Casino Royale: A James Bond Novel

By Ian Fleming

JAMES BOND PLAYS A DEADLY GAME OF CHANCE IN IAN FLEMING’S LEGENDARY FIRST 007 NOVEL

“Le Chiffre” is a ruthless operative and the accountant for a soviet SMERSH cell in France, but he’s on the verge of disaster after gambling away his client’s money. Taking the last of his stash, he lures a dozen wealthy players to a high-stakes baccarat game, hoping to hustle his way whole.

The British Secret Service would like to see this red thorn plucked from the hide of Europe, and sends their best card sharp, James Bond, to bankrupt Le Chiffre for good.

With the cards running against him and SMERSH operatives threatening to kill him and his beautiful ally, Vesper Lynd, 007 needs his luck to turn before he wagers away their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063298545

Ian Fleming

Ian Lancaster Fleming was born in London in 1908. His first job was at Reuters news agency, after which he worked briefly as a stockbroker before working in Naval Intelligence during World War Two. His first novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953 and was an instant success. Fleming went on to write thirteen other Bond books as well as two works of nonfiction and the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The Bond books have earned praise from figures such as Raymond Chandler, who called Fleming “the most forceful and driving writer of thrillers in England” and President Kennedy, who named From Russia with Love as one of his favorite books. The books inspired a hugely successful series of film adaptations that began in 1962 with the release of Dr. No. He was married to Ann O'Neill, with whom he had a son, Caspar. He died in 1964.

Book preview

1

The Secret Agent

The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul-erosion produced by high gambling – a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension – becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it.

James Bond suddenly knew that he was tired. He always knew when his body or his mind had had enough and he always acted on the knowledge. This helped him to avoid staleness and the sensual bluntness that breeds mistakes.

He shifted himself unobtrusively away from the roulette he had been playing and went to stand for a moment at the brass rail which surrounded breast-high the top table in the salle privée.

Le Chiffre was still playing and still, apparently, winning. There was an untidy pile of flecked hundred-mille plaques in front of him. In the shadow of his thick left arm there nestled a discreet stack of the big yellow ones worth half a million francs each.

Bond watched the curious, impressive profile for a time, and then he shrugged his shoulders to lighten his thoughts and moved away.

The barrier surrounding the caisse comes as high as your chin and the caissier, who is generally nothing more than a minor bank clerk, sits on a stool and dips into his piles of notes and plaques. These are ranged on shelves. They are on a level, behind the protecting barrier, with your groin. The caissier has a cosh and a gun to protect him, and to heave over the barrier and steal some notes and then vault back and get out of the casino through the passages and doors would be impossible. And the caissiers generally work in pairs.

Bond reflected on the problem as he collected the sheaf of hundred thousand and then the sheaves of ten-thousand-franc notes. With another part of his mind, he had a vision of tomorrow’s regular morning meeting of the casino committee.

‘Monsieur Le Chiffre made two million. He played his usual game. Miss Fairchild made a million in an hour and then left. She executed three bancos of Monsieur Le Chiffre within an hour and then left. She played with coolness. Monsieur le Vicomte de Villorin made one million two at roulette. He was playing the maximum on the first and last dozens. He was lucky. Then the Englishman, Mister Bond, increased his winnings to exactly three million over the two days. He was playing a progressive system on red at table five. Duclos, the chef de partie, has the details. It seems that he is persevering and plays in maximums. He has luck. His nerves seem good. On the soirée, the chemin-de-fer won x, the baccarat won y and the roulette won z. The boule which was again badly frequented still makes its expenses.’

‘Merci, Monsieur Xavier.’

‘Merci, Monsieur le Président.’

Or something like that, thought Bond as he pushed his way through the swing doors of the salle privée and nodded to the bored man in evening clothes whose job it is to bar your entry and your exit with the electric foot-switch which can lock the doors at any hint of trouble.

And the casino committee would balance its books and break up to its homes or cafés for lunch.

As for robbing the caisse, in which Bond himself was not personally concerned, but only interested, he reflected that it would take ten good men, that they would certainly have to kill one or two employees, and that anyway you probably couldn’t find ten non-squeal killers in France, or in any other country for the matter of that.

