Casino Royale

A James Bond Novel

By: Ian Fleming

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Read by Richard Armitage

JAMES BOND PLAYS A DEADLY GAME OF CHANCE IN IAN FLEMING’S LEGENDARY FIRST 007 NOVEL

“Le Chiffre” is a ruthless operative and the accountant for a soviet SMERSH cell in France, but he’s on the verge of disaster after gambling away his client’s money. Taking the last of his stash, he lures a dozen wealthy players to a high-stakes baccarat game, hoping to hustle his way whole.

The British Secret Service would like to see this red thorn plucked from the hide of Europe, and sends their best card sharp, James Bond, to bankrupt Le Chiffre for good.

With the cards running against him and SMERSH operatives threatening to kill him and his beautiful ally, Vesper Lynd, 007 needs his luck to turn before he wagers away their lives.

©1953 Ian Fleming Publications Ltd (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

A great story that started it all.

Even though I have seen the movie, the book kept me very entertained.

The only t thing I don't like about this book is the torture, I can't believe this was written 71 years ago. It makes still cringe today.

James Bond, The Beginning of an Icon

In "Casino Royale", Ian Fleming introduces us to James Bond, who in Mr. Fleming's other writings and later in films, becomes an iconic figure. James is an exceptional agent with a cold and calculating way of thinking but this story also shows his flaws and human emotions of a man who is passionate about serving his country. The torture scene was particularly brutal and it was hard to keep my imagination in check. I enjoyed this story from the first chapter to the end and am looking forward to the other works available in this collection.

I have enjoyed most of Richard Armitage's performances in his previous audible works, however, I cannot call this particular narration a performance. In the first five or so chapters it seemed as if he was just reading words on a page without any real emotion. As the story progressed, I notice that it went from slow and unemotional to a narration that made me feel what the characters were thinking, feeling and enduring. I will still look forward to more of his narrations, but in my opinion, this wasn't one of his best.

Armitage. Richard Armitage.

Ian Fleming gets the Armitage treatment and it's another must listen. Get your ears ready.

Understanding the man behind the legend

I was not a Bond fan when I started this listen, but realize now that this book is absolutely required reading/listening for any would-be fan of the franchise. Though the ending was a bit predicable, it did leave me with a satisfied a-ha moment of "so that's why the character is the way he is." The story lays a solid foundation for the Bond fans have come to know and love. Through the events of Casino Royale, I feel I understand his motivations.

It's quite an easy listen, owing I'm sure to Richard Armitage's nearly flawless performance. He didn't have to work too hard here; his French accents have continued to improve since the Agatha Christie audiobooks. One "fly in the ointment" though was the brief appearance of CIA operative and Bond's nascent friend, Felix Leiter, who's described as a Texan, yet Armitage employs the same generic accent he has in other audiobooks, a rather nasal, seemingly forced one that grates on my ears. Holding out hope he soon finds a more pleasing tone to use with his American characters.

Seminal James Bond novel expertly performed

Richard Armitage delivers his usual top-notch job performing this work, the first James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming. It's s great spy thriller, but today's listener may find the change of pace in the last few chapters a bit strange, There's a bonus after the end, a pleasant surprise and a cool thing for Armitage to read, now that he has joined the ranks of thriller authors.

A fun, if short, thriller

Lifelong fan of the movie series. I wanted to explore the source material. What better place to start than the first novel.

I enjoyed Fleming's style. The book moved along quite nicely, and at no point felt dull. Richard Armitage's performance was nicely done. And though I think they are rotating performers for the rest of the series, I would be quite happy to listen to him perform another (or all).

The story was a fun, little jaunt into the post-war dawn of the cold war. Looking forward to listening to Book 2.