So, I just got through listening to the unabridged audio book version of the James Bond novel Colonel Sun.
Quite a few villains in James Bond novels are homosexuals. At least one is arguably a pedophile.
Colonel Sun, the title character of this novel, is clearly uninterested in women. He is also clearly really, really fond of torturing people. And of communism.
Should I feel that Kinglsey Amis was shooting to write Sun as a homosexual sadist weirdo or as an asexual sadist weirdo?
It’s been years since I read that book, but I don’t seem to recall ever getting a homosexual vibe about the character.
Actually, that’s untrue, depending on what you mean by “quite a few”. Of the Fleming novels, the only villain who is clearly homosexual (well, bi) is Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love. Others like Wint and Kidd (Diamonds are Forever) and Scaramanga (The Man With the Golden Gun) are only speculated gay by other characters, often on tenuous evidence.
I’m not sure who you have in mind as the pedophile. Mr. Big from Live and Let Die?
I was referencing Von Richter from Colonel Sun.
I realize that the accusation is not well-founded, but was running on the supposition that in James Bond Land, any insult that can be laid upon a Nazi in the reader’s mind is likely true in the author’s mind.
Same here. He was a sadist, but I don’t recall it being related to any sexual orientation.
It’s been some time since I read it, but I thought it was clear that Kidd and Wint were gay, as well. Certainly Wikipedia thinks so (Diamonds Are Forever (novel) - Wikipedia ) They are, of course, in the film, but that’s another matter. Imn the case of Scaramanga it’s simply broad-range implication, and it’s not clear to me how seriously Fleming intended that. Not very, I think.
And, of course, it’s definitely suggested that Pussy Galore is, although she’s arguably not in your definition of “villain”, since she gets turned.
I disqualify Colonel Sun from heterosexuality or bisexuality based on a short bit early in the book where it was remarked that he lacked interest in women.
Something along the lines of respecting them as mothers, and as valuable to men as companions, but not having a genuine interest.
I’d look it up, but with an audio book such things are slow going.
Felix Leiter says they’re gay, but that’s as far as the novel goes, as I recall.
Felix disagreed with something that ate him.
I know health care in the U.S. costs an arm and a leg, but that was ridiculous!
Nor me. In fact, I don’t recall any gay characters in the James Bond novels; except perhaps for Pussy Galore.
Just looked at the novel recently. I agree that there’s no evidence beyond Felix Leiter’s saying so (and I think even Leiter may have used ‘probably’ or some other speculative words). Fleming may well have meant Wint and Kidd to be gay, but he didn’t put any proof in the novel (reasonably enough; there was no reason to).