“Solo,” is a celebration of the 60 years of James Bond in print. Casino Royale made its debut in 1953 and sold out its first print run within a month of its release. Later it was learned that President Kennedy had read and enjoyed one of the Fleming novels. After that Fleming’s books took off and in 1962 the movie series began, which is still hot today. Sadly he never got to see the success of his creation. He died in 1964, the year the movie “Goldfinger” established the character of James Bond. The holders of the Fleming estate hired William Boyd to continue the Bond character in “Solo,” a different kind of Bond novel where Bond is on his own with no help from Q branch or the rest of the Secret Service. The novel has some interesting moments, but is a disappointing story because there is no larger than-life-villain with evil plans to take over the world, and there is not much action. Nor are there other elements that made the Fleming adventures so much fun to read. The books by Kingsley Amis writing as Robert Markham, John Gardner, and Raymond Benson are all closer to the original character than Boyd’s version of James Bond and the world he lives in. “Solo” is a nice idea to celebrate the 60 years of Bond in print but it falls far short of people’s expectations.
Solo: A James Bond Novel
William Boyd
Harper
c/o Harper Collins
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062223128, $26.99, www.amazon.com
