The Spy Who Loved Me is basically a James Bond adventure told from the point of view of the Bond girl. Fleming has always made his women characters very human, three-dimensional people, but never has he devoted the entire first half of a book to one of their backstories. Quotes from the book: “All women love semi-rape. They love to be taken.It was his sweet brutality against my bruised body that made his act of love so piercingly wonderful.” “Loneliness becomes a lover, solitude a darling sin.” “Love of life is born of the awareness of death, of the dread of it.” Readers' reviews: “Inside Bond's head is fun and makes for a usually decadent adventure. Change of pace and experimentation is not only much appreciated and needed; it brings another dimension of Bond into play through the lenses of a distantly but possibly relatable narrator. This was fun, captivating, and necessary.” (Arjun Mishra, goodreads.com) “While there are certainly some, shall we say, less-than-progressive views on women on display here, I appreciate Fleming's effort to present Bond in a different light. Vivienne may be a dip, but it amuses me to see 007 through the eyes of a fangirl.” (Jessica, goodreads.com) “I think it's a wonderful novel, and I like it better than at least a couple of the traditional Bond books.” (Alex Gherzo, goodreads.com)