History Literature / FromRussiaWithLove

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: One personnel manager in the Secret Service is described to be a very irritating man. His job deals with the mundane paperwork involved in daily life. M picked an irritating man on purpose, because it is explained that every well-managed organization has at least one person whose job is to act as a "lightning rod" for all staff frustration.

* BlueBlood: Tatiana Romanova is descended from the Romanovs, although she doesn't frequent ''buivshi'' circles and is seemingly loyal to the Soviet regime.

* BondVillainStupidity: In the crucial moment of Kronsteen's carefully laid plan, [[spoiler:the assassin "Red" Grant - an Irishman who joined the Soviets - makes the fatal mistake of engaging in prolonged crowing, boasting and gloating instead of just going ahead with his assigned task of killing Bond. This allows Bond the chance to improvise a desperate last-moment plan which works, enabling him to kill Grant and use the information which Grant carelessly revealed in order to catch the senior Soviet operative Rosa Klebb]].

* DumbBlonde: Subverted. While Grant doesn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed (for starters, he mixed up Irish history with ''Russian propaganda slogans'' during training), he's actually able to do things that other ''Bond'' villain henchmen are completely incapable of (like use stealth or hold down a cover). Grant also failed his written courses in training, but was otherwise great at code breaking, stalking, tracking, communications and graduated top of his class, a far cry from when he was near the very bottom at the start.

* FakeDefector: Tatiana was told that her mission was to become one of these to leak false intelligence to the West. [[spoiler: Her mission is actually a set up to lure Bond into a situation where SMERSH can kill both of them in a manner that embarrasses the British government.]]

** SMERSH makes a point of arranging his assignments so they ''don't'' coincide with the full moon. At such times, he's let loose in a torture chamber ''with a chainsaw'' in one of their prisons.

* MsFanservice: Ian Fleming, being Ian Fleming, goes to town with his descriptions of Tatiana, the fighting gipsy girls and Grant's masseuse.

** SMERSH also considered killing Grant straight off, but decided that a psychotic killer would be useful as he wouldn't suffer the VillainousBreakdown that normal people do when killing large numbers of people over a long period of time. They keep tight control of Grant during his lunatic phases, just using him for executions instead of missions at such times.

* ArtisticLicenceHistory: Fleming claims that SMERSH was a Soviet intelligence operation, derived from the Russian "Smert' Sphionam", or "Death to Spies." To this extent, he's telling the truth. However, he goes on to state that at the time of writing (1956), SMERSH was still a functioning department of the Soviet intelligence apparatus and gives the agency's address. [[labelnote:In reality...]]SMERSH was an ad-hoc formation within the NKVD that was active from around 1943 until 1946 and concerned itself with internal policing, including the arrest or killing of deserters and ferreting out spies inside Soviet-controlled territory. After UsefulNotes/WorldWarII it was quietly disbanded, and at any rate probably operated out of the Lubyanka as did the rest of the NKVD.[[/labelnote]]

* ReadyForLovemaking: Klebb tries to seduce Tatiana by putting on a nightie and posing seductively on a sofa, inviting her to come beside her. Tatiana runs away in revulsion. Later, Tatiana reclines invitingly under the bedsheets in Bond's hotel room, naked nude except for a choker and stockings, as part of her seduction of 007.

* SerialKiller: Grant began killing at age [[TeensAreMonsters seventeen]] and committed many murders in his native Northern Ireland, becoming known as the "Moon Killer" because he usually killed when there was a full moon. Despite a giant manhunt, he was never caught.

** Everyone he works for and with is absolutely terrified of Grant. Even when he first meets a Soviet colonel after defecting from the British military, the colonel looks unnerved and even seriously considered having Grant shot or deported to Siberia.
** SMERSH also consider killing Grant straight off, but decide that a psychotic killer is useful as he won't suffer the VillainousBreakdown that normal people do when killing large numbers of people over a long period of time. They keep tight control of Grant during his lunatic phases, just using him for executions instead of missions at such times.

