Publication
Vintage (2012), Edition: 1st THUS
Original publication date
1959-03-23
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Awards
Description
Fiction. Suspense. HTML: A game of canasta turns out crooked, and a golden girl ends up dead. It seems that Auric Goldfinger is a bad loser when it comes to cards. He's also the world's most ruthless and successful gold smuggler. As James Bond follows his trail, he discovers that Goldfinger's real game is the heist of fifteen billion dollars of US government bullion. The final hand is played at Fort Knox, in a spectacular display of deception and intrigue. This audiobook includes an exclusive bonus interview with Hugh Bonneville..
User reviews
LibraryThing member tootstorm
This has been a long time coming. Doctor No, as much ass as it kicked in the Bondverse, will have to wait—I read it in November and it’s been far too long, I’m afraid, that I couldn’t give it a proper review, and now…now…—, it’s time for Goldfinger to get a comment or two! It’s
We’re introduced straight away to the villain, a cunning, wealthy douchebag the likes of which we’ve seen before, in a fashion the likes of which we’ve seen twice before: Villain X is cheating at a card game for an incidental figure of cash he doubtlessly doesn’t need, and it’s up to Bond to figure out how he’s cheating and put an end to his highly original trickery. This game, a repeat of scenes from Casino Royale and Moonraker, is the best part of the story. Auric Goldfinger is a terrible character, the sort of clichéd, 2-dimensional villain you find in numerous young adult thrillers these days, with piercing x-ray eyes that seem to see through Our Hero(ine) at all times (i.e., this is brought up every time Bond looks at Goldfinger). After Bond successfully helps Background Character From CR beat a cheating fat blob of shit, he travels back to England and talks with M about his next assignment no one could have foreseen: GO WATCH THIS GOLDFINGER CHAP HE’S GOT A SUSPICIOUS AIR ABOUT HIM I DARESAY.
Oh, and Oddjob is here to kick ass and chew bubblegum as one of the more fascinating flat, racial stereotypes.
'Have you ever heard of Karate? No? Well that man is one of the three in the world who have achieved the Black Belt in Karate.’
Taking a break from the story—which at this point starts to feature a 30-page action-packed game of golf b/w Bond and Goldy—, we all know that Ian Fleming held a lot of typical beliefs of snooty upper-class white folks back in the mid-20th century, and Goldfinger actually manages to be more racist and more sexist than any previous Bond story—including the infamous Live and Let Die. This time all enmity is directed rather than at women (general), or the French, or Negroes, or Germans, or Americans, or Russians, or even the majestic Chigroe of Doctor No, but at Koreans and, you guessed it, lesbians!
…Bond intended to stay alive on his own terms. Those terms included putting Oddjob and any other Korean firmly in his place, which, in Bond’s estimation, was rather lower than apes in the mammalian hierarchy.
Fleming is downright vicious in creating his cast of Korean servants, and I mean vicious. He doesn’t hold anything back, doesn’t hide any of his beliefs behind “kind” patronizations like before. Yes, Mr. Fleming, we know Koreans are all heartless, stupid, disgusting people, the most ruthless people on the planet, who only communicate by raping ugly white women and making incoherent barking noises. Sure, sure…
Bond said amiably, ‘I may be able to. I got us out of our graves.
‘After getting us into them.’
Bond looked thoughtfully at the girl. He decided it would be ungallant to spank her, so to speak, on an empty stomach.
The (apparent) Bond girl this time around is one Miss Tilly Masterton (and until the end of the book, I mistakenly read that as Masterson; it seems the scriptwriters did as well), but she sadly turns out to be a lesbian, and because of this, she’s killed for being wrong and stupid. Her actions that lead to her death make absolutely no logical sense, and only serve to push Ian’s belief that lesbians are…well…I’ll let Ian speak for himself:
Bond came to the conclusion that Tilly Masterton was one of those girls whose hormones had got mixed up. He knew the type well and thought they and their male counterparts were a direct consequence of giving votes to women and ‘sex equality’. As a result of fifty years of emancipation, feminine qualities were dying out or being transferred to the males. Pansies of both sexes were everywhere, not yet completely homosexual, but confused, not knowing what they were. The result was a herd of unhappy sexual misfits—barren and full of frustrations, the women wanting to dominate and the men to be nannied. He was sorry for them, but he had no time for them.
Thankfully, Bond’s manliness is enough to magically turn the leader of the lesbian outcasts, Pussy Galore (as sexist and cheesy as it is, that name is awesome), straight with absolutely no character development involved. A couple glances is enough to correct her “mixed up hormones,” or whatever the fuck sex equality and voting rights did to the poor girl.
Around page 140 of 191, after a long game of golf, and an even longer “chase” scene, Bond and Tilly are captured by Goldfinger and co., and for some reason, I guess for the sake of the plot, Goldfinger has the brilliant idea to keep Bond around and in fact hire him to help his men break into Fort fucking Knox. Things go awry and Bond bangs Pussy. The end.
‘There is no harm he can do at the rear of the plane but he is not to approach the cockpit door. If need be, kill him at once, but I prefer to get him to our destination alive. Understood?’
‘Arrgh.’
F.V.: 60%
[988]
Show More
time to look at Bond’s seventh adventure! an adv. trailing off of the high note double-face-punch of From Russia, w/ Love and Dr. No, an adv. that I really expected to keep up the quality of the previous bad-guy’s-name-as-story-title book (especially considering I associated good feelings with the film), but it fails to come anywhere near it, or even near the quality of Diamonds are Forever, previously imagined as the low point for the series. We’re introduced straight away to the villain, a cunning, wealthy douchebag the likes of which we’ve seen before, in a fashion the likes of which we’ve seen twice before: Villain X is cheating at a card game for an incidental figure of cash he doubtlessly doesn’t need, and it’s up to Bond to figure out how he’s cheating and put an end to his highly original trickery. This game, a repeat of scenes from Casino Royale and Moonraker, is the best part of the story. Auric Goldfinger is a terrible character, the sort of clichéd, 2-dimensional villain you find in numerous young adult thrillers these days, with piercing x-ray eyes that seem to see through Our Hero(ine) at all times (i.e., this is brought up every time Bond looks at Goldfinger). After Bond successfully helps Background Character From CR beat a cheating fat blob of shit, he travels back to England and talks with M about his next assignment no one could have foreseen: GO WATCH THIS GOLDFINGER CHAP HE’S GOT A SUSPICIOUS AIR ABOUT HIM I DARESAY.
Oh, and Oddjob is here to kick ass and chew bubblegum as one of the more fascinating flat, racial stereotypes.
'Have you ever heard of Karate? No? Well that man is one of the three in the world who have achieved the Black Belt in Karate.’
Taking a break from the story—which at this point starts to feature a 30-page action-packed game of golf b/w Bond and Goldy—, we all know that Ian Fleming held a lot of typical beliefs of snooty upper-class white folks back in the mid-20th century, and Goldfinger actually manages to be more racist and more sexist than any previous Bond story—including the infamous Live and Let Die. This time all enmity is directed rather than at women (general), or the French, or Negroes, or Germans, or Americans, or Russians, or even the majestic Chigroe of Doctor No, but at Koreans and, you guessed it, lesbians!
…Bond intended to stay alive on his own terms. Those terms included putting Oddjob and any other Korean firmly in his place, which, in Bond’s estimation, was rather lower than apes in the mammalian hierarchy.
Fleming is downright vicious in creating his cast of Korean servants, and I mean vicious. He doesn’t hold anything back, doesn’t hide any of his beliefs behind “kind” patronizations like before. Yes, Mr. Fleming, we know Koreans are all heartless, stupid, disgusting people, the most ruthless people on the planet, who only communicate by raping ugly white women and making incoherent barking noises. Sure, sure…
Bond said amiably, ‘I may be able to. I got us out of our graves.
‘After getting us into them.’
Bond looked thoughtfully at the girl. He decided it would be ungallant to spank her, so to speak, on an empty stomach.
