I’m curious to hear about your own and the family’s perception of Ian as a man. What was he like in person and as an uncle?
I have no personal recollection of Ian – he died when I was
five – but I believe he was much liked in the family. Those who knew him
remember his sense of fun, his kindness (apparently he was very good with
children) and the glamour of seeing a Ford Thunderbird parked outside their
house. But above all, they recall his generosity. If you were down on your luck
Ian would give you his last penny.
All the same, I’m not sure my father thought much of Ian’s
books at the time. He made my mother wrap The
Spy Who Loved Me in brown paper lest she be seen reading such a scurrilous
tract in public. Ian was so delighted when he heard of this that he used her
name, Charmian, for Bond’s aunt.
Authors often reveal
more about themselves in writing and through correspondences. Did Ian’s letters
show sides of his personality that expanded your perception of him?
Ian addressed matters in a straightforward fashion, but
liked to finish on an upbeat note. It was a characteristic he shared with his
brothers Richard and Peter, so no surprises there. Perhaps most revealing was
that he didn’t fit the popular image. He has acquired a reputation for being a
flesh and blood version of James Bond: suave, troubled, hard-living and with a
touch of cruelty. Maybe he was. But his letters show a decent man:
hard-working, consistently courteous and with an eye to making a living the
best way he knew – from his words.
Ian’s travel and
thriller writing is filled with sensory observations. Were you able to witness
his attention to such detail in person or through his letters?
Ian’s mind moved to a different space when he was writing
books – he concentrated on the story, the colour and making the pages turn.
This doesn’t come across in the letters, though a lot of ancillary Bond detail
does.
Your book examines the
creation of each of the Bond novels. How do the letters reveal Ian’s effort’s
to shape the character over time?
While some critics described Bond as a cardboard figure, Ian
thought of him more as a blunt instrument. I think he has greater depth than
either description allows. But Ian certainly worried how to keep the books
fresh. He succeeded in doing so and seemed to enjoy the pressure. Two of his
most vivid books – OHMSS and YOLT – were written after his heart attack in 1961
when, to use his own words, ‘the tomb yawned.’
The one character who can be described as having a literary
progression is Blofeld, to whom Ian gave his own birthday, and who he killed
off in his penultimate novel. Make of that what you will!
Did the letters reveal any plans for James Bond projects
that were never realized?
Nothing specific that I can recall. He did drop a vague hint that he might send Bond to Australia, but maybe that was just a politeness to an Australian fan.
Nothing specific that I can recall. He did drop a vague hint that he might send Bond to Australia, but maybe that was just a politeness to an Australian fan.
Ian perhaps showed a
bit of a rebellious nature through his tastes in music, his life in Jamaica,
and by rejecting tradition at various times in his life. He (to a lesser
degree), peter, and you all became travel writers. How would you describe what
may be a family trend to embrace ethnic cultures and non-traditional
experiences?
Yes, Ian was rebellious but he railed against aspects of
British society rather than Britain itself.
While deeply patriotic he deplored falseness, hypocrisy and all attempts
to standardise life.
As to any similarity between myself, Ian and Peter, I would
say only that we seem to enjoy words, the telling of a tale and have an
affinity for the unusual.
If you’re interested in Ian’s musical preferences he wrote
to one fan –with reference to Diamonds Are Forever - that he often played
George Feyer’s VOX 500 piano album, ‘Echoes in Paris’.
I’m fascinated by the
final years of Ian’s life (I’d love to write a film for Geoffrey Rush in the
role). Although Ian seemed thick-skinned enough to push Bond into success, he
also seemed heavily weathered by personal and professional circumstances in the
end. What do his letters reveal about this period? Did you have a sense of him
in person during that time?
He was very ill towards the end, and some of his letters
give a hint that he was struggling. But he continued to write as best he could
and refused to be an invalid. When he attended his mother’s funeral in 1964
(only a few weeks before others would gather for his own) he was told the
doctors wouldn’t like him asking for a gin and tonic. ‘Fuck the doctors,’ he
replied.
Geoffrey Rush is an interesting thought!
Ian's early books
seemed to stem from a well-established tradition of thrillers. Did you notice
elements in his books that reflected signs of change in post-war Britain?
I wouldn’t say Ian’s novels relied on an established
tradition. Or if they did, then he adapted it to suit the times. He was the
first to do so many things that are now part and parcel of modern thrillerdom.
His early attempts at fiction owe a debt to German-language
writers of the 1920s. He was a self-confessed admirer of Leo Perutz and quite
likely would have encountered the works of Joseph Roth and Stefan Zweig. It
could be argued that his novels carry a trace of their fatalism. But although he
read omnivorously I believe he was influenced more by real life than fiction.
Apart from his period at Naval Intelligence, he observed, lived with, and was
brought up in, a world of such physical intrigue and colour that our current
emphasis on digital espionage looks pallid by comparison.
Have you heard if Ian had any impressions about TV series
like The Avengers or Danger Man?
Ian’s letters reveal very little about his TV habits. He was
keen to have Bond adapted for the small screen, and on one occasion he
succeeded: during the 1950s ‘Jimmy Bond’
made a brief appearance in Casino Royale. But he put this ambition aside when
the large screen loomed.
I would be so curious
to see an exhibit of artifacts from Ian’s life. What happened to his record
collection? Are items like his cigarette holder archived?
Very few of Ian’s possessions seem to have survived.
What upcoming projects
are next on the horizon for you or from Ian Fleming Publications?
Ian Fleming Publications works hard to promote Ian’s literary legacy. And that is all I am at liberty to divulge!
Ian Fleming Publications works hard to promote Ian’s literary legacy. And that is all I am at liberty to divulge!
Thank you, Fergus. We will look forward to future announcements! Spy Vibers can order The Man With the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters at AmazonUK and Amazon. Selected related posts: Fleming's Typewriter, Rare Fleming, Fleming's Music, Ian Fleming's Japan, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Ian Fleming Memorial, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, The Goldfinger Variations, Double 007 Book Designs, Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, David Tennant Reads Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming archive on Pinterest. Enjoy!