Goldfinger

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. [return]The book 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.

The seventh Bond novel, written in the mid-50's, is an efficient, ruthless page turner with a large dose of racism, sexism and misogyny thrown in for good measure. Vintage Bond then!

Responding to criticism of his super-spy creation, Fleming here open the story with a world-weary Bond, drinking heavily and questioning his lifestyle as a secret killing machine. But within a chapter that's all forgotten as Fleming introduces one of his most memorable villains in the rotund figure of Auric Goldfinger. Bond, by a series of coincidences, finds himself on the tail of SMERSH financier and gold fetishist Goldfinger and his man-mountain Korean bodyguard, Odd-Job.

We are treated to probably the best ever description of a round of high-stakes golf, a long car chase through the French countryside and a bonkers plot to steal a vast amount of gold bullion.

It's an easy read, undemanding, action-packed and utterly humourless. What grates to the modern eye is the glib racism (Koreans described as apes) and the sexism (all that Lesbian gal needs is a REAL man to set her straight...). Oh dear.

The film adaptation is regarded as one of the best Bond films because they ironed out the kinks in the plot. Even so, with this book, Fleming started a run of great novels which culminated in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice, along the way giving Bond a bit of depth and humanity.

So, a deeply flawed thriller, but worth a read. Now, where's my Vodka Martini.....?