As he gave a thousand francs to the vestiaire and walked down the steps of the casino, Bond made up his mind that Le Chiffre would in no circumstances try to rob the caisse and he put the contingency out of his mind. Instead he explored his present physical sensations. He felt the dry, uncomfortable gravel under his evening shoes, the bad, harsh taste in his mouth and the slight sweat under his arms. He could feel his eyes filling their sockets. The front of his face, his nose and antrum, were congested. He breathed the sweet night air deeply and focused his senses and his wits. He wanted to know if anyone had searched his room since he had left it before dinner.

He walked across the broad boulevard and through the gardens to the Hôtel Splendide. He smiled at the concierge who gave him his key – No. 45 on the first floor – and took the cable.

It was from Jamaica and read:

KINGSTONJA XXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXX BOND SPLENDIDE ROYALE-LES-EAUX SEINE INFERIEURE HAVANA CIGAR PRODUCTION ALL CUBAN FACTORIES 1915 TEN MILLION REPEAT TEN MILLION STOP HOPE THIS FIGURE YOU REQUIRE REGARDS

DASILVA

This meant that ten million francs was on the way to him. It was the reply to a request Bond had sent that afternoon through Paris to his headquarters in London asking for more funds. Paris had spoken to London where Clements, the head of Bond’s department, had spoken to M who had smiled wryly and told ‘The Broker’ to fix it with the Treasury.

Bond had once worked in Jamaica and his cover on the Royale assignment was that of a very rich client of Messrs Caffery, the principal import and export firm of Jamaica. So he was being controlled through Jamaica, through a taciturn man who was head of the picture desk on the Daily Gleaner, the famous newspaper of the Caribbean.

This man on the Gleaner, whose name was Fawcett, had been bookkeeper for one of the leading turtle-fisheries on the Cayman Islands. One of the men from the Caymans who had volunteered on the outbreak of war, he had ended up as a Paymaster’s clerk in a small naval intelligence organisation in Malta. At the end of the war, when, with a heavy heart, he was due to return to the Caymans, he was spotted by the section of the Secret Service concerned with the Caribbean. He was strenuously trained in photography and in some other arts and, with the quiet connivance of an influential man in Jamaica, found his way to the picture desk of the Gleaner.

In the intervals between sifting photographs submitted by the great agencies – Keystone, Wide-World, Universal, INP and Reuter-Photo – he would get peremptory instructions by telephone from a man he had never met to carry out certain simple operations requiring nothing but absolute discretion, speed and accuracy. For these occasional services he received twenty pounds a month paid into his account with the Royal Bank of Canada by a fictitious relative in England.

Fawcett’s present assignment was to relay immediately to Bond, full rates, the text of messages which he received at home by telephone from his anonymous contact. He had been told by this contact that nothing he would be asked to send would arouse the suspicion of the Jamaican post office. So he was not surprised to find himself suddenly appointed string correspondent for the ‘Maritime Press and Photo Agency’, with press-collect facilities to France and England, on a further monthly retainer of ten pounds.

He felt secure and encouraged, had visions of a BEM and made the first payment on a Morris Minor. He also bought a green eyeshade which he had long coveted and which helped him to impose his personality on the picture desk.

Some of this background to his cable passed through Bond’s mind. He was used to oblique control and rather liked it. He felt it feather-bedded him a little, allowed him to give or take an hour or two in his communications with M. He knew that this was probably a fallacy, that probably there was another member of the Service at Royale-les-Eaux who was reporting independently, but it did give the illusion that he wasn’t only 150 miles across the Channel from that deadly office building near Regent’s Park, being watched and judged by those few cold brains that made the whole show work. Just as Fawcett, the Cayman Islander in Kingston, knew that if he bought that Morris Minor outright instead of signing the hire-purchase agreement, someone in London would probably know and want to know where the money had come from.

Bond read the cable twice. He tore a telegram form off the pad on the desk (why give them carbon copies?) and wrote his reply in capital letters:

THANKS INFORMATION SHOULD SUFFICE

BOND

He handed this to the concierge and put the cable signed ‘DaSilva’ in his pocket. The employers (if any) of the concierge could bribe a copy out of the local post office, if the concierge hadn’t already steamed the envelope open or read the cable upside down in Bond’s hands.

He took his key and said good night and turned to the stairs, shaking his head at the liftman. Bond knew what an obliging danger-signal a lift could be. He didn’t expect anyone to be moving on the first floor, but he preferred to be prudent.

