A great financier rises above a dodgy background, his enormous wealth getting him the patronage of politicians, City fathers and the aristocracy. All cluster round his wealth but there is a catch. His empire is sustained by - to put it politely - sleight of hand and, if confidence weakens . . . reputation, ruin and love are all at issue. There is more to it than this in a devastating portrait of a society in thrall to money. Sound at all familiar? A very good read.
(Tony Pratt - bwl 82 Autumn 2016 ) |
