Quantum of Solace

Last night I finished reading the novel Smiley's People by John le Carre. The book was first published in 1979 and forms the final part of a trilogy (the other two books in the series being Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy). When a Soviet ex-spy turned defector is found dead in a London park, world-weary George Smiley, one time head of the British Secret Service comes out of retirement to investigate. He soon realises that it was a professional assassination, and that the ex-spy was on his way to meet Smiley with some secret documents, which have are now missing, relating to Smiley's arch-enemy, the enigmatic Soviet spymaster code-named Karla, who engineered the devestation of Smiley's personal and professional lives. Obsessed with destroying his nemesis, Smiley sets out across Europe on a personal mission of revenge. It's a very well-written book, and probably the best in the series. Away from the glamour and action of James Bond-style spies, the novel depicts a bleak, murky, paranoid world of moral ambiguity, where literally no-one can be trusted.

I was off work today and headed up to the cinema to see Quantum of Solace, the latest James Bond film. The journey took ages because of road-works and even at the time I went, twenty past twelve, the cinema was packed. The film is a direct sequel to the previous Bond film Casino Royale, and takes up pretty much straight after that one ends. As James Bond (played by Daniel Craig), agent 007 of the British Secret Service, embarks on a dangerous, personal mission of revenge, he finds himself up against a powerful international criminal organsation. Like Casino Royale, it's a much darker kind of Bond film, with few of the trademark quips and gadgets. However, there is non-stop action, exotic locations and beautiful women (in this case Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton). The movie is named after a 1960 Ian Fleming short story, but has absolutely nothing to do with the story at all, aside from the name (the story is a domestic drama of marital infidelity which is told to Bond at a party).

After the film I went to the shops to get my mum a birthday present (I bought her a book called Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris, it's the sequel to Chocolat, which I know mum liked, and it's pretty new, so hopefully she's not had a chance to get it out of the library yet). There was a sale on so I got a couple of John le Carre books for myself (A Perfect Spy and The Russia House). I also got a birthday card for mum and some wrapping paper. On the way home I picked up some milk and the latest issues of Radio Times and Empire.

I've just got the card written and birthday present wrapped, so that's all ready for Sunday. Also, of course, NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow!

Happy Halloween!