>Picked up an old used copy of Casino Royale for a couple bucks
For those asking, it's one of the Signet paperback releases with yellowing pages, and some red coating applied to the edges.
>Decide to read through just to get the "original" Bond experience
>Finished it in about a week because it's so short
<Bond is a plucky gambler who's still green and doesn't give two shits about the importance of his job and position
<He fucks up, A LOT
<The books ends with him getting kicked square in the balls with a dose of reality of just how stupid and ignorant he is
<And, that the only reason he's still alive is because of his uncanny amount of luck
That was the absolute LAST thing I expected out of a James Bond story. And, it's the first one, too.