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4.0 out of 5 stars
Bond's Alpine Adventure, Feb 22 2002
The last really good Bond novel, and one which sees Bond go into previously uncharted territory like the aisle and even 'M''s home. The plot centres around a plan by Bond's old adversary from 'Thunderball' (1961), Ernst Stavro Blofeld, to cripple Britain financially by ruining her agriculture and food industry with biological warfare. Under the guise of an expert in family trees, Bond is able to infiltrate Blofeld's secret operation in the Swiss Alps, to try to put an end to his dastardly plans. Interestingly, the novel opens with James Bond visiting the scene of the first Bond novel, Royale-les-Eaux, and he treads over familiar ground in the shape of the French coastal towns casino. It is a strangely ironic place in which to meet the love of his life (Tracy) as it also contains the grave of a woman (Vesper Lynd) who caused him the most anguish. A well written, fast paced thriller, it is packed with exciting action, worthy villains, humourous incidents, good food and the compulsory love interest. The love interest in this novel is one 'Tracy' de Vicenzo who Bond rescues from disgrace and death and ends up falling in love with and marrying. Under normal circumstances the fact that she is the daughter of the 'Capu' of the Corsican mafia would complicate things somewhat but in this novel it is a positive boon for Bond and one which he takes full advantage of. The villain is top notch. In Ernst Stavro Blofeld we have a man to really dislike; cold and calculating, he literally oozes malevolence. He has no redeeming features whatsoever and the choice of Irma Bunt as his assistant only helps the reader wish even more for Bond to succeed in his mission.
If Blofeld does have a weakness, it appears to be that he covets the respectability and status that a title would give him, and this proves to be a significant failing on his part. Exciting ski, car and bobsleigh rides, added to the ingenious plot and unusual location gives one the feeling that this Bond novel was, in a lot of ways, Flemings last classic Bond adventure. Following this novel we had the frankly bizarre 'You Only Live Twice' (1964) and 'The Man With The Golden Gun' (1965) which wasn't all Fleming's work. 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (a phrase coined by Tracy's father, the likeable Capu, Marc-Ange) is a book that it is hard to put down and in the final analysis that is what all good novels have in common. The book does have a very sad end and the reader should really follow it by reading 'You Only Live Twice' as it more or less follows on from this novel and sees Bond getting his revenge on Blofeld.
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