theladyrose: (Default)
theladyrose ([personal profile] theladyrose) wrote2006-10-10 01:18 am

love and luck

I'm not quite sure why, but I've always been drawn to this particular passage of Ian Fleming's. The man's not John le Carré by any means, but Fleming does have his profound moments amidst the "kiss kiss bang bang" of the Bond novels.

He was amused by by the impartiality of the roulette ball and of the playing-cards — and their eternal bias. He liked being an actor and a spectator and from his chair to take part in other men's dramas and decisions, until it came to his own turn to say that vital "yes" or "no," generally on a 50-50 chance.

Above all, he liked it that everything was one's own fault. There was only onself to praise or blame. Luck was a servant and not a master. Luck had to be accepted with a shrug or taken advantage of up to the hilt. But it had to be understood and recognized for what it was and not be confused with a faulty appreciation of the odds, for, at gambling, the deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck.

One day, and he accepted the fact he would be brought to his knees by love or by luck. When that happened he knew that he oo would be branded with the deadly question mark he recognized so often in others, the promise to pay before you have lost: the acceptance of fallibiity.


[/end tonight's studying]

[identity profile] one-blankpage.livejournal.com 2006-10-10 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
the dads' dance at fddd this year was based on that song. class of 007 - what else would they do? ;)


I've never watched the movies or read the books. perhaps I should?

[identity profile] theladyrose.livejournal.com 2006-10-11 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
I wish I could've been there to see it! You'll have to describe the dance a little more. Do you mean "The Look of Love" from Casino Royale or the brass title theme? Those are the two most famous pieces of music from the movie.

You'd probably be better off with the books first, but I'm not sure if you'd particularly like some of them.