The (apparent) Bond girl this time around is one Miss Tilly Masterton (and until the end of the book, I mistakenly read that as Masterson; it seems the scriptwriters did as well), but she sadly turns out to be a lesbian, and because of this, she’s killed for being wrong and stupid. Her actions that lead to her death make absolutely no logical sense, and only serve to push Ian’s belief that lesbians are…well…I’ll let Ian speak for himself:
Bond came to the conclusion that Tilly Masterton was one of those girls whose hormones had got mixed up. He knew the type well and thought they and their male counterparts were a direct consequence of giving votes to women and ‘sex equality’. As a result of fifty years of emancipation, feminine qualities were dying out or being transferred to the males. Pansies of both sexes were everywhere, not yet completely homosexual, but confused, not knowing what they were. The result was a herd of unhappy sexual misfits—barren and full of frustrations, the women wanting to dominate and the men to be nannied. He was sorry for them, but he had no time for them.
Thankfully, Bond’s manliness is enough to magically turn the leader of the lesbian outcasts, Pussy Galore (as sexist and cheesy as it is, that name is awesome), straight with absolutely no character development involved. A couple glances is enough to correct her “mixed up hormones,” or whatever the fuck sex equality and voting rights did to the poor girl.
Around page 140 of 191, after a long game of golf, and an even longer “chase” scene, Bond and Tilly are captured by Goldfinger and co., and for some reason, I guess for the sake of the plot, Goldfinger has the brilliant idea to keep Bond around and in fact hire him to help his men break into Fort fucking Knox. Things go awry and Bond bangs Pussy. The end.
‘There is no harm he can do at the rear of the plane but he is not to approach the cockpit door. If need be, kill him at once, but I prefer to get him to our destination alive. Understood?’
‘Arrgh.’
F.V.: 60%
[988]
Show Less
LibraryThing member Bridgey
Goldfinger - Ian Fleming ****
Bond's seventh outing under the pen of Ian Fleming. I have been reading the Bond books in order and have to say that with each novel they just keep getting better.
As with the film Bond is pitted against Auric Goldfinger and his personal assistant Oddjob. So many
Fleming (in more than any of the previous novels) allows us into the thoughts and feelings of Bond on various subjects - or are they Flemings?....
Views on Koreans, Homosexuals and short men are expressed. But any reader should place the book in the context of the time that it was written. Too many people seem to give a book a negative review because it fails to meet todays PC attitudes.
As usual with Fleming excellent descriptions of people and places are included that allows the reader to really get involved. The only reason that I have given the book 4 stars instead of 5 is the whole chapter dedicated to an almost shot by shot narrative of the golf game got a little weary.
As any fans of the film will tell you the most iconic shot is Bond spread-eagled under the laser beam. And the immortal 'Do you expect me to talk Goldfinger....' replied with 'No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!' The book in my opinion far exceeds this dialogue, and is replaced by these words:
Bond:"Then you can go and f**k yourself" Goldfinger: "Even I am not capable of that, Mr Bond")
Pure brilliance.
Edit | More
Bond's seventh outing under the pen of Ian Fleming. I have been reading the Bond books in order and have to say that with each novel they just keep getting better.
As with the film Bond is pitted against Auric Goldfinger and his personal assistant Oddjob. So many
Show More
reviewers here seem to give away the plot twists that make the book different from the film, so I won't go into any plot detail. Suffice to say that there is enough of a difference to allow the reader a few oohs and aahs as they follow Bond on his journey.Fleming (in more than any of the previous novels) allows us into the thoughts and feelings of Bond on various subjects - or are they Flemings?....
Views on Koreans, Homosexuals and short men are expressed. But any reader should place the book in the context of the time that it was written. Too many people seem to give a book a negative review because it fails to meet todays PC attitudes.
As usual with Fleming excellent descriptions of people and places are included that allows the reader to really get involved. The only reason that I have given the book 4 stars instead of 5 is the whole chapter dedicated to an almost shot by shot narrative of the golf game got a little weary.
As any fans of the film will tell you the most iconic shot is Bond spread-eagled under the laser beam. And the immortal 'Do you expect me to talk Goldfinger....' replied with 'No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!' The book in my opinion far exceeds this dialogue, and is replaced by these words:
Bond:"Then you can go and f**k yourself" Goldfinger: "Even I am not capable of that, Mr Bond")
Pure brilliance.
