You Only Live Twice (novel) the previous novel, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". James Bond is drinking and gambling heavily and making mistakes on his assignments when, as a last resort, he is sent to Japan on a semi-diplomatic mission. Whilst there he is challenged by the Head of the Japanese Secret Service to kill Dr. Guntram Shatterhand. Bond realises that Shatterhand is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and sets out on a revenge mission to kill him and his wife, Irma Bunt. The novel deals on a personal level with the change in Bond from a depressed man in mourning, to a man of action bent
Motifs in the James Bond film series can be a private island ("Dr. No", "The Man with the Golden Gun"), underwater ("The Spy Who Loved Me"), mountaintop retreat ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "For Your Eyes Only") volcano ("You Only Live Twice"), or underground base ("Live and Let Die"), a ship ("Thunderball", "Tomorrow Never Dies"), an oil rig ("Diamonds Are Forever") or even a space station ("Moonraker")—among other variations. Bond usually sabotages the lair and, with time ticking down, dispatches the supervillain, rescues the principal Bond girl and they escape as the place blows up. In some cases, the villain or his primary henchman escapes to launch