Walking quietly up on the balls of his feet, he regretted the hubris of his reply to M via Jamaica. As a gambler he knew it was a mistake to rely on too small a capital. Anyway, M probably wouldn’t let him have any more. He shrugged his shoulders and turned off the stairs into the corridor and walked softly to the door of his room.

Bond knew exactly where the switch was and it was with one flow of motion that he stood on the threshold with the door full open, the light on and a gun in his hand. The safe, empty room sneered at him. He ignored the half-open door of the bathroom and, locking himself in, he turned up the bed-light and the mirror-light and threw his gun on the settee beside the window. Then he bent down and inspected one of his own black hairs which still lay undisturbed where he had left it before dinner, wedged into the drawer of the writing-desk.

Next he examined a faint trace of talcum powder on the inner rim of the porcelain handle of the clothes cupboard. It appeared immaculate. He went into the bathroom, lifted the cover of the lavatory cistern and verified the level of the water against a small scratch on the copper ballcock.

Doing all this, inspecting these minute burglar-alarms, did not make him feel foolish or self-conscious. He was a secret agent, and still alive thanks to his exact attention to the detail of his profession. Routine precautions were to him no more unreasonable than they would be to a deep-sea diver or a test pilot, or to any man earning danger-money.

Satisfied that his room had not been searched while he was at the casino, Bond undressed and took a cold shower. Then he lit his seventieth cigarette of the day and sat down at the writing-table with the thick wad of his stake money and winnings beside him and entered some figures in a small notebook. Over the two days’ play, he was up exactly three million francs. In London he had been issued with ten million, and he had asked London for a further ten. With this on its way to the local branch of the Crédit Lyonnais, his working capital amounted to twenty-three million francs, or some twenty-three thousand pounds.

For a few moments Bond sat motionless, gazing out of the window across the dark sea, then he shoved the bundle of banknotes under the pillow of the ornate single bed, cleaned his teeth, turned out the lights and climbed with relief between the harsh French sheets. For ten minutes he lay on his left side reflecting on the events of the day. Then he turned over and focused his mind towards the tunnel of sleep.

His last action was to slip his right hand under the pillow until it rested under the butt of the .38 Colt Police Positive with the sawn barrel. Then he slept, and with the warmth and humour of his eyes extinguished, his features relapsed into a taciturn mask, ironical, brutal and cold.

2

Dossier for M

Two weeks before, this memorandum had gone from Station S of the Secret Service to M, who was then and is today head of this adjunct to the British defence ministries:

To: M

From: Head of S

Subject: A project for the destruction of Monsieur Le Chiffre (alias ‘The Number’, ‘Herr Nummer’, ‘Herr Ziffer’, etc.), one of the Opposition’s chief agents in France and undercover Paymaster of the Syndicat des Ouvriers d’Alsace, the communist-controlled trade union in the heavy and transport industries of Alsace and, as we know, an important fifth column in the event of war with Redland.

Documentation: Head of Archives’ biography of Le Chiffre is attached at Appendix A. Also, Appendix B, a note on SMERSH.

We have been feeling for some time that Le Chiffre is getting into deep water. In nearly all respects he is an admirable agent of the USSR, but his gross physical habits and predilections are an Achilles heel of which we have been able to take advantage from time to time and one of his mistresses is a Eurasian (No. 1860) controlled by Station F, who has recently been able to obtain insight into his private affairs.

Briefly, it seems that Le Chiffre is on the brink of a financial crisis. Certain straws in the wind were noticed by 1860 – some discreet sales of jewellery, the disposal of a villa at Antibes, and a general tendency to check the loose spending which has always been a feature of his way of life. Further inquiries were made with the help of our friends of the Deuxième Bureau (with whom we have been working jointly on this case) and a curious story has come to light.

In January 1946, Le Chiffre bought control of a chain of brothels, known as the Cordon Jaune, operating in Normandy and Brittany. He was foolish enough to employ for this purpose some fifty million francs of the moneys entrusted to him by Leningrad Section III for the financing of SODA, the trade union mentioned above.

Normally the Cordon Jaune would have proved a most excellent investment and it is possible that Le Chiffre was motivated more by a desire to increase his union funds than by the hope of lining his own pocket by speculating with his employers’ money. However that may be, it is clear that he could have found many investments more savoury than prostitution, if he had not been tempted by the by-product of unlimited women for his personal use.

Fate rebuked him with terrifying swiftness.