Edit | More
Show Less
LibraryThing member cinesnail88
Overall, this was, I think, my least favorite James Bond book to date. Some of the concepts were inventive and interesting, but most of them fell flat and the entire chapter devoted to the description of a golf game was too much for me. Plus the last line where he ruthlessy kisses Pussy
Show More
Galore...too much. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookswamp
Bond no. 7; Auric Goldfinger smuggling gold in the form of gold cast luxury cars, using the "Spangled Mob" of Las Vegas Mafia for his gains, and - again - cheating at cards. Add Pussy Galore, a shady crime lady, and Aurics secretary, the converted Tilly, who help James prevail. This is the book I
Show More
like least, it's missing the rafinesse and detail of some of the others and seem to be knit from a general receipe. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Fleming partially spoiled this book for me with the views on women he gives Bond near the end regarding Tilly Masterton & Pussy Galore -- too misogynist for me! {In case you were wondering, I am referring to the fact that he blames Tilly's lesbianism to giving women the vote!! Plus then Pussy, who
The plot about Goldfinger himself though was quite enjoyable. Not as good as "From Russia With Love" in my opinion, but still worth reading.
Show More
is also a lesbian, succumbs to Bond because he is a "real man" }The plot about Goldfinger himself though was quite enjoyable. Not as good as "From Russia With Love" in my opinion, but still worth reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member polarbear123
One of the better bond books indeed. Takes the form of three parts - Canasta cheating discoveries, golf shenannigans and megalomania Fort Knox tomfoolery. Good stuff. Oh and there is also OddJob to revel in. Auric Goldfinger makes a formidable baddy even though his demise is a little too easy. The
Show More
narrative rattles on at a fair old pace and as with all the best Fleming books, the other characters are more interesting than Bond himself. Forget the sexist attitudes, I mean complaining about those is irrelevant - its Bond - what did you expect. This is a great boys own adventure and well worth a read or a revisit. Show Less
LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 4.8* of five
The 1964 film gets almost five stars. I doubt very seriously the book would get more than one.
So, first let's talk about the song. *swoon* If you don't like the song, don't ever tell me. I will unfriend you and make a voodoo dolly to do awful, awful things to you. Ever read The
Then there's Connery beefcakin' around in a skimpy swimsuit. There's a passel of cool cars, including the iconic Aston Martin DB5 *swoon* and a 1964 Thunderbird and a 1964-1/2 Mustang convertible *gasp* and...I'd better stop, things could get messy.
The real over-the-top-putter moment is the fight sequence in Fort Knox, with all that lovely (fake) gold. Odd Job, the villain with the lethal hat, comes to a shocking (heh) end, after a balletic slugfest. And of course the nuclear bomb inside the truckbed tool case is disarmed at...007 seconds to go!
I feel sure there was a plot in there somewhere, but frankly if you're watching Bond films for plot you're a sad creature. It's got verve and gusto and style. Watch it to bathe in the unrepentant sexism and piggery and racism of a bygone day, served up without malice. It's all there, it's all appalling by today's lights, but it wasn't put there to shock or edify as it would be today. That's just how it was, so that's what they show.
If they remake this one in the Craig reboot, I will be on tenterhooks waiting to see what they come up with to call Pussy Galore the pilot.
I loved every ridiculous frame of it.
The 1964 film gets almost five stars. I doubt very seriously the book would get more than one.
So, first let's talk about the song. *swoon* If you don't like the song, don't ever tell me. I will unfriend you and make a voodoo dolly to do awful, awful things to you. Ever read The
Show More
Wasp Factory? Yeah, that'll sound like Sunday school. K? Clear enough? Good.Then there's Connery beefcakin' around in a skimpy swimsuit. There's a passel of cool cars, including the iconic Aston Martin DB5 *swoon* and a 1964 Thunderbird and a 1964-1/2 Mustang convertible *gasp* and...I'd better stop, things could get messy.
