Casino RoyaleCasino Royale
Score Classic
What it's about
In Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, 007 sets out to ruin a lethal Russian operative, le Chiffre, at the baccarat table so his Soviet spymasters will retire him, until Bond's attraction to a female agent leads to disaster.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read.
You'll love it if you liked
Goldfinger
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
The Mask of DimitriosGood to know
It's the first James Bond book.
By the numbers
- Readers8 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #587 of the 623 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #893 of the 924 classics we rank
- #2916 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Adventurous
More by Ian Fleming
If you like this, read next
The Godfather
Rebecca
Crime and Punishment
The Pillars of the Earth
In Cold Blood
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All 47 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Classic booksTop 25 · 924 ranked
Books of the 1950sTop 25 · 101 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick answers
Is Casino Royale worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,916 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 55.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Casino Royale about?
In Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, 007 sets out to ruin a lethal Russian operative, le Chiffre, at the baccarat table so his Soviet spymasters will retire him, until Bond's attraction to a female agent leads to disaster.
How long does it take to read Casino Royale?
About 4 hours (178 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Casino Royale?
If you liked it, try Goldfinger by Ian Fleming, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré or The Mask of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler.