The novel explores the Holocaust from an original point of view and does not shy from addressing issues which are easy to gloss over
About: The Mastermind by David Unger is a novel about corruption and its toll on Guatemala. Mr. Unger, Guatemalan, writes in English but was still awarded Guatemala’s Miguel Ángel Asturias National Prize in Literature for lifetime achievement in 2014. 320 pages Publisher: Akashic Books (March 14, 2016) ASIN: B01C6D0KFS My rating for The Mastermind — 4 Buy The Mastermind from Amazon.com* Thoughts: My initial issue with The Mastermind by David Unger is that I did not like the protagonist, Guillermo Rosensweig., Mr. Rosensweig is a jerk, a bad father, bad husband, bad business partner and even cheats on the woman he cheats with. But he is a good and successful lawyer. The novel, though, kept my interest by describing the corruption in Guatemala and how it affects many people throughout society. Having lived in New Jersey for most of my life I know how corruption in institutions has a way to become legalized and even moralized (not that I’m comparing the level of corruption) by community and political leaders. This novel is certainly engaging and interesting even though it takes almost half the book to build up, and the corruption is only secondary to the protagonist’s interest in leaving his wife for his…
We were “promised” some sort of magical “Disney happiness” which doesn’t exist, and never did. Happiness, for me, are the small things which happen daily – a smile from the wife, a hug from the kids, a strange giving a hand to another without an conditions..
The different points of view give the story a much wider view of the world and how little human kind has advanced
I found the book to be poignant and honest. The author reveals that the religion she loves, also symbolizes her family’s loss of another faith.
The advice is mostly conservative and sensible.Avoid excess, budget, don’t take on too much, or any, debt and, of course, live within your means.
The book is really a battle of wits between The Great Houdini and Margery, who despite their competition came to like one another (for a time).
There is a lot of information in this book, very insightful and sometimes dramatic, goes back and forth between policies, institutionalize racism and stories
The author managed to combine comedy, drama, romance, mystery, religion (Judaism) and a healthy dose of NYC culture in the narrative, yet somehow stay focused on a loose p
The beautiful design alone of this book is worth a look for any bibliophile, even if you might not enjoy the story.