The real over-the-top-putter moment is the fight sequence in Fort Knox, with all that lovely (fake) gold. Odd Job, the villain with the lethal hat, comes to a shocking (heh) end, after a balletic slugfest. And of course the nuclear bomb inside the truckbed tool case is disarmed at...007 seconds to go!
I feel sure there was a plot in there somewhere, but frankly if you're watching Bond films for plot you're a sad creature. It's got verve and gusto and style. Watch it to bathe in the unrepentant sexism and piggery and racism of a bygone day, served up without malice. It's all there, it's all appalling by today's lights, but it wasn't put there to shock or edify as it would be today. That's just how it was, so that's what they show.
If they remake this one in the Craig reboot, I will be on tenterhooks waiting to see what they come up with to call Pussy Galore the pilot.
I loved every ridiculous frame of it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member benuathanasia
The movie bored me, so I wasn't looking too forward to this particular installment of Bond, however I was very pleasantly surprised! World-building was phenomenal. I particularly liked the character development of Goldfinger himself. He started off as something of a sympathetic character - it was
My favorite part of the novel was when James believed he was dying/dead and starts pondering what heaven would be like - how would the various dead Bond girls feel about each other once they had James with them in heaven? It was rather amusing.
And finally - Yay! Felix to the rescue!!!
Show More
hard for me to see him as being a "bad" guy simply because he wishes to reap the full benefits of his own endeavors. As a huge endorser of First-Sale Doctrine, I felt it was his right to what he chose with his own gold that he had lawfully purchased. To me, his morals became exceptionally questionable when the incident with the cat occurred (I won't spoil it, but...poor kitty...). He then became thoroughly reprehensible once we find out what happened to his assistant Jill. Finally, he become irrevocably hell-bound once his ultimate plans are revealed. It was a gradual, brilliant unfolding. I was very pleased. My favorite part of the novel was when James believed he was dying/dead and starts pondering what heaven would be like - how would the various dead Bond girls feel about each other once they had James with them in heaven? It was rather amusing.
And finally - Yay! Felix to the rescue!!!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Polaris-
Auric Goldfinger is perhaps the quintessential Bond villain: Wealthy beyond compare; menacing calmness personified and patient to the extreme (unnecessarily so in the case of the most lethal of his enemies: "Perhaps I should have killed you Mr Bond when I had the chance..."); a cheat at Canasta and
Bond on the other hand is made of sterner British stuff. At least that's what Fleming will have you believe. Despite the corny characterisation I was mildly shocked at the steady stream of questionable and racially charged quippery that emanates from 007. His homophobic rant towards the story's end - directed in his own mind at the charming 'Lesbian' crime boss named Ms Pussy Galore, and his dismissive judgement that an Italian mafia boss' swarthiness meant that he would "...probably HAVE to shave every three or four hours..." {my capitals} made me arch an eyebrow in true Roger-Moore-as-Bond fashion. The traps that Bond falls into would surely have him failing the modern-day MI6's entry requirement at an early opportunity (I hope!), but he is devilishly dashing and so somehow gets away with it.
Nice to see one or two scattered references by Fleming to Bond's earlier escapades - a table partner at the Baccarat table in Casino Royale, and his former love Vesper Lynd from that same mission - illustrating a depth of character that is usually absent from the film adaptations. The usual glamourous locations are to be found of course: Miami {this is 1959 don't forget!), the French countryside, Geneva, Kent's finest stately homes and golf clubs, and, er, an East River warehouse in New York...
I wanted a change of pace and flavour - and that's what I got. Fleming's books are a lot of fun and really quite silly, but he does manage to instill a sense of urgency and excitement through his thrillers. Recommended for those seeking a page-turner that'll make you laugh at all the bits you're not supposed to.
