The reading this week, Money to Burn, is one of the longer readings so far in the course (at around 200 pages which is still relatively short if I’m recalling back to Span312 where we once read a 400+ page book). However, because it its style of writing, reading the book felt a lot swifter as it feels a lot more reminiscent of more recent contemporary books. I think that the author having a background in journalism did contribute a lot to how the book came to be (jumping between times and perspectives from witness statements, memories past, or reports from prison), which felt a lot more like piecing together different pieces of the story. In some ways, I feel that it also contributes to a lot more confusion in trying to filter out the truth of the situation (is there even one? I guess that is also a question) especially when most of the time when the gang is talking they are high on some sort of drugs.
I think the other peculiar aspect of this book is the focus of the narrative- I feel like a lot of robbery stories or crime stories focus a lot on the process of actually committing the crime and not have the bulk of the story dedicated to aftermath, that being the police chase down. I feel like this notion is true across similar stories in the genre like in peaky blinders and such. Although, this book did remind me a lot more about the show Narcos, since it also has the story focus on the police chasing down the criminal (Pablo Escobar) in the aftermath of him becoming a drug lord and honestly many elements of that story feel sort of similar in some ways, especially with the focus on the psychological disposition of the criminals.
Commenting on the shitty men category once again, I feel like on paper this book should take the cake for the worst there is so far- the killing of so many people (which included a LOT of innocent people), raping, stealing, like to be honest if we are being fair here they are probably the worst. But I somehow don’t find myself feeling that way. the tone of the book makes me not feel the actions behind them so much, and I guess that might be the authorial intent to some degree- none of the crimes committed really feel that personal- not in the way that makes my BP rise when I read a book about another abusive husband. And maybe just that- it not feeling personal on their end, whether about the violence, the abuse, or burning the money, means that it is the worst crime above all.
Question to all this week: what do you think happened to Malito? in the epilogue they mention different possible endings- do you believe one of them or believe something else entirely?
Hi Kelly, great blog post (as always). I share your sentiment on not feeling the weight of the actions committed because of the way the novel was written. To answer your question, as sad as I am to think it, let alone say it, I think he was caught and killed (I think they said in a shoot-out or something). I feel like that’s the most sane and fitting death for his character, anything too extravagant just wouldn’t seem right.
I think it’s a great point you’re raising about not felling particularly angered by the crimes. I think the backstories that Piglia provides, make it easier to want to feel sympathy for some for the characters. Yet, personally, it felt as though the backstories kind of made me hate them more. It really puts into perspective how morally questionable and corrupt everyone is.
Talking about the actions of the characters, it’s weird, right? On paper, they’re doing some of the worst stuff we’ve read about so far, but the way it’s presented doesn’t hit as hard as it might in other stories. Maybe it’s that detachment like the book doesn’t want us to take the crimes too personally, or maybe it’s showing us how the characters themselves are detached from the gravity of their actions. It’s an interesting way to approach storytelling, making us question how we feel about the severity of the crimes.
As for Malito, that’s a tough one. The epilogue leaving his fate open to interpretation is such a tease. It’s hard to pick one of the possible endings as the “true” one, but part of me wonders if that ambiguity is the point. What do you think? Do you lean towards one of the endings, or have your own theory?
Hi Kelly!
I loved reading your blog this week! I agree that although the people in this book often do worse things than we’ve seen in all the others, it doesn’t seem to bother me as much as when others commit bad or weird acts in other books. I think Malito probably got away, as is living undercover somewhere.