Book Review: Devil May Care
August 3, 2013- The rumor mill has been abuzz, in the last month, over the working title and basis for the Eon Productions' Bond 24 film. Many sources have reported that the title of the latest installment in the franchise will be Devil May Care and the film may be based upon the 2008 Sebastian Faulks "writing as Ian Fleming" James Bond novel of the same title; however, neither the Ian Fleming Estate nor Eon Productions has confirmed this. On the possibility that there may be some truth to the rumor I have decided to provide an updated review of the book.
Devil May Care was released for the posthumous 100th birthday celebration of Ian Fleming, and on the heals of the debut of Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006). Faulks was not previously known for writing in this genre and he was viewed as an unusual choice for the assignment by the Fleming Estate, yet he managed to do justice to the Fleming legacy and the Bond character. The book is both a good edition to the James Bond novel series, and as a stand alone thriller. I highly recommend it, especially, as a summer read because it is an easy to read, well written, and engaging thriller.
Faulk weaves a continuation tale which overtly relies on, and references, the prior assignments, villains, and Bond girls of James Bond fame. The work is a Vietnam War era story of an aging, emotionally and physically battered James Bond, torn between retirement and getting back into the game as a 007, License to Kill. Faulks uses a formula not unfamiliar to Bond film goers and, at times, the novel reads more like a screenplay than a novel.
The work relies on the appearance of classic Bond characters as well as a new Bond villain in Dr Julius Gorner, who is forged in the image and likeness of Dr. Julius No, Auric Goldfinger, with a touch of Ernst Starvros Blofeld. He is accompanied by a henchman who is a cross between Red Grant and Odd-Job. Bond, together with Scarlett Papava, a Bond girl to match all prior Bond Girls, brings us to France, Iran, and Russia as he fleshes out a story of revenge, Cold War espionage, and adventure. 
One of the great strength's of the novel is that the Bond persona in Faulks' novel is deeply rooted in the character, as written by Fleming and as played by Sean Connery and by Daniel Craig. It is for this reason, although the script would need to be updated to a post Cold War world, that it lends itself to the possibility of being a decent choice for the follow up to Skyfall (2012), the most successful James Bond film in the 50 year franchise.
Regardless of whether the next Bond film borrows anything from the Faulks novel, in name or storyline, it is still a worthwhile read for James Bond fans. I am sorry it took me 5 years to pick it up.
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