Barely three months later, on 13 April, there was passed in France Law No. 46685 entitled Loi Tendant à la Fermeture des Maisons de Tolérance et au Renforcement de la Lutte contre le Proxénitisme.

(When M came to this sentence he grunted and pressed a switch on the intercom.

‘Head of S?’

‘Sir.’

‘What the hell does this word mean?’ He spelt it out.

‘Pimping, sir.’

‘This is not the Berlitz School of Languages, Head of S. If you want to show off your knowledge of foreign jawbreakers, be good enough to provide a crib. Better still, write in English.’

‘Sorry, sir.’

M released the switch and turned back to the memorandum.)

This law [he read], known popularly as ‘La Loi Marthe Richard’, closing all houses of ill-fame and forbidding the sale of pornographic books and films, knocked the bottom out of his investment almost overnight and suddenly Le Chiffre was faced with a serious deficit in his union funds. In desperation he turned his open houses into maisons de passe where clandestine rendezvous could be arranged on the borderline of the law, and he continued to operate one or two cinémas bleus underground, but these shifts in no way served to cover his overheads, and all attempts to sell his investment, even at a heavy loss, failed dismally. Meanwhile the Police des Mœurs were on his trail and in a short while twenty or more of his establishments were closed down.

The police were, of course, only interested in this man as a big-time brothel-keeper and it was not until we expressed an interest in his finances that the Deuxième Bureau unearthed the parallel dossier which was running with their colleagues of the police department.

The significance of the situation became apparent to us and to our French friends and, in the past few months, a veritable rat-hunt has been operated by the police after the establishments of the Cordon Jaune, with the result that today nothing remains of Le Chiffre’s original investment and any routine inquiry would reveal a deficit of around fifty million francs in the trade-union funds of which he is the treasurer and paymaster.

It does not seem that the suspicions of Leningrad have been aroused yet but, unfortunately for Le Chiffre, it is possible that at any rate SMERSH is on the scent. Last week a high-grade source of Station P reported that a senior official of this efficient organ of Soviet vengeance had left Warsaw for Strasbourg via the Eastern sector of Berlin. There is no confirmation of this report from

Reviews for Casino Royale

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite seeing many of these movies (not this one though), this is the first James Bond book I've read. I found Fleming's Bond a darker character, simultaneously more smooth and more crude. Hearing Bond's thoughts gave a very different feel to this novel than I got from the movies.

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought it was a fairly fun book to read. I've never read a Bond book before and think I've only seen one or two movies and remember nothing about them. If it weren't for the horrible, absolutely terrible sexism, I would have likely loved it. Yes, I completely understand that it must be taken in context of the time and the sort of man Bond is and his profession. I get all of that but it still took away from my enjoyment of the book.

I don't think I'd read another but I'm glad I read this one. I don't know. Maybe I would read another. Maybe.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Well, it was the first of the James Bond books, and the Movie Dr. No was playing, and I read this book. I believe that my Judgement was that if this is the same author, the movie must be better than this, so off I went. This effort was not something that I ould have passed on to the boss editor, had I been a slush pile reader. But, enoough people liked it that "The rest is entertainment history."

[ghost_boy-691444 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you liked the James Bond movies, then you'll love the Ian Fleming books. In fact you might like the books better then the movies. The first book at least is a page turner and you'll be begging for more when you finish (good thing I just ordered the first half of the series). I should note here that the book has less action and more story which I happened to like better. The book is easier to follow than the movie.

I have to agree that these books are written more for young men then women. Not that women can't read them and like them too. I just see James Bond as a perfect male action hero that almost any man wants to be. He's well respected in his business, he knows how to eat and drink well, he dresses well, he has the best cars, and he get to sleep with the most gorgeous women. However, like any well written character Bond also has flaws. He seems to be very cautious of who he works with and he doesn't like surrounding him self with feminine things. He's the type of man who wants to keep his manhood.

The other thing I really liked about this book was Ian Fleming writing style. I never read any of the books before, just watch most of the movies, so Fleming's style was new to me. He's really descriptive and really puts you in the book. It seem obvious to me that he knows what he is talking about. When the character speak another language, he makes them speak that language. He don't translate either. It's a plus if you know the language, but if you like me and don't then you have to work at it, but it's not that hard to figure it out.

