Reviews

Der Mann mit dem goldenen Colt by Ian Fleming

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brian_finch's review against another edition

3.0

This may be my least favorite Ian Fleming Bond novel. The middle section of the novel is bogged down. It begins and ends well, but the middle section was a slog.

ayavandenbussche's review against another edition

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4.0

I think I would classify this book as the closing part of the trilogy starting with On Her Majesty's Secret Service, then You Only Live Twice and finally this book, The Man With The Golden Gun. As the final part it actually improves the other two mediocre books. It seems like this is all the continuing consequences and pain from OHMSS. The book itself didn't capture the pain, but the aftermath books, You Only Live Twice and The Man With The Golden Gun kinda did.
The beginning of this book is brilliant. I almost wished it would have continued in that way, but then there is the punishment Bond gets for his betrayal and it is so cold and harsh.
Fleming/Bond's homophobia is interesting as men's physicality impresses them so much and Bond seem to have a longer lasting and deeper relationships with men. But I guess that is to be expected.
It's an odd book that moves, develops and changes constantly and I kinda like it. In the end of TMWTGG it seems like that pain that started on OHMSS has killed Bond's soul and he is dead inside.

willsouth's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was not my favourite Bond novel. Elements of it have not aged well - it is certainly of its time in terms of racial and gender portrayals. The pace and detail of the story itself is a little clunky, which I think is due to it being one of Flemmings final novels and a rush to have it published. Bond as a character in earlier works develops each step of the way, often making mistakes and expressing feelings of inadequacy. This novel however seemed to lack any depth.

agnes_the_wyrm's review against another edition

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2.0

I mean... James Bond is James Bond. Sexist, racist, horrible. Unintentionally absolutely marvelously funny ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

matthew_hough's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

3.5

andrewgraphics's review against another edition

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2.0

This final James Bond novel was ultimately a let down: Bond is brainwashed by the KGB to kill M, but Bond is knocked out just in time and M decides to send him off on an extremely difficult mission to get him back on track; all of this in the first chapter. The rest of the book takes place in Jamaica, where Bond is to track down and kill a contract assassin, who it turns out is involved in a KGB plot to destabilize the region. Throughout the book hardly a mention is made of Bond's time being brainwashed, how he is doing since he was "cured", and so on.

However, Fleming died in the middle of the process: the first draft of the book was done and edited, but he added a lot of detail to his books after that point; so I'll forgive him this.