This story is in the form of an anecdote told to Bond by his friend, the Governor in Nassau. One Philip Masters, a shy, naive, and vulnerable sort of chap, had fallen in love with an attractive airline hostess named Rhoda Llewellyn. The couple eventually married; but in time, Rhoda became bored and unhappy and began an affair with a young golf pro. Masters reacted like a wounded puppy; his work efficiency slipped and his disposition became morose. Masters was transferred to Washington for a special six-month project. In his absence, Rhoda's affair ended, and she decided to reconcile with her husband. But when Masters returned, he was a changed man. He didn't want Rhoda's reconciliation. During the year, the couple kept up social appearances as if they were still happily married, but alone at home they never spoke. Finally, Masters left Rhoda, alone and practically destitute. A social friend eventually found her a job in Jamaica and provided her the funds to move. There, after a few years, she met a rich Canadian and they married. The Governor then reveals that Bond has met Rhoda Llewellyn—she was a woman with whom he had chatted at a party earlier that evening.
"Quantum of Solace" is an offbeat, experimental story for Fleming. Kingsley Amis describes it as a "Maughamish" anecdote; this is not surprising, since Fleming was a Maugham fan as well as a personal acquaintance of the writer. It is not a Secret Service story, but a morality tale as told to Bond by his friend, the Governor. It doesn't resemble any other work by Fleming, and this is precisely why it is so intriguing. The story is rich in characterization and feeling, and it is apparent that Fleming enjoyed writing it simply as a departure from the usual Bond.
The theme is that no adventure story can top a real-life human drama. Bond comes to this conclusion at the end of the story, as he is leaving the Governor's house to finish up the assignment on which he is currently working. He reflects that his present job is "dull and unexciting."
Interwoven with this theme is the premise of the title. The "quantum of solace" is a theory the Governor holds about the amount of comfort on which love and friendship is based. He maintains that unless there is a certain degree of humanity existing between two people, there can be no love. This quantum can be measured numerically, with zero as the absolute absence of any kind of love. When Philip Masters and Rhoda Llewellyn were married, the quantum of solace between them was very high; but at the end of their relationship, it was zero. Apparently, Fleming believes in this theory himself. His rather rocky marriage must have given him cause to create the theory and incorporate it into a story.
Again, nothing new is revealed about Bond, except, perhaps, more of his views on marriage. Otherwise, Bond is merely a sounding board for the Governor's story. But Bond is also made to seem more human than usual, simply because he reacts with compassion to the story; he is able to relate it to his own life. The Governor (his name is never revealed) is a friendly chap who is actually speaking in Fleming's voice. As a character, he is unimportant. The truly important characters in this story are Philip Masters and Rhoda Llewellyn. Masters, though shy and vulnerable, is quite intelligent and resourceful. Rhoda is pretty, ambitious, and a much more aggressive character than her husband. This is what finally breaks up the couple. No sides are taken by the author in the story of this divorce; both partners become equally cruel to each other. Rhoda, perhaps, pays the most for her wrong doings, but she at least emerges from the story a happier person than Masters, who will spend the rest of his life in a civil service post in Nigeria.
The story, with its surprise ending of Rhoda turning out to be Mrs. Harvey Miller, somehow rings true to life, and it is ultimately very moving. Even though "Quantum of Solace" has no intrigue, action, or thrills, it has a quality which is missing from most of the other Bond stories—human drama.