The oddest part of the novel that I can't remember in the movie is a speech Bond gives talking about how the Devil is only said to be evil, but there are no books in the Bible that actually explain why the Devil is evil. His point is don't judge people one what others say. There needs to be reason before you call them evil. You yourself have t be that judge. I just found that part weird in a god way because I wasn't expecting a bond book to have a religious part.

I always like and want to be James Bond, but now I really like him as a literary character. Yes I like books were women are a little more respected, but this is a Bond novel. Even though Bond is a hero, he is a flawed hero.

[sharonmariabidwell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

(audio read by Dan Stevens)I’ve never read a James Bond book. They’re always going to be hard to judge considering the dated attitudes. Though I don’t believe people, and certainly not literature, of the past should be judged by today’s standards, one can’t help a modern view creeping in. One has to disregard the sexism to get any enjoyment from Fleming’s most famous agent. Also, Bond’s meant to be a great secret agent and yet always appears to slip up, leaving the average person in the street shaking heads. Here he walks into a trap to save the woman, but I had to wonder to what use if caught and unwilling to talk under torture. There are good things here: the start of the Bond franchise; a glimpse of a deeper man hidden beneath the appearance of an impenetrable surface, but both Bond and Vesper also come across as emotionally weak. A physical relationship between them could easily be understood, but love? Considering what they had gone through, their relationship seems rather unhealthy. Of course, without giving away the ending, Vesper shows rather more backbone and courage, while Bond reverts to sexist weakness. Bond hurt is a man who buries any possibilities of owning his feelings and turns toward hate, emotionally erratic. Perhaps this was Fleming’s way of creating the cool, hard-shelled agent we know, but it feels cheap. It shows us a man who is not as self-assured as he believes; a man unwilling to be vulnerable, though one has to keep in mind that this story is set in a time of the British stiff-upper-lip. I could go on dissecting the work, but it simply is what it is. Dan Stevens does a superb job of reading and making the book come alive.

[ubiquitousuk-784690 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found the writing here to be a little bit amateurish in places, and the plot was a little anti-climatic. But the book is otherwise a bit of a 'page-turner' and I enjoyed what might be the most exciting card game in literature.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Where it all began!Bond must defeat Le Chiffre at the tables, ruining him financially and potentially costing him his life at the hands of SMERSH. (SMERSH is a conjunction of two Russian words: ‘Smyert Shpionam’, meaning roughly: ‘Death to Spies’.”)The first time I read this, I didn't like it, but this time, I found it much more enjoyable! It does drag, for me, at the card tables and during Bond's rehab, but the other plot pieces were much better than I remember! And, it gave us 007, so...!

[ekerstein-986148 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story is split into three parts: the Baccarat game, the torture, and the love affair with Vesper. The Baccarat game is the best part of the book and Fleming does an excellent job of explaining the game and creating tension even for those who don't understand how it's played.

Compared to the movie, the book is slower paced, less linear, and has more tangents and characterization.

The last part of the book is the weakest, and is tarnished by some blatantly sexist and unnecessary remarks. For example, when Bond is thinking about having sex with Vesper he excitedly thinks that "the conquest of her body, because of the central privacy in her, would have the sweet tang of rape."

[sjh4255 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First James Bond.... pleasantly surprised with this James Bond story... not at all like the cheesy movies that are churned out.. this is definitely more gritty and gives a good initiation into the world of 007..

[aadyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The extremely famous start to the legendary spies career, starts with a captivating gambling scene and moves full throttle through the initial set up. It is an act of three parts, and each part is well contained, exciting, and engaging. At the time of publication in the early 1950s, this was described as sadism for snobs. I can understand why that was felt given austerity Britain’s outlook at this point. However, the dinner suit clad agents, the high stakes gambling, the car chases, the inevitable denouncements, all contribute to a gripping narrative. If you’re new to the bonds novels then I envy you as this is one of the best.

[johnfishlock · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great novel. This is a shorter book. Written very well. 3.9

[paul_s-289480 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For a book that spawned a culture icon this is incredibly pedestrian. On the other hand this Bond has a brain, experiences emotions, expresses opinions and is just plain more likeable than the buffoon in the early films or the graceless thug in the more recent incarnations.

