The 007 Re-Read Project: James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me by Christopher Wood

James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me occupies a rather odd position in the Bond bibliography. Despite sharing the title with one of Fleming's original Bond novels, the film version of The Spy Who Loved Me bears absolutely no resemblance to its contents. This was apparently a condition that Fleming himself insisted upon when he sold the film rights to the Bond books, as he was dissatisfied with the novel. (He wasn't the only one!) Rather than release a tie-in edition of the book that bore no relation to the movie, it was decided to have screenwriter Christopher Wood write a novelization with a slightly modified title to differentiate it from the Fleming original. This was one of the only books that I was unable to find during my Bond book binge of the mid-to-late '90s. Well, that's not exactly true; while I was able to find copies for sale online, they all commanded prices that were well out of my comfort zone, particularly for an old paperback. (There was a rather nice hardcover edition published in the U.K, but I was unaware of that at the time, and given that it went for far higher prices, it wouldn't have mattered anyway!) Thankfully, it was made available as an ebook back in 2013, and I was finally able to acquire a copy. (Oddly, it was delisted at some point, and a quick web search didn't turn up any explanation.) As always, I won't blow the whole plot, but there are SPOILERS AHEAD! 

It will come as no surprise to those who have made a habit of reading novelizations that there are a number of differences between this book and what you see in the movie. This is undoubtedly due to its being based on an earlier version of the script, but it may also be due in part to a desire to make it more congruous with the previous Bond novels. Aside from some of the dialogue, it's quite difficult to picture Roger Moore as the Bond of this book. There's a level of violence and gore that we have yet to see in any Bond films, let alone those starring Moore. There's a torture scene that particularly stands out in this regard that is certain to make male readers squirm as much as the infamous carpet beater scene from Casino Royale. Many of the outlandish setpieces from the film are here, but Bond himself is clearly modeled on Fleming's Bond. 

M's characterization is much closer to the film version than the literary, however, and his conversations with Bond are about the most casual you're likely to come across. Anya Amasova is given a great deal more background, though she remains a character defined more by her sexuality than her personality. Most of her scenes seem to pivot around how greatly she is desired by the men in her life, chiefly Bond and her boss. Speaking of her boss, he is explicitly called out as the head of SMERSH in the novel. It seems a rather odd choice, as SMERSH had been disbanded in the world of the novels by the time Thunderball was published. Whereas Walter Gotell's General Gogol is a relatively benign presence in the film, his counterpart in the novel, General Nikitin, is an utterly loathsome creature, so duplicitous and lecherous in nature that it stretches belief that M would behave so affably toward him even under direct orders. 

We also get quite a bit more background on Stromberg, here given the forename Sigmund, and the steel-toothed giant Jaws. Jaws himself is nearly as memorable as in the film, and serves as Stromberg's one and only henchman. (Lesser underlings Sandor and Naomi are not present in the novel.) Jaws is dispatched with quite a bit more finality than in the film, and it'll be interesting to see how Wood explains his presence in the Moonraker novelization, if it's addressed at all. The Stromberg of the novel differs massively from his film counterpart, though his goals remain the same. With his bald head and fashion sense, he almost seems to have been cast in the mold of Doctor No physically, but he has his own rather unique characteristics to set him apart. His ritual when something upsets him is more comical than intimidating, however, and it's probably for the best that the filmmakers didn't include it in the film version! He doesn't reach the upper echelon of Bond's nemeses, but he is a memorable villain nevertheless.

Wood makes a valiant effort to replicate the Fleming Sweep, though he doesn't achieve this consistently. The novel is a quick and easy read, however, and retains a feeling of density despite its brevity due to the sheer number of events. Not all of these receive proper fleshing out. Anya's sudden turn during the climax comes literally from nowhere, and without the slightest peek at her mental or emotional state to rationalize any of it. The actor's performances just barely manage to make the moment work in the film, but the novel doesn't have Roger Moore's charisma going for it, so the scene falls completely flat, and is immediately glossed over with no explanation. The book ends differently than the film, though they still escape from Stromberg's stronghold in the same manner. There's an epilogue that shows the pair reuniting after their adventure, but it sadly doesn't amount to much. There's a hint that Anya has defected, but we're left with no details about that, either. 

Notable quotes:

Women you pick up in casinos are either straightforward whores or have run out of money playing some ridiculous system. Either way they are going to be very expensive and probably very neurotic. (Yikes!)

Bond felt a sense of unreality. He had been dropped onto the roof of the world and he had done nothing to earn these spirit-enriching vistas, the reward of those who had bravely scaled the face of a mountain. Bond preferred his pleasures hard-won.

(As Bond is relentlessly accosted by merchants in the Cairo marketplace.) Bond felt like a man swimming against the tide. If anyone tried to sell him dirty postcards, he might go under.

Stromberg turned slowly like a man in a trance and Bond found himself staring into eyes that were two long corridors leading nowhere. He realized that Stromberg was completely and utterly mad. "You do not understand, Commander Bond. I want to destroy the world."

The two departing submarines were now framed in the gaping bows of the Lepadus. It was like a painting. A painting of the end of the world.

The tight, cruel line of Bond's mouth divided like a trap being sprung. 

While the novel ends rather weakly, the climactic scenes carry much of the bombast of the film version, and that helps make up for the small disappointments of the final chapters. Its memorable action sequences, (mostly) interesting characters, and the novelty of contrasting it with the film version make it well worth the read. I wouldn't call this a great book, but it's a good one, and definitely in the upper tier of non-Fleming Bond novels. I'm looking forward to tackling Wood's other Bond novelization. Recommended.

That's all for this time, but infiltrate your way here again next Monday for more!