Diamonds Are Forever

James Bond Novel Retrospective #4

Released: 1956

A dog is a man’s best friend, while diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

In my Fantastic Beasts Trilogy overview, I noted what my current top three franchises are; Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings. Fourth place, meanwhile, would probably go to our favourite British secret agent here. Or at least, as far as movie & book franchises go. I am a pretty big Super Mario fan too.

Just like with Live and Let Die, the book and film of Diamonds Are Forever share a few broad similarities, but are very different stories otherwise. While I have sometimes wished that some of the Bond films were more faithful adaptations, at the same time, it does provide another good reason for someone to check out the novels, as there’s lots of material that either wasn’t fully adapted, or was never adapted at all.

The first time I read Diamonds Are Forever, many years ago, I was underwhelmed with it. Not bad by any means. Just underwhelming. I remember the villains didn’t really grab me, and I didn’t find the story to be as tense and gripping as the previous three novels. But I am pleased to say that the book has grown on me since then. By quite a lot, actually. Not as good as Moonraker, but I enjoyed it more than Casino Royale, and even a bit more than Live and Let Die.

In fact, I’m a bit puzzled by my original complaint about the apparent lack of tension. This book is actually quite gritty and exciting. Granted, it does take a bit to get going, but it builds a lot of momentum as it goes and doesn’t let up from there. Once Bond arrives in Las Vegas, you really get to soak in the “casinos, espionage, and high danger” vibes. The scenes in the ghost town of Spectreville are especially great and have a spooky, slightly surreal atmosphere.

As for the villains, I do like that they’re different from the previous villains. Instead of SMERSH, or Hugo Drax and his crew of rocket scientists, this time it’s the diamond smuggling organization known as the Spangled Mob. Bond going up against diamond smugglers is a nice way to mix things up. It’s just that, at least in this book, they’re a bit underdeveloped. While Shady Tree has a brief but memorable role, I was left wanting to know more about Jack and Seraffimo Spang. But alas, we don’t see that much of either of them despite them being the main villains. Jack Spang has a humourous introduction early on when he barges into the scene and asks, “What goes on around here?” But that is perhaps the Spang brothers’ only real noteworthy scene. The Spangled Mob’s henchmen and enforcers, Wint & Kidd, are the best antagonists of the book, though still a far cry from how humorously memorable and iconic they were in the film.

Aside from that, the rest of the story is solid and entertaining enough that it’s not a crippling flaw. Bond receives another likeable ally with Ernie Cureo. And of course, there’s Felix. It’s heartwarming to suddenly see Felix again, after the tragic circumstances of what happened the last time we saw him in Live and Let Die and his absence from Moonraker. His friendship with Bond again shows itself to be a highlight of the story. Tiffany Case makes for a solid Bond girl too. Distinctly different from Gala Brand, but still memorable in her own right.

I give the book an 8/10.