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Casino Royale (1953) (Bond #1) by Ian Fleming. This is the first of the Bond books. Here we are introduced to James as a novice 00 agent. When we meet him he is fresh to the section having made the two kills necessary to enter this elevated realm. But he is still an idealist; Crown and Country and all that stuff. Then comes Le Chaffer, the casino, the high stakes game and Vesper Lynd.And then comes his transformation into the mature Bond that can do what has to be done. This was not made into the Casino Royale movie of David Niven’s Bond, but it bears a close resemblance to the Daniel Craig film. And like any book, there is so much more here than what could be put into a film.No wonder this was one of President Kennedy’s favorite escapist books. And it is about time you pick up the original Bond and give him a try.

[glennis.leblanc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After seeing almost all the Bond movies I decided to give the books a try. I went with an audio since I was traveling, and I do remember most of the movie that is based on the book. Bond is a bit cold most of the book but does warm to Vespa even as he states that he doesn’t care for female agents and when something happens to her he is a mix of irritated and concerned for her. Bond escapes from Le Chiffre with the help of an outside agency and the help is revealed by the end of the book. He isn’t as likeable on the page as he is in the movies. I might give them one more chance if I’m looking for something to listen to in the car on a long trip.

[williemeikle-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I've read the other Bond novels, somehow this first one had always eluded me until now. Reading it it's hard not to overlay the new movie, and it's surprising how much-and how little-made it onto the screen. The centerpiece card game and subsequent torture has a surprising power to shock on the page, and the writing is crisp and taut, almost pulpish in places. All in all, I rather enjoyed it, and it's a quick, smooth read.

[ahs7wolfy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

James Bond is given an opportunity to remove a Russian agent from the board by taking him on in a high-stakes game of baccarat at a French resort casino. It seems Le Chiffre, as the agent is known, has been using money that’s not his own in a failed business venture and is looking to recoup the lost money before his paymasters find out. SMERSH are not renowned for their forgiveness of failure and it’s up to Bond to make things worse for his opponent. Bond is to be assisted on this mission by fellow agent Vesper Lynd. CIA agent Felix Leiter is also on hand to offer American assistance if required. Right from the outset things start to go wrong with his cover being blown almost immediately and a failed assassination attempt occurs just outside his hotel. Will Bond even survive to reach the gaming tables never mind complete his mission?To be even able to read this book then you must be able to make allowances for the time period in which it was written. Rampant sexism and misogyny abound from the outset though I haven’t done the research to distinguish between the author’s views or those of his characters. Vesper is regarded as an intelligent, capable female agent after all. If you can’t get past this in your own reading then it’s best to avoid this series of books altogether. The book itself follows Bond in the lead up to and then the actual game itself and then moves on to the aftermath of this match-up including an horrific torture scene (especially for the male readers) followed by a recovery and romantic interlude and the final twist of the plot. It’s a fairly typical spy story that despite its faults reads quite well and flows quickly between the events that make up the story. It’s not going to be a series that I actively seek out but would be willing to read more if they find me.

[lucky2loki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Before I discuss the novel itself, it must be stated that the misogynistic attitudes of the era age very poorly, and while most of this thankfully can be somewhat ignored due to being from the point of view of the period-(un)appropriate male characters rather than an omniscient narrator, the modern reader will likely, like I did, find it jarring and occasionally downright nauseating (one particularly repuslive line about the "sweet tang of rape" springs to mind) even so. That said, judging by the impression one has of Bond from the myriad of films, these sexist moments were fewer and further between than I had expected.Now, if one is able and willing to overlook these jarring moments, the novel is otherwise very good. The story proceeds always a tad faster than I perhaps expect it to, while still feeling like it takes its time setting a mood and putting you in Bond's head with every scene. There are occasional moments of humour (for instance, M calling a subordinate specifically to complain about a brief's liberal use of French vocabulary made me chuckle), Bond himself is very thoroughly sketched as hypercompetent without making him into some kind of infalliable superman, and the plot -- while built on a somwhat farfetched sounding premise -- is elegant and intriguing while still easy to follow. The main twist might be somewhat predictable to the modern reader (even should you not have seen the films), but that should only add an added sense of doom-and-gloom to the final chapters and not really spoilt the experience in any way. But the thing that made this novel stand out to me was the final line in it, which was by any measure I can make, excellent. Fleming's careful positioning of the reader in Bond's mind throughout the novel is there paid off so elegantly and powerfully, it will stay with me for a long time.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD read by Simon Vance. “The name is Bond, James Bond.” And this is the book that started it all.Bond is in France, on a mission to foil the Russian operative known as “le Chiffre” at the Baccarat table. The hope is that Bond will bankrupt the Russian, forcing his Soviet leaders to “retire” him. He’s not entirely happy when he’s sent a woman as back-up, but apparently, she makes a good cover. What could be more natural that for a wealthy Jamaican playboy to pick up a pretty girl at a casino?It’s still a fast-paced, spy thriller, that entertains. I first read this back when I was a teenager, vacationing with my best friend and her parents in Puerto Rico. I think we read six or seven of the books out on the beach or by the pool. We were taken by Bond’s good looks and sophistication. Not to mention the danger, and the sex. Now I’m a bit appalled by his attitude towards women. But he’s a product of his time, and of the genre. Simon Vance is one of those audio performers who can do no wrong in my book. He’s marvelous narrating this audio book.

