Dr. No

By Ian Fleming

After a couple days of reading, I've just finished Ian Fleming's next James Bond novel, Doctor No.

To be honest, this book seemed to be structured in the same general style that the second novel (Live and Let Die) had been structured, but its central focus seemed to be elusive until the final quarter of the novel. I wondered if this was, by chance, just the flow of the writer's mind. But then I became aware of a constant color that was presented throughout-- the color gray.

While, usually, it's a dull color that can be a bit boring, it is my conclusion from this reading that Fleming was using it to make a larger point about mortality and the idea of power. He describes these as gray things...impossible to decipher. When taking this into consideration, the hold-out on the reader is quite brilliant because it reflects this gray area where there is no answer... I wonder if Fleming was questioning his actions taken with his duty to Her Majesty's government.

He, once more, proves himself to be the master of his genre with such deep exploration of these topics as well as the side topic of endurance and what toll experiences take on shaping a human being in what kind of person he is. My favorite passages are probably a long paragraph on page 161 and the beautifully written epilogue which explores a greater depth to not only Bond himself but also what makes a villain.

At the same time, while it explores this concept beautifully, the novel at first glance seems almost disjointed when it comes to the villain. Where it’s typically expected to be a cut and dry characterization, Dr. No’s motivation and plan are not fully explained right away. This is intentional as Fleming played it closer to the vest, but when it comes to craft, it’s fairly tricky to balance for readers sympathy for the villain and sympathy for the protagonist when you’re trying to question what it takes to be a villain. It was a tough sell for me till almost the ending.

While I was a bit disappointed, at first, that Fleming did not carry the unique structural ideas that he once explored in the previous novel (From Russia with Love), I think all these factors made Doctor No the success what it is. It's a far cry from what Hollywood produced in 1962, but definitely worth the time.

I am curious about what interesting ideas Ian has in store in the next book, Goldfinger.