From Russia with Love (From Russia With Love)
First Edition: Glidrose, 1957
First Italian edition, Garzanti, 1965
translation: Enrico Cicogna
last edition, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006
Translation: Eva Kampman Bocchiola
"... we are here to find a target that meets our requirements. There is a hero in that 'organization? Someone who is admired and whose infamous killing would raise grief? myths are based on deeds and heroic people. The English do not have heroes? ...
was Colonel Nikitin dell'MGB to break the awkward silence. With hesitant voice said
compliments Somerseth Maugham and Raymond Chandler to express Moonraker Fleming push to continue the exploits of his hero. A certain monotony and general fatigue to that character paper that has absorbed his energies over the years, convinced him of the need to conclude its work as a writer. However, the expressions of esteem puts approaches to the saga again with renewed enthusiasm, determined to put more feeling in his typewriter (see John Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, Ed Garzanti, Milan, 1965).
His idea this time is to write one last Bond adventure in which the psychological aspects of light must prevail over those adventurous. In addition, he is determined to undermine the structure of the story with a frequency unusual narrative in which the antagonists must have more space than the protagonist, according to the golden rule of Alfred Hitchcock: The more successful the villain is more successful history.
From Russia with Love in the first hundred pages thus presents Bond's adversaries, including the serial killer Donovan Grant, Colonel Rosa Klebb wields SMERSH and the beautiful Russian spy Tatiana Romanova. They dell'MGB architect on behalf of Moscow a trap to eliminate 007. The elimination of the British spy, in fact, must provide a grim example of the efficiency of the Soviet secret service, this way of relieving his past failures in the international arena.
The choice of Russia as a rival to Bond is required. Fleming knows Russia, has worked as a correspondent, there has perfected the knowledge of known and beautiful girls.
The writer then was contacted by a mysterious Russian who has offered to give first-hand information on SMERSH, the organization that he has introduced in Casino Royale. Fleming accepts the offer and receiving a dossier of twenty thousand words. Much of the information, probably false, pass directly into the novel. As always the bad
Fleming are freaks, outcasts horrible the service of evil. Red Grant is an Irish psychopath who calms his death wishes in the service of the Soviet government, while Rosa Klebb wields, inspired by a certain Madame Rybkin, Fleming felt that the most powerful woman of international espionage, is a nasty lesbian, what is more sadistic . The exception to this pattern
Tatiana Romanova. The bait should drop into the trap Bond mortal dall'MGB prepared under a different stereotype Fleming: that of the pin up in office, destined to fall into the arms of Bond, "regardless", which takes place without a real seduction by our.
Looking for an exotic backdrop for the novel Fleming an opportunity to visit the Turkish capital with the deputy head of Scotland Yard, Sir Ronald Howe. Stay in the exotic city, a crossroads between East and West, strikes his imagination. The writer in Istanbul Kalkavan Nazim knows the owner, who had studied at Oxford, in some ways similar to Fleming in his will to live, eating, drinking and smoking binge. Kalkavan is a guide for him and provides the main inspiration for the character of Darko Kerim.
Ian made the journey back home on board the legendary Orient Express, which at the time was the following way: Istanbul - Thessaloniki - Belgrade - Venice - Milan - Lausanne - Paris. The experience is transfigured, with appropriate changes in the book.
As we said the first part of the novel is devoted to set up real adventure that takes off only one third of the book, specifically Chapter 11 ( Life idle) when you finally enter into scene our hero, depressed for over a year of inactivity. What's more, in terms of affective he is alone, downloaded by the American Tiffany Case, who had circuit in the previous chapter, Diamonds Are Forever. "The arm fat ones of the idle life had taken Bond to the neck and they were slowly strangling. He was a man of war, when for a long period there were no wars to fight, his mood began to deteriorate. In his particular field of action for peace reigned for almost a year. And peace was killing him. "
then comes the call of about M, which gave him the task of a mission by the unusual contours. In Istanbul, the head of the local branch was contacted Darko Kerim dall'avvenente Russian Tatiana Romanova, which, in exchange for political asylum in that London has offered to hand over to the British Spektor decoder, coded messages Soviet. She placed one condition: she, in fact, is determined to deliver the precious instrument in the hands of James Bond. Tatiana fell in love with him by reading his profile drawn up by the services and wants to meet him. M for the request appears unlikely, however, Bond orders to go to Istanbul to follow closely the operation. In the Turkish capital
007 is received by Darko Kerim, a man full of resources, responsible for the protection of British. During his stay Darko Bond goes to an appointment with the head of local gypsies. Here are witnessing a fierce battle between two Gypsy in dispute for a man, and save your skin when a friend turkish commandos Bulgarian attempts on his life. That same evening
Bond is in the bed of his hotel room the beautiful Tatiana which is offered to him spontaneously. She wants to escape from Istanbul the next day, using the Orient Express, the train from the capital of Turkey through the Balkans, ending his race in Paris. The journey is long and extremely dangerous. Bond is accompanied by Darko Kerim, who lost his life during a scuffle with one of three Soviet agents who tailed them in train. Left alone, Bond asks for help from M. At the station in Trieste is contacted Nash's agent, a portly tipaccio and eyes as cold as ice. Bond is now believed to have an ally in the last stretch of road. In fact Nash is none other than Red Grant, Klebb wields the mandate to kill him. But we have a thick skin and after a violent struggle with the killer has the upper hand and can then travel to Paris to stop the Klebb wields. The latter, in the guise of an innocent lady, waiting for the arrival of Grant at the Ritz. When he realizes that his plan failed pounced on Bond and hits him with a stiletto hidden in the tip of one of his ankle. The blade is dipped in poison and 007 collapses at the feet of his friend Mathis fainting, maybe forever ...
From Russia with Love is built with expertise in the third act, even if it is unlikely that Grant before killing the British agent tells him the plan dell'MGB detail.
Beyond the incongruity of this book has a brisk pace, the debtor's direct experiences lived by Fleming during his trip to Istanbul.
reactions of critics to the novel are not as benign as hoped Fleming. He put all of himself in writing a novel, trying to give a better three-dimensionality to her character but the adverse reactions of some readers (Chandler in the first place) discourage him. Fleming concluded that he had committed an error: try to appear smarter than it actually is ...
