You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face.
after Bashō, Japanese poet, 1643-94
You Only Live Twice is the eleventh James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, and was originally published in 1964. It is the third and final book in the Blofeld / SPECTRE trilogy, which began with Thunderball and was continued in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Following the murder of his wife Tracy at the hands of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, James Bond is a shattered and broken man whose is drinking and gambling heavily. Given one last chance at redemption, his superior M sends him to Japan on a semi-diplomatic mission. There he is given the impossible task to kill Dr Guntram Shatterhand, a scientist who operates a “Garden of Death” in the Japanese countryside…
In many ways You Only Live Twice is perhaps the most unique, strangest and most unusual of the Bond novels written by author Ian Fleming. The end of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, where Bond’s wife Tracy is murdered, sets the tone and mood for the aftermath and events that occur in this novel. This is a grim and slower novel that dispenses with much of the action, humour and gadgetry that is typical in the Bond novels and films. Fleming substitutes this by introducing themes of philosophy, religion, rebirth and death. Also explored is the post-WWII decline of the British Empire and its diplomatic relations with the United States and Japan. (This likely mirrors Fleming’s own declining health and the breakdown of his own marriage). Bond’s journey and experiences in Japan complement this as he is placed in a strange, foreign world where he must conform with its culture and values, and follow bushidō, the conduct of the samurai, in order to carry out his mission.
The novel is divided into two parts. The first explores Bond’s introduction to Japanese society and culture, whilst the second explores Bond’s mission to the Garden of Death to kill Dr Shatterhand.
Unfortunately, the first part is rather disappointing and slow. The opening is excellent with Bond trying to recover and put his life back in order in order to carry out his mission from M. However, once he arrives in Japan things slow down as Fleming explores Japanese politics, history, culture and society for the audience through Dikko Henderson, an Australian intelligence officer, and Tiger Tanaka, the head of the Japanese Secret Service. This part reads more like a travelogue than an action thriller and is where the where the novel shows its age. It may have been an entertaining read in the 1960s when Japan was still a hidden exotic land for most Westerners, but today it comes off as stale and uninteresting. This section could easily have been reduced with more focus and insight on Dr Shatterhand, the Garden of Death, and Bond doing some detective work, but alas it drags and can become tedious reading.
The second part, thankfully, is far more intriguing and entertaining as Bond disguises himself as a Japanese man and arrives on the remote Kuro Island to carry out his mission. Here Fleming does a superb job of depicting and illustrating The Garden of Death with all of its deadly plants, animals and horror. The drama and tension here is also excellent as Bond explores the garden and castle silently whilst trying to remain hidden and alive. Finally, the climactic battle between Bond and Shatterhand is also brilliantly written and depicted and is one hell of an ending for the novel and the SPECTRE trilogy.
Note – SPOILERS follow from here.
Unfortunately, the overall plot for this story is a tad ridiculous and preposterous, compared to the more realistic Bond novels, such as Moonraker or Thunderball. Several explanations for events that occur in this novel seem based on coincidence and chance rather than a developed and realistic story. There are numerous plot holes in the novel that upon closer examination simply would not stand up, such as why Bond is asked to kill Dr Shatterhand instead of the authorities arresting him, or the fact that Shatterhand coincidentally just happens to be Ernst Stavro Blofeld in disguise. His motivations for moving to Japan to become a “Collector of Death” are also never explained clearly. Bond turning himself into a Japanese miner by shaving his eyebrows and darkening his skin is also hilariously ludicrous, and seems like a yellowface stereotype.
The characters in this novel overall are developed well. Bond’s colleagues in Japan Dikko Henderson, and Tiger Tanaka, are entertaining supporting characters and it is fantastic to read the witty dialogue when Bond argues with them over different customs and behaviours in Japan. (Most of this involves drinking lots of sake). Fleming based these characters on his own experiences in Japan, with Australian journalist Richard Hughes and journalist Taro Saito spending time with him in Tokyo to explore Japanese culture. In particular, Tiger acts as a wise mentor and teacher as he assists Bond to understand Japanese life, whilst also training him to become a ninja.
The Bond girl, Kissy Suzuki, is another brilliant and unique character, being brave, strong, tough and kind. Their relationship is beautifully developed, and their relaxing and carefree lives on Kuro Island is a highlight of the book. As for Blofeld’s character, this is sadly a disappointment. Here the SPECTRE No. 1 is a shadow of the evil, ruthless genius that was present in Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and it simply isn’t plausible that he would just retire to Japan to live a quiet life as a scientist. Unlike the previous books, there isn’t enough development of his character, motivations and story here, with Bond’s encounter with him lasting only two short chapters.
You Only Live Twice is unfortunately not a great Bond novel. The plot has many holes, and the first part is slow and drags tediously. Nonetheless the philosophical themes of life, death and rebirth are intriguing, with characters and vivid surroundings that are overall well developed.
Rating: 5/10.
Observant Bond fans may note that the recent Bond film No Time to Die takes several plot elements from this novel. Further information about this can be found below:
No Time to Die Is the Best You Only Live Twice Adaptation
Further reading:
Fleming, Fergus., ed. The Man with the Golden Typewriter – Ian Fleming’s James Bond Letters. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.
Andrew Reviews 