My wicked-smaht friend Melissa just reviewed a book on her literary site that I’ve long been meaning to review here. The Way We Live Now, by Anthony Trollope is a must-read for people interested in finance, upper-class society, and the way history constantly rhymes with the present.
Did you know that in 1875 Anthony Trollope depicted 2008 Bernie Madoff in fictional form, nearly perfectly?
It may be no surprise to you that classic financial bubble behavior, with greed and corner-cutting overwhelming character and personal judgment, has long been a feature of financial and political elites. But Trollope’s story wraps that message in this brilliant satire of upper class England better than anyone else could.
I recommend getting the book, and I recommend Melissa’s review, where she writes
“The thing that probably sustained me most as I made my way through Anthony Trollope’s 762-page opus The Way We Live Now was that it really is pretty much about the way we live now, in 2013, even though it was written in 1875. That’s partly because the novel was written in satirical response to financial scandals of the 1870s, and we’ve just lived through a similarly worldwide financial meltdown with some of the same root causes: unchecked greed and irresponsible speculation.”
The rest of Melissa’s review is here
Please see related post: All Bankers Anonymous Book Reviews in one place.
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One Reply to “Book Review: The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope”
Do not make the mistake of attempting to take a shortcut by viewing the BBC miniseries instead of the book. The BBC changed the ending completely! It was nonsensical!