Money To Burn

In my last blog, I mentioned that I’m waiting for a book where I don’t despise the male character. This was completely contrary to my expectations.

I LOVE thrillers, and the beginning of this book made me very delighted. It was a narcos scene mixed with Money Heist. I agree with what everyone says about this book, especially how it begins strong but ends with you disliking the characters. Though, contrary to popular opinion, I appreciated this writing style. It made it feel like a lengthy newspaper piece (yes, I am a grandma who likes to read newspapers).

Lines like “according to the most up-to-date reports” and “according to one version” felt like reading a newspaper. This is possibly owing to the fact that this novel is based on a true account of an incident that occurred in Buenos Aires in 1965. The plot is straightforward, but Piglia adds complexity by concentrating on the sexed-up, drug-abusing, reckless criminals who stunned Argentina.

The witness reports and the emphasis on their psychology while forgetting perplexing situations were maybe my favourites.

Leading questions, misinterpretations of incidents, exchanges with co-witnesses, and their own expectations of what should have happened can all erode eyewitness recollection and this book did an excellent job at encompassing that. 

Having said that, I found myself zoning out a lot throughout this book. This surprised me, given how much I enjoy thrillers. Perhaps the newspaper-style writing only captured my interest to a certain extent. The book appeared “too detailed” in several ways. 

To some extent, I was to blame for this since when I think of thriller books, I see a greater emphasis on the broad picture rather than on details. I only recently returned to reading fiction, so that may be a contributing factor.

What was intriguing was the suggestion that these robbers may be political, and that the entire act may have a political motive. Even the psychology of the bandits is so brilliantly described that I feel as if I’m walking through a museum of their thoughts. They’re virtually presented as psychopaths. Some of their actions appear to have been planned, while others definitely have not. All too frequently, their reaction is based on a gut feeling. For example, spewing bullets everywhere, appears irrational. As we go forward in time for this writing, it is clear that interest in the study and knowledge of psychology has expanded significantly.

After this point, I began to zone out very frequently. But then came the scene in which the money was burned, and everyone looked at the sky, watching the burned money descend. For some reason, this sent chills down my spine. Perhaps it was the description of the falling cash and how it looked. A weird moment amidst chock-full despair and pandemonium. A shot to capitalism as an outstanding gesture towards society.

The real portions of this book appeared more enjoyable to me than the fictitious parts (maybe this is just me). Overall, I have mixed opinions about this book. It was enjoyable at times, but I wouldn’t do it again. 

My question for this week: Out of all the scenes that focused on the psyche of the characters, did you have a favorite?