[al9g · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Though it's not on my book list I actually read this book years ago, but decided to re-read it after a recent discussion regarding the Daniel Craig movie. I was contending that Craig had the essence of Bond down better than perhaps any other Bond actor, with the possible exception of early Sean Connery. So to be sure I was correct in my assertions I decided to read this first Bond novel again. It does not disappoint, and though Bond is less action oriented in the books, he is more cerebral and much more dangerous. Bond can be described as resplendent, refined and absolutely ruthless. His character may be best refined in his statement to Vesper Lynd, "It's not difficult to get a Double 0 number if you're simply prepared to kill people." This is Bond and I think Craig captures this, which supports my argument and brings me back to the book. It is well conceived and builds tension throughout, especially as Bond struggles to stay detached while falling for Vesper. The card game and the defeat of LeChiffre are the best possible setting for this turbulent relationship and its tragic conclusion - because, as we know, Bond cannot be attached.

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very fast read, quite low reading level. A decent enough story, but unsurprisingly misogynistic. Also, I'm pretty sure this is the first book I have ever read that says "the sweet tang of rape". Sweet tang, WTF???It does amaze me that someone took this book (or perhaps another was the first?) and decided to make a movie and created a whole THING. Because there just isn't that much here!

[weisser4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book was so much better than the first movie! LOL! Great beginning of James Bond.

[bcrowl399 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A quick but very satisfying read.

[dasam-5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

True it is dated and misogynistic. But it is a novel of its time, post-WWII and beginning of the Cold War. I found it better than the movies though the Daniel Craig version was not bad.

[longhorndaniel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

actually a unique story. was surprised by the twist

[aurorapaigem-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you've seen the movie then you know most of the plot and the twists. This is James Bonds first story, but not exactly an origin story. The mind of 007 is much more male than his exterior would give away. Feminists will probably hate his character and young men will still probably try to be him. I'm giving Fleming the benefit of the doubt because of the time period when this was written, but I wish our female lead wasn't so weak. Audio-Hoopla

[cybercarotte-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Actually, this is the 2nd time I've read this book - first time was nearly 30 years ago, and I'd read a French translation... Interestingly (in a way) the only part of the book I remembered was when Bond is tortured. I recall, the first time I saw the movie adaptation, I wondered if they were going to have that scene in it, and figured they wouldn't...and watching it, I was pretty sure that the scene in the book was only very slightly different (and I was right about that, looks like.)

I suppose the fact that I remembered nothing except the torture scene is because most of the rest is really pretty unremarkable... It's not a fabulous book, by any stretch of the imagination - I remember preferring other Bond novels to this one by far - but it's not bad though, especially as a sort of "period piece", a sort of snapshot into spy novels of the 1950s, which as such makes it an interesting read.

I'm curious to see how much of the other novels I still remember from when I read them as a teenager. I expect not a whole lot more than I did this one... ;)

[renbedell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first book in the James Bond series is not that much dissimilar to the movie in the overall story. The book is just a bit more than just a spy book. Ian explores different themes revolving around a fun spy story. There is much more introspection and delving on right vs wrong/good vs evil than I expected. And while it was not surprising that Ian's Bond is still a chauvinist and a misogynist that the original movies portrayed, there is a romantic quality to him. Just like the movie, this book showcases how Bond became Bond. It is a good book as long as you go in it remembering the time period and that at times you may not like James Bond for his outdated ideals.

[brokentune · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Well, it was not too late. Here was a target for him, right to hand. He would take on SMERSH and hunt it down. Without SMERSH, without this cold weapon of death and revenge, the MWD would be just another bunch of civil servant spies, no better and no worse than any of the western services."