Show More
golf; evidently asexual - unless his conquest is first painted head-to-toe in liquid gold. He drives (or rather is driven in) an almost anachronistic and armour-plated yellow Rolls Royce Silver Ghost; is a chauvinistic xenophobe who likes to employ foreign servants and bodyguards by the dozen. His evil plans know no bounds. Even all the bullion in Fort Knox isn't safe.Bond on the other hand is made of sterner British stuff. At least that's what Fleming will have you believe. Despite the corny characterisation I was mildly shocked at the steady stream of questionable and racially charged quippery that emanates from 007. His homophobic rant towards the story's end - directed in his own mind at the charming 'Lesbian' crime boss named Ms Pussy Galore, and his dismissive judgement that an Italian mafia boss' swarthiness meant that he would "...probably HAVE to shave every three or four hours..." {my capitals} made me arch an eyebrow in true Roger-Moore-as-Bond fashion. The traps that Bond falls into would surely have him failing the modern-day MI6's entry requirement at an early opportunity (I hope!), but he is devilishly dashing and so somehow gets away with it.
Nice to see one or two scattered references by Fleming to Bond's earlier escapades - a table partner at the Baccarat table in Casino Royale, and his former love Vesper Lynd from that same mission - illustrating a depth of character that is usually absent from the film adaptations. The usual glamourous locations are to be found of course: Miami {this is 1959 don't forget!), the French countryside, Geneva, Kent's finest stately homes and golf clubs, and, er, an East River warehouse in New York...
I wanted a change of pace and flavour - and that's what I got. Fleming's books are a lot of fun and really quite silly, but he does manage to instill a sense of urgency and excitement through his thrillers. Recommended for those seeking a page-turner that'll make you laugh at all the bits you're not supposed to.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
James Bond, agent with Britain's Secret Service and with a license to kill (as denoted by the double-ought digits in his agent number, 007) meets up with Auric Goldfinger, a card cheat and greedy-for-gold businessman who is also suspected of gold smuggling and subsequently undermining world
One of the great things about the Bond novels is that, unlike the films, Bond is not the hero who emerges from his escapades unscathed and looking pretty. In past novels, the vicissitudes of the trade are visited upon Bond and others in rather shocking and graphic detail. As any given scene is introduced and unfolds, you really aren't sure how it's going to end and hence, Fleming brings true suspense to his spy thrillers:
"He let his head fall back with sigh. There was a narrow slit down the centre of the polished steel table. At the far end of the slit, like a foresight framed in the vee of his parted feet, were the glinting teeth of a circular saw."
Scenes don't end the way you think they will and, it's in the how far they go that leaves readers a bit shocked or even gasping aloud.
Goldfinger was written in 1959, and what might give today's readers/listeners pause in regards to the Bond novels is the political incorrectness in the stories. The sentiments that are expressed can be jarring and it is somewhat bizarre that in every novel so far there has been at least one passage or idea expressed that compels a knee-jerk reaction to the 21st century reader. In Goldfinger, there is this:
"Bond came to the conclusion that Tilly Masterson was one of those girls whose hormones had got mixed up. He knew the type well and thought they and their male counterparts were a direct consequence of giving votes to women and 'sex equality'. As a result of fifty years of emancipation, feminine qualities were dying out or being transferred to the males. Pansies of both sexes were everywhere, not yet completely homosexual, but confused, not knowing what they were. The result was a herd of unhappy sexual misfits - barren and full of frustrations, the women wanting to dominate and the men to be nannied. He was sorry for them, but he had no time for them."
Cringe-worthy indeed. Wait until you see how Fleming draws Pussy Galore :-/
Simon Vance narrated Goldfinger ably and well: His characters are well delineated, though if one were to quibble, it would be that his American accents are not quite what they could be. Vance's later works (e.g. Paul is Undead by Alan Goldsher wherein he narrates the part of a native Chicagoan) show how far he has come in ten years :-)
Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, Goldfinger; 01/19/2012.
Show More
markets. Bond is given the assignment to figure out how Goldfinger is doing it. In the process, Bond discovers that Goldfinger has an even more ambitious scheme of robbing Fort Knox of $15 million in gold bullion!One of the great things about the Bond novels is that, unlike the films, Bond is not the hero who emerges from his escapades unscathed and looking pretty. In past novels, the vicissitudes of the trade are visited upon Bond and others in rather shocking and graphic detail. As any given scene is introduced and unfolds, you really aren't sure how it's going to end and hence, Fleming brings true suspense to his spy thrillers:
"He let his head fall back with sigh. There was a narrow slit down the centre of the polished steel table. At the far end of the slit, like a foresight framed in the vee of his parted feet, were the glinting teeth of a circular saw."
