A week ago, my book club discussed Hernan Diaz’s Trust which won the Pulitzer prize in 2023 – actually a co-winner with Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Here’s a brief perspective from the folks at Pulitzer: “A riveting novel set in a bygone America that explores family, wealth and ambition through linked narratives rendered in different literary styles, a complex examination of love and power in a country where capitalism is king.”
And what did book club think?
As our host said, Trust is “one big novel … with 4 fictional texts to tell its story” and a “novel delving into many themes viewed through many different lenses.” Very briefly, Trust is written in four parts, each part with a different voice. It cleverly combines fiction, autobiography, memoir, and diary to tell the tale of Andrew Bevel, an incredibly successful investor in 1920s and 1930s America, and his wife Mildred.
A few book club members loved the book. Some felt that the first two parts were slow and overlapping (I would be in that category). Most felt that the last two sections – the memoir which is told from the point of view of the woman who is the ghost writer of Andrew Bevel’s autobiography and the diary which belonged to Andrew’s wife Mildred – are the most compelling parts of this novel.
Trust explores the notion of identity – are we in control of our own narratives? Are identity and our life’s narrative subjective? Is memory selective? Can we trust someone to tell their own story? What is reality? Misogyny is another theme: although two women provide their perspectives on Andrew Bevel, they are considered minor players relegated to confining roles by Bevel and by society at that time.
Further themes include the myth of the American dream, the cult of wealth and the concentration of that wealth in the hands of a few men, the lack of recognition for women’s achievements, the lack of government oversight of financial transactions. Diaz also explores the deceptions that live at the heart of relationships, the reality-warping force of capital, and the ease with which power can manipulate facts.
A few quotes:
“[M]ost of us prefer to believe we are the active subjects of our victories but only the passive objects of our defeats.”
“None of those who helped inflate the bubble [the bubble leading to the crash of 1929] felt responsible for its bursting.”
“personal gain ought to be one with the good of the country” and “self-interest, if properly directed, need not be divorced from the common good”
“the business of America is business”
One might think that Hernan Diaz is talking about today rather than events that happened almost one hundred years ago!
With all of this to consider, we had an animated discussion. Was it a five-star read for me? No. Did the discussion at book club add to my appreciation of this novel, definitely yes!
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M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel THAT WAS THEN is a contemporary thriller. Mary’s other novels, THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook or on her website www.mktod.com.
2 Responses
My book club read this also. I was confused as the viewpoints changed. Had I known in advance what to expect, I would have had a less puzzling read.
So true, Carolyn. Did you appreciate the ending??