Forget all the high tech gizmos and witchcraft, there is none of the movie allure in this book. Also, it shows a much darker Bond than the smarmy flirt that exudes from the different actors on screen. This was quite an interesting spy novel, however, not as spy like as I would have imagined it would have been. This novel may share character names and locations but it is a far cry from the movie adaptation. Forget the whole beginning chase in the movie, or the seducing of a bomb maker liaison's wife. The terrorist explosion of a jumbo jet for stock market gambles. Heck, even the game at which Bond is to take out Le Chiffre is not in the game. Texas Hold em' isn't present nor does it even show it's face as a cameo. The game that is the deciding factor to get Le Chiffre on the run is baccarat. Having never played the game it was a little difficult in attempting to figure out the rules based on the one time explanation as the novel progress. I am interested now in learning to game just so I can make sense of their card table war game! Other than that all that I can say about Ian Fleming's first Bond novel is that I do believe it was way ahead of it's time for the spy thriller. Obviously having been written in the 40's during the high point of War and the goal of defeating Communism.