Trust by Hernan Diaz

Rating: DNF

Trust is a historical fiction novel by Hernan Diaz that has probably the most long-winded prologue to its story known to man. This novel is about four different books that share an overarching thread in the form of a mystery and ask its readers to decide which is telling the truth. To you, that might sound interesting, but unfortunately, the book’s structure makes it a tedious read for the first 200 pages.

At first glance, Trust seems to be an interesting insight into the life of a man who is known for being one of America’s highly sought-after traders in the stock market and his wife, an eccentric aristocrat, as well as the book that was written about them years later, but it takes too long to get to the point of the book.

Bonds

This is the first book that is covered in the novel. It’s told as a piece of non-fiction about a wealthy couple named Benjamin and Helen Rask, going through their lives as individuals and as well as their marriage. As a piece of fiction, it was a good start, especially because the main plot of this book (Trust) was about Bonds and its popularity many years later (within the pages of the book) and the truths it might hold about this ultra-wealthy couple.

My Life

Next comes a piece of a memoir of the person Bonds was based on, Andrew Bevel (who is meant to be Benjamin Rask). The part of the book goes through his life, his interest in trading and his relationship with his wife Mildred (Helen Rask). To say this part of the book was eye-rolling is probably the best way to explain it. Considering that most of Bonds hint at the fact that Rask (Bevel) had something to do with the Wall Street crash (All of Trust is set in the 1920s just a few years before the Great Depression). It’s clear that this part of the book is meant to be a reaction to the popularity of Bonds.

This is Where I DNF’d

There are two more parts in this novel to cover, an autobiography and a journal. However, it was at this point where the 210-page mark was breached, and it tried once again to start over this time with the ghostwriter hired by Andrew Bevel. The first two books were just a prelude (and a slug to get through), only for it to set up the story once again and to try and explain itself.

By then, it was too late; between trying to keep up with the stock market and technical financial jargon as well as trying to figure out what the book was trying to say, patience had worn thin, and this book will be added to the DNF pile (or the to be finished later when I have more time than sense). It gets even worse when you realise immediately what the main outcome of the ending will be as soon as you begin the autobiography section – which, it turns out, your prediction is correct.

Overall, and unfortunately, Trust was not a book that was enjoyed by me. However, I highly encourage you to give this book a read if you find the premise and puzzle of this book interesting. Trust by Hernan Diaz was longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and can be found at your local bookstore and through online retailers such as Bookshop.org.

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Freelance writer with a love of books, particularly those from the 70s and 80s, and in the horror genre, she also has a fondness for classical literature and isn't opposed to digging in with the odd women's fiction. She lives in Shropshire, England with her husband, several furry guinea pups, and Duke the Fish. In order to stop annoying her husband with her constant conversation about the books she reads, she created Step Into The Void, a blog named after the mental state her other half says he steps into whenever she starts talking about the latest Jay Kristoff vampire novel or decides to try to explain the entire plot to Jenn Lyon's four-book epic The Chorus of Dragons or tries to explain why the horror fiction genre is slowing coming back thanks to authors like Grady Hendrix, Augustina Bazterrica, and Catriona Ward.  

Check out her Instagram @booksinthevoid