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RAKED_OVER
January 22, 2007
"Moonraker" (1955)
by Ian Fleming (All page numbers,
from Signet paperback)
Third in the
series of James
Bond novels.
Fleming hits his stride with this
one, combining the elements that
he's used already (high stakes card
gambling resisting torture, etc) The Moonraker of the title
with a fanciful, fantastic plot is a *British* missile under
about German sleepers gone over to development, which is regarded
the Russians who are attempting to as a Great Thing because it
bring about nuclear armageddon. will give them "an independant
say in world affairs". (p. 64)
What's the matter,
The first few chapters seem didn't they trust
quite drug obsessed: the United States
to watch their backs?
'"Benzedrine,' he said, 'I ran
up my secretary before dinner Funny the American
and asked her to wangle some film moved the
out of the surgery at setting to Nevada....
Headquarters. It's what I
shall need if I'm going to keep
my wits about me tonight. It's
apt to make one a bit
over-confident, but that'll be
a help too.' He stirred the
champagne with a scrap of toast I wonder agbout this
so that the white poweder advertisement for Benzedrine
whirled among the bubbles. from back in 1955. Could it
Then he drank the mixtrue down have been a key element in
with one long swallow. 'It generating the speed craze
doesn't taste,' said Bond, 'and of the sixties?
the champagne is quite
excellent.'"
-- p. 40
Bond is reading a report
about "Philopon, A
Japanese murder-drug"
(which has nothing to do
with the story):
"'Addiction, as in the case of marijuana
in the United States, begins with one "shot". (What? Didn't you
The effect is "stimulating" and the know that?)
drug is habit-forming. It is also cheap --
about ten yen (six-pence) a shot ... "
"'It induces an acute persecution complex in
the addict who becomes prey to the illusion Too bad that Fleming
that people want to kill him ... " didn't mention speed
addiction's effects
-- p. 57 in this department...
And of course, there are the usual
"mild" sleeping pills that everyone
keeps popping.
Early on, while Fleming is impressing
us with the dangerousness of Bond's
profession, it's indicated that there
are only *three* double-O agents in
operation: 007, 008 and 0011.
The gaps in the numbering
are presumably the result
of deaths.
Though there is, of
course, no way to
know where the (Who is
numbering started. number 001?)
There's a general
childishness to
much of the material,
for all of it's
attempts at being E.g. why would Bond take
understated and worldly on Drax at cards? Why not
wise... draw him aside for a
discrete talk?
SPOILERS
Why would this club -- with over a
In general, people hundred years of experience at
behave according to running gambling tables -- need
plot demands rather Bond to spot the absurdly simple
than reason. trick Drax has been using at the
card table.
With two days to go to Drax is a "Shiner",
the big day, why would which is to say he's
Bond let Krebs walk using a mirror to
around free once it was look at the cards
clear he was into some that he deals.
sort of funny business?
In this case, the
The last security mirror is a polished
officer there has been cigarette case he
*killed*... paranoia leaves tossed out on
should be in over-drive, the table -- and
and yet Bond keeps *never* uses, instead
getting sung to sleep. getting cigarettes
from another case
in his jacket.
The book does have some nice bits, though:
FUEL_OIL_BLACK_PEPPER_VODKA_MARTINI
"... he reflected, as he had often reflected
in other moments of triumph at the card
table, that the gain to the winner is, in
some odd way, always less than the loss to
the loser." -- p. 56
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