Flandry's second novel:
"Djana walked down the gangway without saying goodbye to Flandry. He watched her, shrugged, sighed - Women! The aliens among us! - and sauntered alone toward the shuttle into town, where he could properly celebrate his victory."
-Poul Anderson, A Circus Of Hells IN Anderson, Young Flandry (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 193-365 AT p. 365.
Bond's twelfth and final novel, published posthumously:
"...he knew, deep down, that love from Mary Goodnight, or from any other woman, was not enough for him. It would be like taking 'a room with a view.' For James Bond, the same view would always pall."
-Ian Fleming, The Man With The Golden Gun (New York, 1965), p. 158.
Much more will happen to Flandry but I like that epitaph for Bond.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
It would be interesting to ponder that thought from Flandry: "Women! The aliens among us!" How true is that? In what ways are women "alien" to the human race? What are some of the ways women are different from men? I don't mean the obvious physical differences, I had more in mind wondering what makes women intrinsically differenet from men.
The quote from THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is rather sad, showing Bond as believing himself unable to settle down with one woman. And the single time he tried, his wife was murdered on the very day of their wedding!
Sean
Sean,
Bond would also have married the double agent who committed suicide in CASINO ROYALE.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Dang! I have completely forgotten about that! It's been so long since I read the Bond books. Largely because I preferred the Flandry series when it comes to stories about spies and intelligence agents.
I should amend that a bit to say I have also enjoyed William F. Buckley, Jr.'s Blackford Oates novels.
Sean
Flandry is rather isolated from his parents, whose relationship is temporary and rather oddly detached.
This probably affects his ability to form long-term commitments. The nature of one's parents' relationship is a strong (though not infallible) predicator of one's own.
Dear Mr. Stirling,
Yes, I recall that from ENSIGN FLANDRY. And while Flandry himself loyally said his parent HAD done their duty to him, I agree Flandry needed more than that from them. Merely feeding, clothing, and having him educated was not enough.
I would have liked to have seen Flandry's parents at least once.
Sean
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