And so begin the extraordinary adventures of the most famous of all spies. Had it not been for his involvement in bringing down the villain known as Le Chiffre, James Bond could just have been another one of such civil servant spies.

Unfortunately, this is the only aspect of the Casino Royale story that I actually liked. The idea of James Bond and his mission is what draws me to the books, but not in fact the character of James Bond himself.

James Bond, as a character, is an utterly unlikable, chauvinist, self-centered idiot, who happens to be good at playing cards but is otherwise pretty lucky to have anything go his way - whether it is his involvement with women or his actually staying alive.

I first read Casino Royale some years ago, shortly before the film was released, and really liked it for the plot and the fact that a card game could pose more danger to the world's biggest villains than any attempts of arrest or assassination. Incredible! However, I enjoyed that the book dwelt on thinking through Bond's moves at the baccarat table more than on action scenes.

However, on this particular re-read of the story, I felt more drawn to paying attention to the way Bond interacts with the world around him and was reminded why in some of the subsequent books I tend to root for the villains - I just can't stand James Bond.

Would I still recommend this book? Yes. I think it is important to demystify the legend (and the franchise - even tho I do enjoy the films!) and acknowledge that there was a time when the most popular of books was based on a character that was a snob, a chauvinist, a racist, a misogynist, an egotist, and an utter idiot.

2.5* rounded up.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the farcical premise of the novel:"We therefore recommend that the finest gambler available to the service should be given the necessary funds and endeavour to outgamble this man."It is a fun action novel that we take increasingly seriously. Specifically I am thinking of the contrast between the movie interpretations of this novel, first movie starred Peter Sellers, second movie Daniel Craig.

[johnwculuris · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When I finally got around to reading this book I was in for more than a few surprises. And it was not as if I went in blind. I was aware that the movies--even the Daniel Craig vehicles--were different from the books. And I had read Thunderball years ago, though it was during the observation period after a car accident; it was the only book of fiction in the room and all I can remember is that I did not care for it.My first surprise was at how well written Casino Royale is, particularly since I had heard of Ian Fleming’s lack of critical respect. I can only assume it was more a question of subject matter and tone than his narrative prowess. Another surprise was that while we share thoughts with Bond, there remained a certain lack of intimacy. I felt we never got much insight into 007. Fleming painted more vivid pictures of the supporting players: Vesper Lynd certainly, and to a lesser extent Mathis and Felix Leiter. Perhaps this was intentional in order to give Bond’s final scene--and the last line of the book--more impact. If that was the goal, at least that part was successful.As was the main casino sequence. Fleming loved sports and games and endeavored to include them in his work whenever possible. That showed here. Bond’s showdown with Le Chiffre at the baccarat table was everything it could be.But there were other negatives, some serious. First of all, I kept waiting for something to happen. A lot of time--for me, too much--was spent inside Bond's head. Again, because I felt we didn’t learn much about the man, this compounded the feeling that there was too much “waiting around.” And then there is the matter of following a protagonist who never manages to save himself. He was saved from a bomb by luck. He was saved from another bitter loss by Leiter’s care package. And he was saved one other time [from Le Chiffre’s torture by SMERSH]. True, he did extricate himself from an attack earlier, yet I had the feeling had that confrontation not happened in full public view, Bond would have been left dead on the floor.I don’t mind mistakes by the hero. They should all make some, whether the series is realistic or fantastic. But by the time a villain says to Bond, “You are not equipped, my dear boy, to play games with adults,” I find myself agreeing with him.My last complaint is muted to some extent by the fact that the book is sixty some-odd years old. It took place in an era when the only reason characters’ needed to fall in love (in any medium) was that they were alone together in a story that required it. While the attraction between Bond and Vesper was ever-present from the beginning, love seemed unlikely, particularly as they were never on the same wavelength for any period of time. This is particularly true at that beach resort, where, again, there seemed to be a lot of wasted time; I found myself “willing” for something to happen.Was it worth the read? Maybe as a curiosity. Will I follow up? I was somewhat intrigued by the character and those who have read the series have promised more evolution to Bond, at least in the first couple of books. And it might be interesting to see how the movies and the accompanying mainstream success affected Fleming’s work. But somehow I doubt I’ll be back. It didn’t do enough for me.[Reprinted and updated from a message board post I’d written in early 2006.]