I've finally given in to temptation and 'Waiting For Sunrise' is sitting there on my Kindle as if butter wouldn't melt. I've long enjoyed Boyd's output and thought that 'Any Human Heart' and 'Restless' saw him at the height of his powers, but for very different reasons. 'Ordinary Thunderstorms' I must read again, parts of it didn't sit quite right for me.
So, what are we to make of this news? I have to admit that I loved 'Devil May Care', the Sebastian Faulks attempt at a Fleming pastiche, possibly because of the inclusion of the Ekranoplan rather than the faintly tedious villain. I have yet to succumb to the charms of Jeffrey Deaver's oeuvre (though of course that day may come, there are some examples lurking on my Kindle and it is always possible that I could be snowbound in an airport one day), so didn't try 'Carte Blanche'.
To be perfectly honest, this sounds like one of those times where one of your favourite bands covers a song by another of your favourite bands. The outcome is usually technically accurate yet somehow unsatisfying. Can Boyd, a writer of some wit, inject life into his attempt, or will it simply be Fleming-lite? Only time will tell, but it will doubtless be an essential read.
No comments:
Post a Comment