BOOK REVIEW: Dazzling novel delves into the lives of tycoons during the Depression
The US’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, sweeping many Americans into an affluent but unfamiliar consumer society, while others experienced extreme poverty. The epic boom ended in a cataclysmic bust. On Black Monday, October 28 1929, the Dow declined nearly 13%. On the next day, Black Tuesday, the market dropped nearly 12%. By mid-November, the Dow had lost almost half of its value. The devastating Wall Street crash signalled the beginning of the Great Depression.
Hernan Diaz’s dazzling new novel Trust aims to reveal what happened to an upper-class Manhattan couple during the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression, when a Wall Street tycoon enhanced his wealth as his contemporaries lost theirs. The title refers not only to financial trusts but also the trust we place in each other, the contract between reader and author...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.