Opening line, Ch. 1 : The Secret Agent
“
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul erosion produced by high gambling — a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension — becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it.
— Ian Fleming
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul erosion produced by high gambling — a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension — becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it." in the context of "Opening line, Ch. 1 : The Secret Agent" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Ian Fleming" (Quotes, Casino Royale (1953))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British author and journalist who created the character of James Bond and chronicled his adventures in twelve novels and two short story collections. The children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two non-fiction books are among his other works. During the Second World War, Fleming served in the Naval Intelligence Division and, as part of his appointment, was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, rising to the rank of commander.
About Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British author and journalist who created the character of James Bond and chronicled his adventures in twelve novels and two short story collections. The children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two non-fiction books are among his other works. During the Second World War, Fleming served in the Naval Intelligence Division and, as part of his appointment, was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, rising to the rank of commander.
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