* WouldHurtAChild: Suggested, depending on what Kronsteen meant by having to "put a child into hospital" to support his story that one of his children had fallen gravely ill to force him to leave a chess championship as quickly as he did, although all this is because he's mortally ''terrified'' of what the office might do to him simply for not leaving ''immediately'' (as opposed to staying long enough to finish the game) without one ''hell'' of an excuse.

* SexualKarma: One of the few cases where Ian Fleming's pop psychology was close to TruthInTelevision is depicting the PsychoForHire Red Grant as a homicidal maniac [[TheLoinsSleepTonight incapable of any kind of arousal]] except (arguably) for that which he gets [[SexIsViolence from killing]] -- as evidenced in the first chapter when the [[HsppyEndingMassage sexy masseuse]] has ''no effect on him whatsoever''.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: One of the few cases where Ian Fleming's pop psychology was close to TruthInTelevision is depicting the PsychoForHire Red Grant as a homicidal maniac incapable of any kind of arousal except (arguably) for that which he gets from killing -- as evidenced in the first chapter when the sexy masseuse has ''no effect on him whatsoever''.

* UncannyValley (InUniverse):
** Despite her client being a MrFanservice, the masseuse has this reaction to Grant and is repulsed rather than attracted to him.
** When Bond meets Grant posing as a British gentleman agent, he can't help noticing there's something off about him, but [[ItsProbablyNothing puts this down]] to "Captain Nash" being a ShellShockedVeteran from World War 2.

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: At sixteen, Grant strangled a cat to satiate his urges, and continued to kill animals until he moved on to killing people a year later.
* BlueBlood: Tatiana Romanova is said to be a distantly related to the old Royal family, although she doesn't frequent ''buivshi'' circles and is seemingly loyal to the Soviet regime.

* AbusiveParents: Kermim's father was a brutish man who stole other men's wives and thrashed his kids for discipline. Nevertheless his community respected him (as does Kerim in an odd way) due to being a poor village that prized strength.

* CrapsackWorld: A portion of the book outlines how life in the USSR sucks and why only depraved sociopaths such as Red Grant ''actually enjoy'' working for its espionage apparatus. Authorities use beatings, forced labor, and the like to quash dissent, and if the government wanted to [[ThePurge purge "enemies of the state" en masse]], then it has no qualms doing so. The book also describes that no ordinary citizen would dare utter the word SMERSH openly lest they face [[SecretPolice the KGB]] knocking at their door. In the end, the average Joe in Soviet Russia has no stomach for a possible revolt.
* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: General G. and his fellow intelligence big shots brainstorm a lot of creative deaths for Bond, before ultimately deciding on assassinating him and framing him for a sex scandal.

*** General G. and Bond do not have any physical interaction. However, ''Literature/TriggerMortis'' implies that he was forced to lay low after his scheme failed. What became of him is unknown to [=MI6=], however.

* EveryoneHasStandards: The Soviet colonel interviewing Red Grant at the start of the book looked visibly nervous and briefly considered having Grant shot.

* HappyEndingMassage: The first chapter is mostly about Grant's masseuse. She doesn't go out of her ''way'' to do this with her clients, but ... it apparently turns out that way a lot. Grant stands out in that (among other things) he doesn't react to her at all.

** There is no mention of anything happening to Kronsteen, either from [=MI6=] for trying to kill one of their agents or from SMERSH for failing.

** SMERSH makes a point of arranging his assignments so they ''don't'' coincide with the full moon. At such times, he's let loose in a torture chamber in one of their prisons.

* PocketProtector: Bond is saved from Red Grant's bullet by his trusty cigarette case.

* RealMenTakeItBlack: Bond does.

* SeriousBusiness: Kronsteen endangers his life by ignoring a message from the head of SMERSH to meet at once, because he has to finish a chess tournament. He justifies his action by claiming security considerations — his fans are as dedicated to the game as he is, and would realise he'd only forfeit the match if he was summoned by a powerful government figure.

