A review by serendipitysbooks
Trust by Hernán Díaz

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 
Trust is a structurally very clever book. It’s almost like four books in one, but each is in conversation with the others adding more to the reader’s understanding of the plot, characters and themes. It’s a very imperfect metaphor but I was reminded a little of Russian nesting dolls as I read - a new layer was always being revealed. What begins as the story of a reclusive couple Benjamin Trask, a 1920s Wall Street tycoon and his intelligent, eccentric wife Helen, then becomes another story, and then yet another. But in no way was it a difficult book to follow or comprehend. I loved the way it explored themes like wealth and power, the agency of women, mental health, science and, most especially, trust. Who gets to tell stories - and who doesn’t ? Are there different versions of the same story? Whose story (information) should we trust? Can we trust the story we tell ourself about our own life? Who should we trust with the economy? Who should we trust with our life? So much meaty food for thought but in such a clever yet palatable package. The storytelling was excellent with beautiful prose overall yet different voices, styles and genres for each book within the book.

I was going to pass on this book. The story of a business tycoon didn’t appeal. But then I read the review by @time4reading which showed me the book was about so much more than that and made me eager to pick it up. I’m really glad I did. 
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