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Editorial Review Product Description
Introducing James Bond: charming, sophisticated, handsome; chillingly ruthless and very deadly. In his first mission, agent 007 must neutralize a lethal Russian operative known as 'The Cypher' by ruining him at the Baccarat table and forcing his 'retirement'. Lady luck appears to be taken with Bond. The Cypher has hit a losing streak, but Bond's attraction to a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster and an unexpected saviour. ... Read more Customer Reviews (156) 
Who could of thought James Bond could be boring?
I know some people like these books, but I am in no way a fan.Found it hard to read and SOOOO boring.I love the movies and love the character but the books simply didnt do it for me.
"I have no lucky numbers."
Casino Royale is the original James Bond story, and it is as fascinating to hunt for the kernels of all that has come after as it to enjoy the spy story. We're introduced to James Bond in the thick of action, a fully-fleshed out character in an exciting job, and the book is an enjoyably fast-paced initiation to his world.
I approached this book as a fan of movie-Bond, so there were some surprises. Readers are treated to a more human Bond, privvy to his doubts and weaknesses. There are also a number of reminders of how times have changes - amount of alchohol consumption, smoking, fashion, and the roles of women being the most notable examples - but it was a great deal of fun to enter deeper into the 007 universe.
If you've seen the movie Casino Royale, the basic plot and characters are much the same. James Bond is an agent for MI6, England's intelligence service, with a license to kill. He's sent to the Casino Royale to defeat and bankrupt the evil Le Chiffre in a card game, since doing so will cause trouble for Le Chiffre's evil associates and let our hero gain information and defend the cause of freedom and righteousness. There's also a beautiful girl who becomes pivotal to the plot and the developing character of James Bond. Details are very different of course, as the world has changed a great deal in the last sixty years - here the game is baccarat and the bad guys are Soviets, and the scope of the book is much more compact, with a great deal of introspection on the part of 007.
In spite of its age, this book is still compelling and it's easy to see how Bond became such a famous figure. The spy tactics feel authentic and intriguing, as though even after all this time and in such a changed world, the reader is still being let in on secrets. There are explosions, fights, guns, tense show-downs, tuxedos, martinis and caviar, even a car chase. The writing is simple and engaging, portraying Bond as a complex man at once ruthlessly cold and vulnerable. At less than 200 pages, this is a great way to inject a little excitement into a weekend for any fan of James Bond, spy thillers, or pop culture.
Hot Cold-War Thriller
The most striking aspect of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale was it's differences from the James Bond films.This book was much darker and less flamboyant than it's cenematic counterpart.James Bond is a more calloused and grimmer protagonist who doesn't rely on an assortment of fantastic gadgets.The book is very entertaining.Fleming understands the intricacies of baccarat and develops a suspenseful story around it.Realism pervades and the story's climax impacts with unanticipated drama, something alien to the sensational films.
Disappointing but next book onwards it gets better
Very disappointed. It's a pathetic attempt at genre fiction/ pulp fiction.
Well I started with the very first book and the only one of Fleming I can claim to have read. So maybe it gets better as the James Bond series of novels of his progresses.
I read online that this first novel was rejected by publishers. The only reason it ever got published was through influence of Fleming's brother who was an established figure. I am not surprised.
This book would never get published otherwise.
I mean I have read cheap 30 pence paperback novels which were more thrilling to read than this one.
I would say Fleming's penpal Raymond Chandler is million times better at genre fiction. But then I have to read the later novels of Fleming to see if this series is really the legend that it is claimed to be.
This JAMES BOND is nothing compared to the tough Philip Marlowe or even the predecessor Sam Spade detective fiction.
In espionage, this pales in comparision to the Bourne series of Robert Ludlum which is a masterpiece when compared to CASINO ROYALE.
Any novel by Alistair MacLean would be highly recommended over Casino Royale.
But I will persist and go through the James Bond series of novels to see if it improves and gets better.
I am saddened deeply that the brilliant MATT HELM series by Donald Hamilton is out of print. Matt Helm is incredibly better espionage fiction than Casino Royale.
So is the James Bond legend only because of the Movie franchise? I would say yes even with just one novel of Fleming read so far by me. It has to be the movies and Sir Sean and the writers, stuntmen, technicians, music, that made James Bond into a cult icon and cultural legend.
REVIEW:
The names of the chapters in Casino Royale are unimaginative and tedious. Fleming overuses the word "directly" as well. The dialogue is nowhere close to the witty one-liners we recognise from the movie versions. Bond is very ordinary here. The chapters don't make you curious enough to go on to the next chapter. The action seems realistic but not thrilling enough to call it a Bond adventure.
Comparision with the movie: Daniel Craig certainly made a great version of this story, his thrilling debut as Bond. Many differences with the novel. Unlike in the movie, in the novel the unknown source of the drink at the Casino table is not poison and Bond drinks and plays on. Also Vesper Lynd is not that angel as portrayed in the movie. She doesn't deserve the love as per the novel. Also there is a long list of chapters after the win at the casino and after the torture of Bond - and all of it deals with his emotions for Vesper. Damn! This could have been published by MILLS AND BOONS if it had a happy ending. Also, the car chase and accident of Bond is different in the novel.
Anyways, not to give the plot away, but I don't regret having read the novel. It does give its insights.
Ian Fleming was indeed a spy and active during World War II. But I guess experience doesn't ensure literary merit.
I would say Graham Greene novels on espionage are way better than any of the ones by professional spies. A writer needs to know how to make the story entertaining and intriguing and a page-turner - and it seems professional spies, though giving us some good insights into their lives and actions - fail to make it into a classy genre fiction adventure.
But let's see how it changes or improves!
I remember reading in my childhood an adventure of Nick Carter Killmaster from AXE organisation which my mind feebly recalls as certainly better than Casino Royale, LOLz
RECOMMENDATIONS for reading something other than BOND Novels of Ian Fleming:
Raymond Chandler
Donald Hamilton
Alistair MacLean
Robert Ludlum
Nick Carter-Kill master
The introductory novel of the most famous spy in the world
"Bond - James Bond", one of the most well-known quotes in the Western world spoken by one of the most well-known characters to ever grace the pages and screens. Casino Royale is Sir Ian Fleming's introduction to the character of Bond, and sets the stage for the many successful and popular sequels to follow.
James Bond - Agent 007 - must play a high-stakes game of Baccarat against a Russian named Le Chiffre, and must prevent him from winning roughly 50 million francs. Bond's sole objective is to prevent Le Chiffre from obtaining that money, which would result in a fate worse for Le Chiffre than merely death.
It seems difficult to make a game of Baccarat interesting, yet Fleming did just that and more, adding a great deal of suspense and action, as well as a woman typical of the Bond franchise. The books offer a different glimpse into the life of Bond than the movies, in that the reader is able to understand the thought process of Bond, rather than just witness his actions. This provides a compelling tale of the most famous secret agent in the world, and Casino Royale provides a glimpse into what turns him into the womanizing man he is famous for - especially the chilling last line of the novel.
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