Goldfinger Original

Would you listen to Goldfinger (with Interview) again? Why?

First time I'd tried one of the original series by Ian Fleming after only having seen the films. Good books although parts of it especially the golf game were annoying.

What other book might you compare Goldfinger (with Interview) to, and why?

I haven't tried any of the other original series books so can't compare.

Have you listened to any of Hugh Bonneville’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Not heard any other performances by Hugh Bonneville, but he's very good in this book.

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Surprised by so much here

What did you like most about Goldfinger (with Interview)?

Expecting a very light read to listen to while engaged on mundane tasks, I quickly realised that - perhaps because Fleming wrote this at the end of the fifties - his style here still had a sort of innocence. Even the baddies (with the exception of poor old Oddjob) have their vulnerabilities and their twisted but believable humanity. And Bond certainly does. He is shown worrying about the violence he has to show in his profession and there are moments of real characterisation never seen in the films.The writing too is surprising, with moments of imagery that lift the book way beyond the mere thriller - as too do the lengthy explanations, saved from being boring by little dramatic moments, about the importance of gold to the British economy in the fifties or the intricacies of really good golf. Yes, the treatment of the girls and lesbianism makes us groan nowadays - but it fits the era and adds a lot of colour to this macho tale.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favourite chacacter, apart from marvellous James Bond himself, is the Bank of England gold expert, Smithers. As Bond himself says, one can listen to a really enthusiastic expert with interest, whatever the expertise is in. And given the mess we are in with our ever more worthless fiat currency, the long chapter on gold couldn't be more relevant.

What does Hugh Bonneville bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I soon forgot the Downton Abbey aristocrat and even Paddington's Mr Brown. Hugh Bonneville brings all the characters alive. Really impressive.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely. I couldn't - but would have done if I could have found enough free consecutive hours.

Any additional comments?

Don't be put off this audiobook by the awful, heartless modern OO7 brand. This is a really exciting and well written story, beautifully read.

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4 people found this helpful

Enjoyed the story

This is the fourth James Bond novel I have listed to and it might be the best, in a close contest with Dr. No. Fleming seems a little obsessed with the gay community however, and his comments on homosexuality/lesbianism did nothing to advance the story and are unacceptable today.

The story moved along quickly and was very well narrated.

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Snowflakes beware!

Written in the 1950s, this book contains some language of it's time, which is likely to cause palpitations in those unable to separate "then" and "now.''
For those of us who can accept that society has moved on in the last 60+ years, listen to the Bond story as written, just after WW2, in a time of uncertainty, suspicion and fear that WW3 was just around the corner.
Enjoy it for what it is. I did.

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8 people found this helpful

A classic Bond story

The performance was great and the narrator's use of voices helped engage me in the story. The story itself is well written, with an excellent villain for Bond to take on.

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Classic

Having watched all the older movies, I have started hearing all the audio books. I definitely remember the characters Goldfinger, Odd Job and Pussy Galore from the movie. However the book is much deeper and has a good undertone of.empathy as well. Considering the book was written in 1959, you should ignore the racist and misogynistic stereotypes that represented that era more than 60 years back. It was a racy read, well narrated

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Dated

If you can ignore the decidedly non-inclusive attitudes then a potentially enjoyable listen. I was somewhat surprised by Fleming giving Bond such narrow minded views. I wouldn't have thought that making unfounded assumptions would be a characteristic of a successful agent, even one as laughably unsecret as Bond. I'll continue to grit my teeth and plough my way through the rest of the series.

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A classic expertly delivered.

Hue gives an excellent read of a classic Bond. A must / read / listen, from gold, gangsters and girls to stone crab and pink Champagne in silver tankards....

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Highly recommended

Excellent narration and great plot. Hugh Bonneville‘s narration cannot be faulted. Hope he does more.

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How different from the movie

When you've grown up with the movie first and never read the book the differences are startling! There's a level where you follow the narrative but other levels where you are shocked and surprised at the narrative differences, the different emphasis and weighting of the scenes, the greater depth of the personality traits, the delightful and sometimes lengthy detail and surprise at comparing the original attitudes with contemporary mores. It all makes for a highly engaging experience. Hugh Bonneville does a cracking job throughout making it all highly involving. God how I wish I'd not relied on the movie as my Ian Fleming narrative!. Loadsa fun, now I'll end up going through the lot, I'm sure.

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