Gambling, Danger, and Betrayal

The Bond franchise begins with this story, and if you have never read a Bond novel, it is best to start here. The opulent lifestyle, car chases, romance, and life of cold espionage is on full display. If you have only seen the Daniel Craig movie, this will be a treat, because Fleming’s Bond reacts differently to everything. He is human, while being a spy, capable of misreading situations and people.

Dan Stevens might be one of the finest audiobook readers around. His French pronunciation is impeccable, American accents are flawless, and he has distinct voices for different characters. He drives the narrative with his reading, and you will never be bored, even when Fleming is describing Bond’s meal, which he does, frequently. Best audiobook I have had the pleasure of listening to.

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Bond. James Bond.

When AudioGo first announced this round of new recordings a couple of years ago, I was manic to have them. I own copies of the original Simon Vance recordings from my pre-Audible days, which are phenomenal, but being the Bond fan that I am, I'm always curious to see what others can bring to the table. Then I found out these new recordings weren't available outside of the UK, and my heart sank. I prayed Audible would bring them to me.

At last, my prayers have been answered, and wouldn't you know, I had to hunt for them. Instead of referring to them by their official series name of "007 Reloaded," they're called "celebrity performances." Well, by any other name, it means my 2 credits a month are dedicated for the next few months (barring Star Wars releases), and not being independently wealthy, I can't afford to spring for them all at once as I'd like to do. Curses, foiled again.

Be that as it may, I have begun the series, and I'm over the moon impressed with this new performance by Dan Stevens. He impressed me with his work on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and his work here is every bit as nuanced and incredible. I almost wish he could do the rest of them too, but the point is to have a variety of talent for this series, so I'm looking forward to riding that wave. As many times as I've gone through the original novels, I'm still not as familiar with them as I am the films, and this provides the perfect excuse for me to dive in again and live with them for a while.

For those new to the original Fleming novels, this is a great introduction to the series. You almost have to forget what you've seen on screen and take Bond in his original cold war context, but thanks to the recent Daniel Craig films coming closer to Fleming's work, the in-road to the classic version has never been friendlier. It might take some getting used to Bond using a Beretta instead of the Walther PPK, or driving a Bentley instead of the Aston Martin, but the core of everything that is Bond starts here and evolves into what we've come to know and love throughout the series. Fleming's incredible detail brings these stories to life at every level, from Bond's scoping the room for signs of intrusion and tampering, to food and drink, to the gambling tables, to the torture sequences, and beyond. It's visceral in a way that can only come happen thanks to practical, real world experience. That's what separates Bond from his world of knock-offs and wanna-be copycats. Setting the standard of all that's come before and all that will come to be in the action/spy genre, regardless of medium, there's only one name you need to know. The name's Bond. James Bond.

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Classic James Bond and an Easy Listen!

Would you listen to Casino Royale again? Why?

Yes. The story is simple and straightforward but for someone like me who has a hard time following stories with tons of characters this audiobook was perfect! Great Narration by Dan Stevens.

What does Dan Stevens bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Dan hits every word and enunciation perfectly. He gives each character a voice without it sounding cheap or overdrawn! His voice was perfect James Bond. It's a shame this is the only book in the series that he narrated.

19 people found this helpful

Stevens Makes This a much Better Listen

The same good story, but Dan Stevens of Downton Abby is a fantastic upgrade at narrator from the previous version.

30 people found this helpful

Now I understand why this is the 1st book

Great performance by the narrator. I'm a big fan of the movies but I'd never read any of the books. After listening to Casino Royale, my eyes are opened to a different way to enjoy the adventures of a timeless character.

11 people found this helpful

Dan Stevens is brilliant, bringing Ian Fleming's Bond off the page and to life in an exciting way

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Great performance, shallow story

I’d never read James Bond before and I doubt I’ll ever again. Dan Stevens was great, and the story moved well, but ultimately it is it a reflection of the worst parts of the culture of its time, where “men are men” and women are simply “a conquest”. There was nothing edifying or redeeming in its telling.

41 people found this helpful

perfect

Excellent story i enjoyed every part of this book i will read goldfinger next 💯

9 people found this helpful

Great performance by Dan Stevens

Dan Stevens comports James Bond well. I learned how to play baccarat. But this a sublime plot. Bond is multi-dimensional, the action is realistic. I had a lot of fun with this one.

5 people found this helpful

Stevens is Magnificent; Chapter 20 is Essential

When Simon Vance’s recordings of the original Bond novels started dropping out of sight, I was annoyed. Assuming they’d always be there, I never bothered to collect them all. I don’t even like the cover art of these new, celebrity editions (yes, I really am that shallow) and would never have bought one unless, one fine Daily Deal, Casino Royale showed up like the little white ball in the proper slot on the roulette wheel.

I’m glad it did. A shade more languid than Vance, Dan Stevens’ performance is just as riveting; his voicing of Le Chiffre unsettling. And, though no fan of celebrity interviews, I enjoyed his comments at the end of this recording. Now I’m wishing he’d done the entire Bond canon. Of course, he had a fine script to work with; Fleming’s prose is as rare and excellent as the brandy Bond might select to sip after dinner. And nowhere is that prose put to better use than in the twentieth chapter.

Here we have a battered Bond, fresh from the tender ministrations of Le Chiffre, contemplating resigning from the battle of good vs evil because he can no longer distinguish between them. The rebuttal to this jejune relativism is delivered by a French colleague with all the cutting irony, sarcasm and deep (but veiled) personal affection one would expect from a Frenchman. It’s about as “philosophical” as any of the Bond novels ever get, a dose of tough-minded truth needed now perhaps even more than in 1953.

4 people found this helpful