Devil May Care

By: Sebastian Faulks

Narrated by: Jeremy Northam

Devil May Care will be published in May 2008 to celebrate the Centenary of Ian Fleming's birth. This new instalment in the adventures of the world's most iconic spy has been written by one of Britain's most admired novelists, Sebastian Faulks.

"My novel is meant to stand in the line of Fleming's own books, where the story is everything." said Faulks, "In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkelling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in late afternoon, then more Martinis and glamorous women.

In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkelling."Picking up from where Fleming left off in 1966 with The Living Daylights / Octopussy, Faulks has written the perfect continuation of the James Bond legacy.

Devil May Care is set during the Cold War and features all the glamour, thrills and excitement that one would expect from any adventure involving Bond... James Bond.

007 is a registered trade mark used under license from Ian Fleming Publications ltd.

©2008 Ian Fleming Publications (P)2008 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Jeremy Northam's accents intensify the book's 1960s atmosphere nicely, but we soon realise that there is purpose as well as fun here. The Iran-set novel reminds us of how much damage our colonial past has done to our present. Its evil mastermind had a scheme to saturate British cities with heroin, and another to acquire The Times and other newspapers to destroy the credibility of British politics. Older, less lascivious, and beginning to creak at the joints, Bond is feeling his years. But he is still a man of infinite resource and sagacity and now likes pepper - cracked, not ground - on his scrambled eggs." ( The Times)

This is not an evolution

James Bond. He is the icon of all the spies. Everybody knows the gadgets, the style and the womanizing charm. Author tried to continue in Fleming's novels and this try is successful. The thing is that there is nothing new. When you read this book you understand the approach of the moviemakers. Move Bond to 21st century is a clever way how to keep him alive. This book is a residue of ancient times. It is a visit of the Cold war but from today's perspective all the described Russian - British problems look a bit distant. If you look for a sequel of Fleming's work it is book for you. If you search for a modern spy thriller look another direction.

"Old School" Bond is back

Being a long time Bond fan - I had quite high expectations.. I have listened to some of the original titles.. even tried Silverfin, from the Young Bond series to feed my appetite..

I am quite particular about the narration - so was pleased with Jeremy Northam's reading - it's crisp clear.. and sometimes a little... old school, especially when he does the foreign accents - put a smile on my face.. (He's the chap from that brill BBC series The Tudors and twisted sci-fi Cypher) - and he could even make a convincing Bond...

The author is definitely what some people would say "writing by numbers".. and so faithfully brings Bond back. If you were expecting something different then this may disappoint you.. if like me, you were looking for more of the old school.. then step right up. Brilliant..

To put this in perspective: I see this book more a Sean Connery's Bond.. classic cars.. tennis whites.. a little flawed.. the descriptions of these are wonderful..

Bond is DEFINITELY back..

Sebastian Faulks,shaken, not stirred!

Would you try another book from Sebastian Faulks and/or Jeremy Northam?

I have read all Sebastian Faulks' other works and love his writing. It was interesting to see his take on the Ian Fleming style. The narration by Jeremy Northam was just right in tone and expression and did not intrude on the listener's imaginative interpretation too much.
I look forward to more work by Sebastian Faulks and would be pleased to listen to Jeremy Northam again.

Would you recommend Devil May Care to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend Devil May Care to all those interested in finding out what a writer whose strength lies in his portrayal of the inner life of his characters makes of a more plot-driven genre.

Have you listened to any of Jeremy Northam’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not heard any other of Jeremy Northam's performances before but found that his rendering of this novel allowed me to engage fully with the author's words without intrusive overacting and excessive interpretation.

Worst sort of Potboiler

The author tries to cash in on the popularity and formula of the Bond mystique but fails badly.This bond is not too bright, not witty nor very brave.The story did not follow logically from a start to a middle to an end an quite frankly I did not much care, and could not wait for it to be over.Towards the end I only listened with half an ear. Really bad story , no glamour and not much else to reccommend it.Also too much gratuitous violence for my liking.