You Only Live Twice

You Only Live Twice is the aftermath of the tragedy Bond suffered in OHMSS. As the story opens we find that Bond is off his game, the cold killer agent messing up missions as his grief clouds his abilities. M is thinking of dismissing him when he's given the idea of presenting 007 with an “impossible” mission in the hope it will jolt him out of his doldrums. So Bond finds himself sent out to Japan, under the tutelage of Tiger Tanaka, head of the Japanese secret service.

Tanaka reveals that a certain Dr. Shatterhand (truly one of Fleming's worst names for a villain), has created a “garden of death” atop a huge castle on the coast of Japan's southern island. A vast array of the deadliest plants and snakes in the world attract a steady stream of suicides and the authorities seem helpless to stop it. Tanaka tasks Bond with killing Shatterhand and destroying the garden. Strictly off the books, complete deniability.

Fleming packs the first half of the book with Bond being a fish out of water and stereotype is piled upon stereotype when it comes to the Japanese character, women and lifestyle. It's borderline racist stuff and does leave a bad taste in the mouth.

Bond here is a broken man, his cruel streak to the fore, especially when he learns the true identity of Dr Shatterhand.

Given a crash course in how to be Japanese, Tanaka makes Bond adopt the disguise of a mute, deaf miner from Fukuoka and deposits him on the small fishing island of Kura, in sight of the looming castle of death. Of course there is a romantic interest, which this time comes in the form of Kissy Suzuki, a young woman who dives for awabi but who also happens to have made one Hollywood movie and speaks perfect English. Ahem!

The denouement is packed into the final few chapters and is a little perfunctory. Signs that Fleming was growing bored of his creation perhaps. He's tying up loose ends from the last few novels and perhaps he was seeking and ending for Bond's adventures. Whatever the case YOLT is a step down from the heights of OHMSS. A good, efficient spy thriller, if a little frayed around the edges.

A most enjoyable read. While I enjoyed the first half of the book, it was a bit of a slow burn but the second was definitely a typical fast paced Bond story with a great climax and satisfying ending.

You only live twice:Once when you are bornAnd once when you look death in the face(You Only Live Twice, Chapter 11)

You Only Live Twice was Fleming's 11th James Bond novel. This isn't counting the short story collection “For Your Eyes Only.” It's a strange book. Through the mouths of his characters, Fleming examines the decline of post-World War II British power and influence, notably in relation to the United States. The Bond in this story reflects this. He is a shattered character who has lost his wife eight months earlier and is unsure who or what he's fighting for.

The book itself starts strongly and declines as the story progresses. It becomes more of a travelogue. The novel deals on a personal level with the change in Bond from a depressed man in mourning, to a man of action bent on revenge, to an amnesiac living as a fisherman. Bond travels to Japan, so a reader who is familiar with Fleming's attitudes towards foreigners immediately fears the worst. But the book isn't as racist as I feared. Saying that, women are still offered to Bond as little more than sexual playthings.

The plot doesn't explain the ambiguous mission Bond faces and is one of the most convoluted ever. Bond seems to mooch about for a while waiting then gets told about the villain Dr. Shatterhand. Shatterhand has created a “garden of death”: poisonous plants, snakes, piranhas, etc. Japanese people love to go to his garden and kill themselves. It's never made clear why this garden was created, nor why Fleming thinks that the Japanese like to commit suicide? Bond realises that Shatterhand is Ernst Stavro Blofeld (making his third appearance) and sets out on a revenge mission to kill him and his wife, Irma Bunt.

The last 40 or so pages contain all the action. The novel concludes with 007's obituary, written for The Times by M. The obituary provides biographical details of Bond's early life, including his parents' names and nationalities.

It seems that the series hit a peak with OHMSS, then Fleming started to struggle. I'll make up my mind after about this after I read the unfinished first draft released as The Man With the Golden Gun. And of course Octopussy & the Living Daylights.

So in summary, worth reading but only just.