Dr. No- Ian Fleming 1958
Summary-If you have seen the movie, then you already know the basic plot. Only the details are changed. The novel starts out with Bond having recovered from the poisoning attack of Rosa Klebb. M wants to send Bond on an easy mission, and sends him to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of Strangways and his secretary. Everyone thinks they simply ran away together, but not Bond. After he arrives in Jamaica and is reunited with Quarrel, he is nearly killed by a poisoned centipede and then poisoned fruit.
Bond is soon on the trail of the ingenious Dr. No, who is operating on a small island called Crab Key. He is running a legitimate business of harvesting guano, bird dung, as fertilizer. However, this is just a cover for his hidden base, which uses Russian radar equipment to send U.S. missiles off of their course. He plans on getting paid very highly by the Russians after he topples the U.S. missile program.
Bond goes to the island, where he meets Honeychile Ryder. She gets accidentally tied in with Bond, and they are both captured. (Quarrel, extremely sadly, meets his end on the island at the hands of a mechanical dragon's flamethrower. Bond is put through a horrible obstacle course, which ends in a fight with a giant squid. He manages to survive, and shuts down Dr. No's operation.
My Grade-A+ I'm not sure if the fact that Fleming lived for a time in Jamaica, but both of his novels that have been in Jamaica (Live and Let Die and this one) are just fantastic. I can see why this novel was chosen for the basis of the first big screen Bond movie. However, the ending is way better than the movies. The obstacle course chapter is one of the most thrilling things I've ever read. The giant squid would have been hard to pull off in the movies back in 1962, but the scene is very good. I thought that the idea of Bond fighting a giant squid would be very hoaky, but it was written very well, and is somehow believable. This novel is just fantastic.
Best Moment- The best moment from this book is the entire chapter entitled "The Long Scream" that tells of Bonds adventures through Dr. No's devious obstacle course. It's great.
Also Notable- Dr. No meets a very fitting end, as Bond takes over a crane and dumps several tons of bird dropping on him. It's not the most noble way to die, that's for sure.Back to Novels Page