* HappyEndingMassage: Narration in the book's opening about Red Grant's masseuse tells that she doesn't go out of her ''way'' to do this with her clients, per se, but... it apparently turns out that way a lot. Grant stands out in that (among other things) he doesn't react at all.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: One personnel manager in the Secret Service is described to be a very irritating man. His job deals with the mundane paperwork involved in daily life. M picked an irritating man on purpose, because it is explained that every well managed organization has at least one person whose job is to act as a 'lightning rod' for all staff frustration.

* SamusIsAGirl: Fleming goes into detail describing the hideous appearance of DirtyCommunist Rosa Klebb, before revealing her gender with the words "She pulled up her skirt and sat down".

* ShoePhone: Arguably the genesis of all the wacky gadgets that [[Film/JamesBond the movies]] would become famous for. Bond's travel-bag has been gimmicked to the teeth (albeit with general purpose tools like a knife, a gun, and bribe money rather than weird gizmos custom tailored for escaping the scenario that the hero inevitably ends up in), while Red Grant makes do with a .25 Caliber ''War and Peace''. Oh, and Rosa Klebb has a ''machine gun'' built into her phone.
* ShoutOut: Grant, of all people, reads (or at least owns a copy of) a Creator/PGWodehouse novel.

* ThrillerOnTheExpress: Red Grant tricks Bond into thinking that he is a [=MI6=] agent, and tries to kill him during a train ride.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Vozdvishensky reluctantly signs off the death warrant against Bond, despite his reservations about the plan to humiliate [=MI6=]. It's later revealed in the TieInNovel for ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'' that he's since defected to England.

* ArtisticLicenceHistory: Fleming claims that SMERSH was a Soviet intelligence operation, derived from the Russian "Smert' Sphionam", or "Death to Spies." To this extent, he's telling the truth. He, however, goes on to state that SMERSH was still a functioning department of the Soviet intelligence apparatus and gives the agency's address. [[labelnote:In reality...]]SMERSH was an ad-hoc formation within the NKVD that was active from around 1943 until 1946 and concerned itself with internal policing, including the arrest or killing of deserters and ferreting out spies inside Soviet-controlled territory. After UsefulNotes/WorldWarII it was quietly disbanded, and at any rate probably operated out of The Lubiyanka as did the rest of the NKVD.[[/labelnote]]

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: At sixteen, Grant strangled a cat to satiate the 'feelings' and continued his lust killings initially with animals, but moved on to killing people a year later.
* BlueBlood: Tatiana is a distant member of the House of Romanov though her grandparents, though she doesn't frequent the buivshi circles and is seemingly loyal to the Soviet regime.

* FoodPorn: Bond's breakfast in his London flat gets this treatment.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Kronsteen is a famous Russian chess champion and has enough admirers to rival any star athlete's, with his games being household talk all around the USSR. He even has his own nickname, the Wizard of Ice.
* XanatosGambit: In Grant's backstory, the Soviet intelligence officer who considers his defection assigns him to kill a British operative as proof of his sincerity and skill. If Grant succeeds, it will of course be ideal, but if he fails it will still be a major embarrassment for both the British and the Americans.

* {{Lunacy}}: Red Grant, [=SMERSH's=] Chief Executioner, has homicidal urges coinciding with the full moon; his SMERSH file categorizes him as a [[HollywoodPsych manic-depressive psychopath]]. In the intro of the novel his wristwatch is described to show the phases of the moon.
** Even SMERSH almost consider killing him on the spot; they also arrange his assignments so they don't coincide with the full moon.
* MeaningfulName: Noted InUniverse. Tatiana is unsettled when she and Bond first meet their contact Nash, because in Russian, "nash" means "one of ours." Bond assures her that she's [[CassandraTruth worrying over nothing]].

