You Only Live Twice: A James Bond Novel Audiobook

" While on vacation in the Orient, British Secret Agent James Bond matches wits with the maniacal Dr. Shatterhand in the doctor's suicide gardens, and meets the luscious Kissy Suzuki. Was Fleming a christian? "

" Ian Fleming showed his authorial skills when he chose You Only Live Twice over his original title, What I Learned On My Trip to Japan. Easily the first two-thirds of this novel consists of James Bond being schooled (almost literally) in the unique details of Japanese culture. That was all probably quite interesting 50 years ago when the average reader of popular British spy thrillers was unfamiliar with ninja, Kobe beef, fugu, and all the other Nipponese oddities that have now become pop culture staples. In 2013, it just makes you wish 007 would hurry up and chop somebody in the throat. Fleming's plot and characters are little more than elbow macaroni hot-glued to his social studies project, and even the most forgiving teacher would've told him to take a Sharpie to fill in the flimsy lines of the Bond-out-for-vengeance theme. Right near the very end, though, Fleming hands us one of his distinctive bits of ghoulish weirdness: a secret garden of suicide, haunted at night by the shadowy dishonored, looking to secretly off themselves by one of hundreds of means laid out for them. The deaths, playing out with a quiet kabuki pantomime, give this novel its only hint of life. "

" I think this is probably my favourite Bond story and funnily enough it's also the movie I most enjoy in the genre. "

" Nothing like some hard work to keep mind busy and bring new taste to life, especialy after some bad thing as depression or whatever... "

" So much better than the films would lead you to believe. Dark and powerful. "

" Fun to compare and contrast with Devil May Care. Very enjoyable story. Kissy Suzuki is my new favorite name. "

" One of the best of the Fleming Bond novels so far. I have two left. "

" This is quite a bizarre and far fetched book, but worth a read for hardcore Bond fans. For more casual readers, I recommend starting with Casino Royale, Moonraker, or a short stories collection. "

" Humanized, faillable Bond with a "Holmes goes over the falls" kind of ending. Interesting take on Japanese culture, post-war relations between Britain, U.S. and Japan, and a creepy villain. "

" bored to tears, highly dissaponinted "

" This book was perfect summer reading. It has ninjas, lots of drinking, and a love interest called Kissy Suzuki. 'Nuf said I'm heading to the pool. "

" Ending was very off the wall. Why didn't the girl swimmer tell him his real name? Tightening one valve makes the whole castle blow up. Please! "

" This book is a real winter warmer. It's worth reading in order to reach the last chapter, in which Kissy Suzuki visits The Happy Shop, to get a nature-provided aphrodisiac and a pillow book - all in order to revive Bond's zeros and seven... *chuckle* "

" Certainly the best of the Bond novels so far. Plunging into the life of post-war, rural, Japan makes for a very interesting twist to the story. "

" El fin de Blofeld y el inicio de una nueva era para Bond. Apasionante. "

" Reading 007's obituary, one realizes that Fleming sought not to create a secret agent but a hero. "

" Typical Fleming mix of brilliantly imagined violence and oddball late 1950s stereotyping. Quite enjoyable. "

" Very slow and hard to get through for the first 160 pages. From then on, it's awesome. Great climax. "

" About as pulpy as pulp can get. "

" A great Bond book. Enough said. "

" there's no doubt about it... just read it "

" Beter than the movie with a far better bitter sweet ending "

" This is the first of James Bond books, I believe! Or was it the last? Great, all the same! "

" Very different from the film. A better sequel than the film. Which wasn't a sequel at all. "

" I think this is the darkest and the best of Fleming's novels. The spy novel meets gothic horror- and a great ending which I won't spoil here! "

" One of the best Bonds. A true thriller.<br/><br/><br/>5/5 Stars "

" original Bond,not particularly pc for today but fun anyway. "

" Typical Fleming mix of brilliantly imagined violence and oddball late 1950s stereotyping. Quite enjoyable. "

" This was likely one of the last of the Bond books I read as a kid and one of those I liked the least. After his death in 1964 others carried on the series, but I never touched those ersatz titles. "