Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Trust

In Trust, Díaz used unique method of storytelling I'd not encountered but much enjoyed. I loved that the first two parts of the book were written by men, both with fond feelings toward the main female character, but flawed, and limited by their upbringing and the society around them all the same, while the second parts were told by female characters about their own experiences, using their own words.

The ordering of these parts created the effect of the women setting the record straight. One woman saw herself in the other and used her own experience as a woman to read between the lines of the previous narratives to learn the real story while placating men. Meanwhile, the other woman told the actual story, as it happened in her life, using her own words. I loved that it seemed that it was the combined efforts of the women that revealed the truth - the first, in analyzing the information she was given and pursuing the real story, and the second, in recording the facts as she knew them.

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znvisser's review

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The concept of this book is intriguing and even though its form slowed the pace and I didn't enjoy all writing styles equally, I found the execution really clever and the story interesting. I loved the way in which layers were added to bring all kinds of nuance and contradictions to events and characters, building depth into them and their mutual connections. I was especially entertained by the part through Ida's perspective, both its plot and her reflections. Beautifully done.

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ashylibrarian's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is not an easy leisure read, and I don’t know that it would appeal to a wide audience of readers. The story is pretty complex and gets really dense in certain sections. The first 50% felt very literary as we learn about the characters and their connections to one another. There are also many nuances throughout the book that can be confusing – for example, one section focuses heavily on financial information and Wall Street, and to be honest, I was pretty lost. It is very well-written and interestingly explores the same story in four (4) stories.

Explores themes of power, visibility, gender roles/expectations, and how, and by whom, history is recorded.

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alisonvh's review against another edition

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challenging reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is so good! It’s about wealth and who gets to tell their own stories and it’s so, so well done! I devoured this book in a week and that’s not normal for me.

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srm's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I loved the first section, and then the rest of it, even with the clever reveals, couldn't capture my imagination and heart as fully.

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Review:

I spent the first half to two-thirds of Trust by Hernan Diaz feeling vaguely confused. I could understand what was happening, but I struggled to find the why. I kept asking myself, is this going anywhere? Is there a point to what I am reading right now? The answer, thankfully, is “yes,” and my advice to anyone feeling a bit confused or doubtful while reading this book is to continue reading.

I ended up appreciating the narrative creativity, strong writing, and interesting thematic explorations in Trust, and I am certain that I would get more out of the novel if I were able to read it again. That said, since I spent significant portions of the book feeling rather disinterested or confused, I cannot give it a super high rating.

Additional Note: The cover of Trust is possibly the best book cover I have ever seen. The image of a Manhattan skyscraper in the glass dome of a stock ticker, with a green background reminiscent of American dollar bills? Magnificent.

The Run-Down:

You will probably like Trust if:

· You appreciate creative narrative structures.

· You are interested in themes of money, power, and relationships.

You might not like Trust if:

· You get bored or impatient easily.

· You are expecting a dramatic, epic story detailing the glitz, glamour, boom, and bust of the Jazz Age: Trust is decidedly not this, and instead is an incredibly intimate story with only a handful of characters.

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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notartgarfunkel's review

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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