* TeensAreMonsters: Grant began killing at age seventeen, murdering men and women alike. He became known as the "Moon Killer" in his native Ireland before joining the British army.

** When Bond meets Grant posing as a British gentleman agent, he can't help noticing there's something off about him, but [[ItsProbablyNothing puts this down]] to 'Captain Nash' being a ShellShockedVeteran from World War 2.
* {{Understatement}}: General G says in the meeting that if they don't do '''something''' to humiliate British intelligence, "There will be ... displeasure."

* VerbalTic: Nash repeatedly refers to Bond as "old man." [[spoiler: It's a put-on to make him seem more harmless to 007.]]

* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: At sixteen, Grant strangled a cat to satiate the 'feelings' and continued his lust killings initially with animals

* GonkyFemme: Rosa Klebb is described in quite ugly terms, but when Tatiana is ordered to report to Krebb's apartment for a late night briefing, Krebb is dressed in a babydoll-ish nightie and giggly tries to seduce Tatiana.
* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: One of the few cases where Ian Fleming's pop psychology was close to TruthInTelevision is depicting the PsychoForHire Red Grant as a homicidal maniac incapable of any kind of arousal except for arguably that he gets from killing.

* BlueBlood: Tatiana is a distant member of the House of Romanov though her grandparents, though she doesn't frequent the buivshi circles.
* BoisterousBruiser: Kerim is described to be a big man with lust for life. He even states that he'll propably die from living too much.

-->"For God's sake! That’s the worst insult you can pay a man!"

* TheChessmaster: Kronsteen gets a summons from SMERSH during a championship match but waits to obey it until he's won, risking his superiors' displeasure and possibly his life. They let it slide after he explains that he would have raised suspicion by suddenly resigning the match.
* ChestOfMedals: A paragraph is dedicated to what General G. has on his chest, naming a list of Russian honors, including, late in the list and through circumstances not elaborated on, two ''Western'' recognitions.

* DanBrowned: Fleming's introduction insists that General G. was a real person and really ran SMERSH at the time the book was set. In fact, the real SMERSH never lasted beyond UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and he never existed.

* DirtyCommunists: Grant defected to SMERSH just so he could become a [[PsychoForHire paid assassin]] as compared to killing them for free like he did before.

* ReadyForLovemaking: Klebb tries to seduce Tatiana by putting on nighties and posing seductively on a sofa, inviting her to come beside her. Tatiana runs away in revulsion. Later, Tatiana reclines invitingly under the bedsheets in Bond's hotel room (nude except for choker and stockings) as part of her seduction of 007.

* SerialKiller: Grant committed hundreds of murders in his hometown, mostly during a full moon, and barely got away when a giant manhunt started. However, nobody found out that the killer was him.

* SerialKiller: Grant began killing at age [[TeensAreMonsters seventeen]], murdering men and women alike. He became known as the "Moon Killer" in his native Ireland, before eventually joining the army, and then defecting to the KGB. At that point, he [[ProfessionalKiller turned his passion into a career]].

* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Kronsteen, who is a literal [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]].

** Everyone he works for is absolutely terrified of Grant. Even when he first meets a Soviet colonel after defecting from the British military, the colonel looks unnerved and even seriously considered having Grant shot or deported to Siberia.
** SMERSH also consider killing Grant straight off, but decide that a psychotic killer is useful as he won't suffer the VillainousBreakdown that normal people do when killing large numbers of people over a long period of time. They keep tight control of Grant during his lunatic phases, just using him for executions instead of missions.

* BigBad: Rosa Klebb.

* BookSafe: Grant has a .25 pistol concealed in a copy of ''Literature/WarAndPeace'', which [[ShoePhone fires if you press the spine in the right place]].

* BrokenBird: Tatiana.

-->"For God’s sake! That’s the worst insult you can pay a man!"

* KarmaHoudini: There is no mention of anything happening to Kronsteen, either from [=MI6=] for trying to kill one of their agents or from SMERSH for failing. General G likewise gets away unscathed.

