HarperCollins, the U.S. publisher of William Boyd’s upcoming James Bond novel, Solo, has provided a synopsis of its story line.
THE BOOK BOND WEB SITE spotted the PLOT SUMMARY earlier. The summary reads:
It’s 1969, and, having just celebrated his forty-fifth birthday, James Bond—British special agent 007—is summoned to headquarters to receive an unusual assignment. Zanzarim, a troubled West African nation, is being ravaged by a bitter civil war, and M directs Bond to quash the rebels threatening the established regime.
Bond’s arrival in Africa marks the start of a feverish mission to discover the forces behind this brutal war—and he soon realizes the situation is far from straightforward. Piece by piece, Bond uncovers the real cause of the violence in Zanzarim, revealing a twisting conspiracy that extends further than he ever imagined.
Moving from rebel battlefields in West Africa to the closed doors of intelligence offices in London and Washington, this novel is at once a gripping thriller, a tensely plotted story full of memorable characters and breathtaking twists, and a masterful study of power and how it is wielded—a brilliant addition to the James Bond canon.
Does Boyd’s novel delve a bit more into politics than other 007 tales, even if the author is using a fictional African country? The part about Bond being assigned “to quash the rebels threatening the established regime” raises that possibility. Ian Fleming’s original novels, of course, were penned during the Cold War and make occasional references to events. But 007’s creator also created larger-than-life villains and devised escapist plots.
Boyd’s BACKGROUND includes writing novels with an African setting such as A Good Man in Africa, where the author ALSO WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR THE MOVIE VERSION.
To read The Book Bond’s post, CLICK HERE.
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OPEN CHANNEL D: WILLIAM BOYD’S FLEMING RESEARCH GAP
Filed under: James Bond Books | Tagged: HarperCollins, Ian Fleming, Ian Fleming Publications, James Bond Books, The Book Bond Web site, William Boyd, William Boyd's 007 novel to be titled Solo |
What the heck is an agent from the MI6 doing in a situation like that ? And what the heck is that zanzarim country ?
If I’d read this plot summary independant of the name “James Bond,” it would never, ever, occur to me to think, “Hey, sounds like a 007 novel!”
I fear William Boyd has simply awkwardly grafted James Bond onto one of his own pre-existing story ideas.
My hopes and excitement for this project just dropped through the floor. I hope there will be some reason for them to rise again.
James
What exactly is a double “0” supposed to do with this assignment?
Here’s a different synopsis from Boyd’s UK agent Curtis Brown:
http://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/william-boyd/solo Bond goes to (a fictionalised) Biafra – I can’t wait!
James Bond 007 stars in his next exciting literary adventure, “The Dogs of War Redux”.
[…] BOYD’S U.S. PUBLISHER PROVIDES PLOT SUMMARY OF SOLO […]
Since it is a simple tease for the upcoming novel, I will refrain from any criticism until the book is released. Bond is an assassin, and is expected to be sent into any scenario ‘M’ deems necessary.