Goldfinger
by Ian Fleming · first published 1958
10mentions
0recommended by
9HN commenters
2009–2025first – last mentioned
89% neutral11% critical
A friendly game of two-handed canasta turns out to be thoroughly crooked. And a beautiful girl ends up dead. In Bond's first encounter with Auric Goldfinger - the world's cleverest, cruellest criminal, useful lessons are learned.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
…- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming - Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming - Moonraker by Ian Fleming - Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming - From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming - Dr No by Ian Fleming - Goldfinger by Ian Fleming - For Your Eyes Only by Ian Fleming - Thunderball by Ian Fleming - The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming - On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming - You Only Live Twice by Ian…
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗"They have a saying in Chicago Mr. Bond "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action." Auric Goldfinger to James Bond in Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger" See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor
on “See Randomness” ↗"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action." -- Ian Fleming (in Goldfinger)
on “Facebook, Instagram go down around the world in an apparent outage” ↗…that many of the Bond books had serious failings. I read "Live and Let Die" and was embarrassed for Fleming for his attempt to channel Joel Chandler Harris. A case where the film bettered the book. "Goldfinger" has the villain actually trying to steal the gold from Fort Knox. Another case where it was better in the film. "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Casino Royale" are the books I can say I liked the most.
on “James Bond Unmasked (1968)” ↗Sadly, the reader probably figures out "Moonraker" within a few chapters. In Fleming's "Goldfinger", Goldfinger is actually trying to steal the gold from Fort Knox. It was much more realistic to have him instead trying to destroy the gold to increase scarcity. Say what you want about the film "Live…
on “Ian Fleming Explains How to Write a Thriller” ↗"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action." - Ian Fleming, Goldfinger I find this to be a reasonable subjective measure.
on “Mullvad VPN was subject to a search warrant” ↗"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action" ― Ian Fleming, Goldfinger
on “Second Boeing Whistleblower Dies in Less Than Two Months” ↗"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action." —Ian Fleming, Goldfinger
on “DNS traffic can leak outside the VPN tunnel on Android” ↗“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action” ― Ian Fleming, Goldfinger P-hacking is so endemic and so essential to modern academia, especially in the 'softer' sciences, that the whole thing is beyond saving. It's so bad that anyone who understands statistics well enough…
on “Study implying divorce more likely when wives fall ill gets axed (2015)” ↗"Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action." -Ian Fleming, Goldfinger (1959)