The novel got made into the second ''Film/JamesBond'' [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove film]]. UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy famously listed ''From Russia with Love'' as his 9th favourite book.

* HappyEndingMassage: Narration in the book's opening about Red Grant's masseuse tells that she doesn't go out of her ''way'' to do this with her clients, per se, but... it apparently turns out that way a lot. Grant stands out in that (among other things) he doesn't [[{{Asexuality}} react at all]].

* CrapsackWorld: A big chunk of the book is spent outlining how life in the USSR sucks, and how only the most depraved of sociopaths such as Red Grant ''actually enjoy'' working for its intelligence apparatus. Beatings, forced labor, and extrajudicial killings are commonly used by authorities to crush dissidents, and if the government wanted to [[ThePurge purge "enemies of the state" en masse]] as it did under Stalin, then it has no qualms doing so again. The book also describes that no ordinary citizen would dare utter [[TheDreaded SMERSH's]] name at all in public lest they face [[SecretPolice the KGB]] knocking at their door. All in all, the average Joe in Soviet Russia has no stomach for a possible revolt.

** No ordinary Soviet citizen would want to openly utter [=SMERSH's=]'s name lest they get arrested and possibly executed.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Fleming claims that SMERSH was a Soviet intelligence operation, derived from the Russian "Smert' Sphionam", or "Death to Spies." To this extent, he's telling the truth. He, however, goes on to state that SMERSH was still a functioning department of the Soviet intelligence apparatus and gives the agency's address. [[labelnote:In reality...]]SMERSH was an ad-hoc formation within the NKVD that was active from around 1943 until 1946 and concerned itself with internal policing, including the arrest or killing of deserters and ferreting out spies inside Soviet-controlled territory. After UsefulNotes/WorldWarII it was quietly disbanded, and at any rate probably operated out of The Lubiyanka as did the rest of the NKVD.[[/labelnote]]

* CrapsackWorld: A big chunk of the book is spent outlining how life in Soviet Russia sucks, and how only the most depraved of sociopaths such as Red Grant ''actually enjoy'' working for its intelligence apparatus. Beatings, forced labor, and extrajudicial killings are commonly used by authorities to crush political undesirables, and if the government wanted to [[ThePurge wipe out "enemies of the state" en masse]] as it did during the Great Purges, then it has no qualms doing so again. The book also describes that no ordinary citizen would dare utter [[TheDreaded SMERSH's]] name at all in public lest they face [[SecretPolice the KGB]] knocking at their door. All in all, the average Joe in Soviet Russia has no stomach for a possible revolt.

* CrapsackWorld: Fleming spends ''ten chapters'' outlining how much life in Soviet Russia sucks, and how only the most depraved of sociopaths such as Red Grant ''actually enjoy'' working for its intelligence apparatus. Beatings, forced labor, and extrajudicial killings are commonly used by authorities to crush political undesirables and defectors from the regime. Also, if the government wanted to [[ThePurge wipe out suspected "enemies of the state" en masse]] as it did during the Great Purges, then it has no qualms doing so again. The book also describes that no ordinary citizen would dare utter [[TheDreaded SMERSH's]] name at all in the open lest they face [[SecretPolice the KGB]] knocking at their door. All in all, the average Joe in Soviet Russia has no stomach for a possible revolt.

** General G is Klebb and Grant's commander. In turn, he reports to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Serov General Ivan Serov]], the ultimate head of Soviet Intelligence.
** SMERSH was the organization behind the schemes of [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Le Chiffre]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie Mr. Big]], and [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Hugo Drax]].

** The book also describes how no ordinary Soviet citizen would want to openly utter [=SMERSH's=]'s name lest they get arrested and possibly executed.

* SamusIsAGirl: Fleming goes into detail describing the hideous appearance of DirtyCommunist Rosa Klebb, before revealing her gender with the words "She pulled up her skirt and sat down".