book I just finished: From Russia With Love

What if Cold War Russian spies desired to make a statement to the world--what would they do? Well, they might take a crack at the Queen's top super-agent, kill him, and besmirch his reputation in the process. This scenario is the plot of From Russia With Love, the fifth book in the James Bond series by Ian Fleming.

After determining that Bond's greatest vice is women, the agents of Russia elect to train a neophyte beauty from their ranks to be Bond's bait, with Bond willingly biting the hook, "pimping for England," he reflects as he plays the game to see what he can learn from his adversaries.

Two things that are rather unique about this novel: The first third of the book is free of any scenes with James Bond--as it is occupied wholly with the Russian side of the tale; and the book ends with the biggest cliffhanger I have ever witnessed in a novel. The trouble with the cliffhanger is that the last Bond book I finished was Dr. No, the sequel to this one--so much for me being on the edge of my seat to read what happens next.

Allow me to say this: I have great respect for the talent of Ian Fleming--he is a rich storyteller and his style and pace are wonderful, and yet, I wasn't thrilled with this adventure. The first third of the book wasted too much time in the backrooms of the Russian agency known as SMERSH (a frequent nemesis of Bond) and the middle third of the book told Bond's side of the story, though he was mired in Turkey with an intrepid local agent for far too long. By the homestretch, the thriller is getting better, but because we know both sides of the story by then, there are few surprises.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the novel (not withstanding the opportunity one has to enjoy another foray into the character of Bond) is the little details this book reveals about this enigmatic character... "Height: 183 cm, weight: 76 kg; slim build; eyes: blue; hair: black; scar down right cheek & on left shoulder; all-round athlete; expert pistol shot, boxer, knife-thrower; does not use disguises. Languages: French and German. Smokes heavily (special cigarettes with three gold bands); vices: drink, but not to excess, and women." Grade: C+