Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

I’d never read an Ian Fleming book before, but I rather enjoyed Casino Royale. It’s a gripping story, simply told and Bond himself makes for a more intriguing figure than he generally does in the films. That said, there are strange moments where Fleming’s misogyny shine through (not least the part where Bond expresses his enjoyment of sexual encounters which have the “sweet tang of rape”). Clearly these are from a different era, but I don’t think that Bond’s attitude to women can be explained away quite that easily.

Still, I’m interested to read more.

(Casino Royale on Amazon)