James Bond on women, marriage and kids

from Diamonds Are Forever

“Are you married?” She [Tiffany Case] paused. “Or anything?”

“No. I occasionally have affairs.”

“So you’re one of those old-fashioned men who like sleeping with women. Why haven’t you ever been married?”

“I expect because I think I can handle life better own my own. Most marriages don’t add two people together. They subtract one from the other.”

Tiffany thought this over. “Maybe there’s something in that,” she said finally. “But it depends what you want to add up to. Something human or something inhuman. You can’t be complete by yourself.”

….

“Buy me another drink and then tell me what sort of woman you think would add to you.”

Bond gave his order to the steward. He lit a cigarette thoughtfully. “Somebody who can make Sauce Bearnaise as well as love,” he said.

“Holy mackerel! Just any old dumb hag who can cook and lie on her back?”

“Oh, no. She’s got to have all the usual things---“ Bond examined her. “Gold hair. Grey eyes. A sinful mouth. Perfect figure. And of course she’s got to be witty and poised and know how to dress and play cards and so forth. The usual things.”

“And you’d marry this person if you found her?”

“Not necessarily,” said Bond. “Matter of fact, I’m almost married already. To a man. Name begins with M. I’d have to divorce him before I tried marrying a woman. And I’m not sure I’d want to do that. She’d get me handing round canapés in an L-shaped drawing room. And there’d be all those ghastly ‘Yes you did No I didn’t’ rows that seem to go with marriage. It wouldn’t last. I’d get claustrophobia and run out on her. Get myself sent to Japan or somewhere.”

“What about children?”

“Like to have some,” said Bond shortly. “But only when I retire. Not fair to the children otherwise. My job’s not all that secure….”