Scenes don't end the way you think they will and, it's in the how far they go that leaves readers a bit shocked or even gasping aloud.
Goldfinger was written in 1959, and what might give today's readers/listeners pause in regards to the Bond novels is the political incorrectness in the stories. The sentiments that are expressed can be jarring and it is somewhat bizarre that in every novel so far there has been at least one passage or idea expressed that compels a knee-jerk reaction to the 21st century reader. In Goldfinger, there is this:
"Bond came to the conclusion that Tilly Masterson was one of those girls whose hormones had got mixed up. He knew the type well and thought they and their male counterparts were a direct consequence of giving votes to women and 'sex equality'. As a result of fifty years of emancipation, feminine qualities were dying out or being transferred to the males. Pansies of both sexes were everywhere, not yet completely homosexual, but confused, not knowing what they were. The result was a herd of unhappy sexual misfits - barren and full of frustrations, the women wanting to dominate and the men to be nannied. He was sorry for them, but he had no time for them."
Cringe-worthy indeed. Wait until you see how Fleming draws Pussy Galore :-/
Simon Vance narrated Goldfinger ably and well: His characters are well delineated, though if one were to quibble, it would be that his American accents are not quite what they could be. Vance's later works (e.g. Paul is Undead by Alan Goldsher wherein he narrates the part of a native Chicagoan) show how far he has come in ten years :-)
Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, Goldfinger; 01/19/2012.
Show Less
LibraryThing member drneutron
Goldfinger's not one of my favorite Bond books, but it's a decent enough read. My main complaint is that Fleming re-uses the "rich man cheating at cards" plot device to introduce the character of Goldfinger. This pushes the book into feeling like he was looking to quickly write another volume
Show More
instead of having a complete story to tell. In spite of this, the later parts of the book worked out pretty well. Show Less
LibraryThing member GuyMondo
I came to this book without having seen the Sean Connery film except as short excerpts in documentaries on film, photos in books, and such. The upside of this is that I had some clear visual references for the characters in my head which made reading more enjoyable. The most interesting thing about
Another thing I found interesting that Bond gets his butt kicked more than I expected compared to the judo-chopping martial artist in the films. I also learned more about golf than I would have expected in spy novel. Now I really want to go out and get the movie version.
Show More
the book is that it is very different from what I knew of the film. There are no fantastic gadgets, no trick cars. Bond's one "secret agent"-styled piece of equipment turns out to be fairly mundane: a knife in the heel of his shoe. There are, also, the very non-PC cultural references concerning Koreans, Cold War-era Russia, Americans, Italians and the changing gender roles that were a major part of the sixties that would, surely have the younger generation crying "foul". This was nothing unfamiliar to me having grown up in the 1960s. I enjoyed the broadly drawn, stereotypical characters and was surprised at how late in the book one of the more famous characters, Pussy Galore, doesn't show up until three-quarters of the way through the book.Another thing I found interesting that Bond gets his butt kicked more than I expected compared to the judo-chopping martial artist in the films. I also learned more about golf than I would have expected in spy novel. Now I really want to go out and get the movie version.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ptdilloway
I got a good chuckle at some of the old-fashionedness of the story. Like when Bond gets shot down by Tilly Masterton, who opts to hang out with Pussy Galore. Bond rants to himself about women with their hormones reversed and what sissies so many people are today. But later he gets Pussy to switch
Show More
teams pretty easily, so I guess the joke is on Tilly. Anyway, sometimes it seems the Bond in the books is closer to Austin Powers than the James Bond we think of in the movies. He walks into one trap after another, some of which were pretty obvious. Show Less
LibraryThing member DMatty5
Yes, it's dated, and yes, it's sexist, and yes, many of the plot devices have been used by Fleming before ... but it still has good forward momentum and stylish writing. Not his best (by a long shot) but enjoyable -- and I (for one) enjoyed the golf match. May be the only Bond novel that the movie
Show More
is superior to the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Denverbook
I ordered four of the original James Bond thrillers to have a matched set replacing old worn out paperbacks. The books are much more exciting and believable than the gadget filled overglossy charactered movies. The story lines are more subtle. Those that prefer the movies cannot be true readers.
