: the story opens with an incident (the murder of the SHAPE rider); James Bond is then assigned to investigate that incident; the agent does preliminary fact finding; and he finally unravels the mystery and closes the case. The opening scene, as usual, is set up with care and deliberation. It immediately grabs the reader's attention and sets a mood which remains through the end.

The Fleming Sweep moves at a steady pace, carrying one through the sequence of events that lead Bond to the Russian espionage team's hideout. The story is rich in the familiar Fleming detail: the description of the woods include images of colors and sounds which are among Fleming's most textured.

A possible theme in the story may be Fleming's own criticism of the fact that British Intelligence has a bad habit of criticizing smaller branches located in other areas. Fleming seems to express the opinion, through the thoughts of Bond and M, that each little subgroup (such as SHAPE) is jealous of the other and believes that all the branches should mind their own business. This is the basic problem with Colonel Schreiber, the head of SHAPE in Versailles. He insists that his team has done everything it can to investigate the murder; he looks down his nose at Bond, who has come into the case from another department of the Service.

As far as characterizations go, there are no new insights into James Bond. It is revealed, though, that he lost his virginity at age sixteen in Paris. The female character, Mary Ann Russell, is not very well-drawn. She saves Bond's life at the end, which is the first time Fleming has allowed a female to do so. Bond has just exposed the hideout beneath the rose bush, as Station F forces appear from the woods with drawn guns. But one of the Russians knocks Bond off balance and aims a gun at his head. A shot rings out, killing the Russian just in time. It is revealed that Mary Ann fired the shot.

The highlights of the story include the opening murder scene, the discovery of the hideout in the woods, and the subsequent attack by Bond and the forces from Station F. The hideout in the woods incorporates another gadget: the entrance is a fake rose bush which splits into halves, revealing the hole in the ground. A periscope disguised as a rose is in the center of the bush. The attack on the hideout happens quickly and is exciting, especially once the rest of the forces appear to aid Bond.

"From a View to a Kill" is a sharp piece of fiction in the traditional Fleming mold.

I
n this story, a middle-aged couple named Havelock
are murdered in their home in Jamaica by a Major Gonzales and two hit men working for one von Hammerstein. It so happens that the Havelocks are personal friends of M. Bond volunteers to assassinate the men as a favor to his chief. As 007 is spying on the killers' cabin in the woods of Vermont, he encounters a girl armed with a bow and arrow. The girl is Judy Havelock, daughter of the murdered couple. She has tracked down von Hammerstein and is seeking revenge. She succeeds in piercing von Hammerstein's back with an arrow as he dives into the lake. All hell breaks loose at this point, and Bond manages to pick off Gonzales and the two hit men in an explosive gun battle.

The title story in the collection is by far the most successful. In a way, it is a "mini novel": it has all the elements of a Bond novel compressed into a well-told and exciting short story. Again, there is a typical Fleming structure: an incident at the opening of the story involving a murder; Bond's interview with M; fact gathering and the introduction of the heroine to complicate the plot; and finally the showdown with the villains. The story sweeps along from scene to scene in the manner of the longer books, yet there is no problem with keeping the logic intact in switching locales.

The theme in "For Your Eyes Only" deals with the question of determining justice outside the boundaries of the law. In this instance, James Bond volunteers to assassinate the murderers of some personal friends of M. Since the killers have fled to America, there isn't much British police can do. The American officials can merely cancel the men's visas, which would only put them on the run again. M, who has taken a personal interest in the case because he was best man at the Havelocks' wedding, knows he cannot simply order Bond to go and "do justice." In fact, no orders are ever spoken. Bond volunteers to execute the justice that a court of law, in this case, could never rule. Therefore, Bond becomes a personal "hit man" for M. There is no question that von Hammerstein and his colleagues are evil and must be destroyed. The question remains as to whether their rights should or shouldn't be respected. Fleming doesn't attempt to answer the question, but only reveals his particular stance by allowing Bond to "do his duty."

There are no new revelations in Bond's character. However, a bit of a sense of humor is revealed when he first meets Judy Havelock in the woods near the killers' cabin. Since she is dressed in hunter's clothes, he amuses himself by addressing her as "Robina Hood."

Judy Havelock is a determined, vengeful girl. Even though little information is imparted about the character, a clear picture emerges from the details with which Fleming describes her. Apart from the usual striking good looks (blonde hair, sensual wide mouth, etc.), she has the "vibrations of a wild animal." She's tough, and will not stand for anything but what she hopes to achieve, which is to avenge the death of her parents. Her insistence and confidence convinces Bond that she means business, and he allows her to have the first shot at von Hammerstein. Judy proves her competence by shooting an arrow through the villain's back. Only after all the killers are dead, and she is wounded, does she become someone more traditionally feminine whom Bond can pamper and protect.

The major highlight of the story, though, is the scene between Bond and M. So much is revealed about the Admiral here: his feelings about his responsibilities, and the weight of the Service on his shoulders. Finally, one can see the fatherly figure whom Bond admires so much. Gone is the crabbiness that characterized him in the previous two novels. M is at a stalemate, and has turned to Bond as his only hope in resolving the Havelock case. Bond is flattered and warmly pleased that M has turned to him in this matter, and the relationship between the two men is never more revealing.

"For Your Eyes Only," of all the short stories Fleming wrote, is certainly the best.

T
his story is in the form of an anecdote told to Bond by his friend, the Governor in Nassau. One Philip Masters, a shy, naive, and vulnerable sort of chap, had fallen in love with an attractive airline hostess named Rhoda Llewellyn. The couple eventually married; but in time, Rhoda became bored and unhappy and began an affair with a young golf pro. Masters reacted like a wounded puppy; his work efficiency slipped and his disposition became morose. Masters was transferred to Washington for a special six-month project. In his absence, Rhoda's affair ended, and she decided to reconcile with her husband. But when Masters returned, he was a changed man. He didn't want Rhoda's reconciliation. During the year, the couple kept up social appearances as if they were still happily married, but alone at home they never spoke. Finally, Masters left Rhoda, alone and practically destitute. A social friend eventually found her a job in Jamaica and provided her the funds to move. There, after a few years, she met a rich Canadian and they married. The Governor then reveals that Bond has met Rhoda Llewellyn—she was a woman with whom he had chatted at a party earlier that evening.