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  • The Spy Who Loved Me (with Interview)

  • By: Ian Fleming
  • Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
  • Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (562 ratings)
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The Spy Who Loved Me (with Interview) cover art

The Spy Who Loved Me (with Interview)

By: Ian Fleming
Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
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Summary

When 007 turns up at a sleepy American backwoods motel, it doesn’t take him long to realise that Vivienne Michel is in a tight spot, and that Sol Horror and Sluggsy Morant are hardened killers bent on destruction. Escaping from a past she doesn’t want to relive, Viv turns to James Bond to save her.

Includes an exclusive bonus interview with Rosamund Pike.

Ian Fleming was born in London in 1908. He was educated at Eton and worked as a journalist in Moscow and a banker and stockbroker in London before becoming personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence during the Second World War. He wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952 at Goldeneye, his home in Jamaica. Since then James Bond has gone on to become a global phenomenon.

Rosamund Pike is a contemporary and multifaceted actress who has earned international acclaim for both her stage and film roles. She is soon to take the lead as Amy Dunne in the highly anticipated big screen adaptation of Gone Girl, and will also star in the upcoming BBC comedy What We Did On Our Holiday. She recently starred in Hector and The Search For Happiness and Edgar Wright’s The World’s End. Past film credits include Jack Reacher, Wrath Of The Titans, Die Another Day, An Education and Made In Dagenham, among others. On television, Pike has been working on the upcoming re-invention of classic children’s series Thunderbirds Are Go! in which she will voice International Rescue agent Lady Penelope.

©1962 Ian Fleming Publications Ltd (P)2013 Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. © AudioGO Ltd, 2012. James Bond and 007 are registered trademarks of Danjaq LLC, used under licence by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

Critic reviews

"Ian Fleming keeps you riveted. His narrative pulls with the smooth power of Bond's Thunderbird." ( Sunday Telegraph)
"Ruthlessly, fashionably efficient in both love and war." ( The Times)
"Muscularly brilliant...not for prudes." ( Evening Standard)
"If there’s a better writer of pure thrillers than Fleming, the name escapes me" ( The Boston Globe)
"Mr. Fleming is splendid; he stops at nothing." ( New Statesman)

What listeners say about The Spy Who Loved Me (with Interview)

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not a 'typical' Bond book...

So let's set out a few things about the book:
# Bond doesn't appear until part 3 (90 odd pages in)
# When Bond does appear, he's not there in any official capacity (it's pure luck he turns up and saves the day)
# The whole book is written in the first person perspective of Vivienne Michel
# Part 1 is about Viv's previous life and lovers, Part 2 is about 2 low life crooks who show up at a Motel she's looking after
# There is no "villain", no plot to foil, and very little Bond action. Bond saving the day is basically rescuing Viv from being sexually assaulted and preventing an insurance scam. That's it. Nothing else.

And as much a I like Rosamund Pike, her narration as Canadian Viv is OK but once she's gets to Bond, the crooks or the police, the accents and narration are just terrible (verging on sounding like she has cotton wool in her mouth at times). Her Bond particularly is bland, boring and flat.

Overall the story is interesting, but it is in no way a James Bond novel, or even a spy novel. Fleming himself admitted to copying the style of an author he liked, and tried to stop the book being re-published (even denying he wrote it). When he sold the film rights, he stipulated that no part of the book could be used apart from the title.

I knew most of the above before downloading, and I listened to the book as part of wanting to complete all of Fleming's work.

If you're wanting a James Bond action adventure novel, stay clear.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bond Cameo Gem

This is an unusual Bond example as Fleming writes from a female perspective (of the time in which it was written) and despite the views of some misguided detractors (imho) I think he pulls it off with style and aplomb. I think it's a brilliant listen with Rosamund Pike performing superbly in the first person narration role. Okay, the villains are a bit thinly drawn but a very suave if fallible Bond and lovely but vulnerable Vivienne more than make up for it with their dynamic sexual chemistry. Listen without prejudice and enjoy.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best narration I have heard in a long time. Wow!

Fantastic performance!!! The writing was 10/10 and the story an 8/10.
One if my favourite books, written from the first person past tense perspective.
This book is written from the perspective of The Bond Girl. (Through her eyes, not Bond.)
I think this is (technically) Ian Flemings best work, and it is incredible that he was able to capture the spirit of the character in such a dramatic way.
I would definitely recommend this book!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Well written sexism

Pretty much summed up by the title. Worse phrase I've ever heard in a book; "Every girl likes a semi-rape". Lovely.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting.

I’ve never read this book, but have watched the film and this is nothing like the film at all. However, it was very enjoyable and the performance is excellent. I loved it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

really enjoyed it

It’s nice to hear a James Bond book from the view of someone else. Love to hear about some familiar places in the book like Hotel de Paris in Bray which was converted into flats in 1964. Also a rare ‘mistake’ by reference to ‘Windsor Station’ in which there are two: Windsor and Eton Riverside or Windsor and Eton Central

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrible reading

Made the source material sound as dull as dishwater! No love from Rosamund Pike here! The worst in the entire series Even worse than Hugh Quarshies Dr No ! And that’s saying something!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great performance. Mediocre story.

A great performance by Rosamund Pike, but even if you set aside the fact that it's a Bond cameo novel the latter part of the just plot doesn't hold up. Bond is fallible but not this stupidly fallible. The gangsters don't need to be smart but they can't be this dumb. Russian Rockets, nukes, and secret weapons seem believable by comparison.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Not your average Bond story

A very good thriller not your average Bond/ spy story well written good performance terrible Welsh accent.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Something different

Really enjoyed this one. Written from a completely different perspective, with Bond a character in someone else’s story.
Expertly narrated by Rosamund Pike, I’d definitely recommend this one.

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