LibraryThing member comfypants
Absurd, nonsensical, hateful and dull.
LibraryThing member mahallett
ok but too many unbelievable parts. why doesn't goldfinger just kill bond ? how did bond survive the plane crash? how is bond able to change pussy's sexual orientation?
i remembered thecard cheating part of the movie pretty well.
i remembered thecard cheating part of the movie pretty well.
LibraryThing member brettjames
An exciting read, if by 'exciting read' you mean a mercilessly complete, thirty-page description of a golf game.
LibraryThing member bishopjoey
Amusing stuff - read it primarily because the new Bond novel takes place right after it and also has Pussy Galore.
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
The most cartoonish and movie like of the James Bond novels that I've read so far. But none the less a good read. I am always impressed how Fleming condenses so much plot in 250 pages or less.
LibraryThing member antiquary
Bond is dealing with an attempt to steal the gold from Fort Knox.
LibraryThing member aadyer
One of the great James Bond classics, which is sadly aged to the modern audience. Some of the attitudes in particular towards sexuality were extremely dated, and would be offensive to the modern reader.
The plot was taught and very exciting, with a lot of fast paced action and a feeling that you
With the exception of the antiquated episodes there didn’t seem to be a slight rush on the last third.
Hugh Bonnaville‘s voices were excellent.
The climatic scene was also very rewarding.
The plot was taught and very exciting, with a lot of fast paced action and a feeling that you
Show More
didn’t know where the plot was going next.With the exception of the antiquated episodes there didn’t seem to be a slight rush on the last third.
Hugh Bonnaville‘s voices were excellent.
The climatic scene was also very rewarding.
Show Less
LibraryThing member aadyer
A great rollicking, fun adventure, involving one of the more memorable James Bond villains. With settings as innocuous as Kent and as diverse as Switzerland Kentucky, this is a dated but well paced crime thriller with some laughable, references to homosexuality that made me shudder slightly in
Show More
their ignorance. Apart from this dated intolerance, I'd recommend the story and the panache of a job well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member orangemonkey
Despite having seen many of the films, this was my first exposure to one of Ian Fleming's Bond novels. The plot, basically, involves Bond having to stop the dastardly Auric Goldfinger from stealing all of the bullion in Fort Knox and using the money to finance anti-American spy interests.
The book
The book
Show More
is an amazing document of its time - in addition to the Red Menace of Communist influence over Western politics, there are also discussions of the inherent genetic cruelty of Korean people, and how lesbianism is an unfortunate but predictable outcome of allowing women to vote. In these regards it's so ludicrous you almost can't get offended (I mean, seriously, how does one come out against SUFFRAGE?!?), but I'm sure some would be prevented from enjoying the book on those grounds. Overall, though, it's a fairly interesting but straightforward spy story. Fleming's Bond is an interest character, because he shows absolutely no hesitation when required to kill, but at the same time, he feels guilty about it afterwards. That's an interesting quirk that you don't see in enough modern action heroes, and it was nice to find it in what was otherwise a constant stream of stiff-upper-lippism. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
Fun to be reading this on the Opening Day of baseball 2016, as I just got to the part about "Operation Grand Slam"! I hadn't read it since my early teens, and I was glad to pick it up again. My favorite part of this book is Oddjob - the toughest damn bad guy ever! My disappointment in this book was
Show More
it's negative portrayal of Koreans and lesbians. Fleming seems to believe that gay women really just need a strong male to straighten them out. I know it's a reflection of the times it was written in, but it's still hard to read. But the "Bond" action is pretty dang good, especially the last handful of chapters! It'll be interesting to read "Trigger Mortis" next! Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0099576074 / 9780099576075
Physical description
5.08 inches
Other editions
Goldfinger by Ian Fleming (CD audiobook)