The Scottish philosopher and writer Thomas Carlyle first referred to
economics as a “dismal” scientific pursuit in the 19th century. But
after reading Seattle author Peter Mountford’s simmering new novel about
the underside of global finance, “The Dismal Science,” one might come
away believing that the expression should apply to an even darker and
more vexing endeavor — self-examination.
In this follow-up and, in a way, companion to Mountford’s celebrated debut novel, “A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism,” middle-aged and recently widowed World Bank administrator Vincenzo D’Orsi slowly unravels, destroying just about every personal and professional relationship he has in the process
It is 2005 and Vincenzo, an Italian who works as a vice president at the Washington D.C.-based financial institution in charge of its Latin America division, is being pressured by a bank official to cut aid to Bolivia. The country is poised to elect socialist politician and former coca farmer Evo Morales, who’s threatening to nationalize the country’s lucrative natural gas industry, a move that worries many in Washington.
“The Dismal Science” won’t necessarily fill you with optimism. But its exploration of a man who can’t seem to find his way out of a darkness partly of his own making has a beauty that is as delicate as the fleeting hope in Vincenzo’s story.
“The Dismal Science” won’t necessarily fill you with optimism. But its exploration of a man who can’t seem to find his way out of a darkness partly of his own making has a beauty that is as delicate as the fleeting hope in Vincenzo’s story.
Read more: ‘The Dismal Science’: a dark brew of angst and economics | Books | The Seattle Times
In this follow-up and, in a way, companion to Mountford’s celebrated debut novel, “A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism,” middle-aged and recently widowed World Bank administrator Vincenzo D’Orsi slowly unravels, destroying just about every personal and professional relationship he has in the process
It is 2005 and Vincenzo, an Italian who works as a vice president at the Washington D.C.-based financial institution in charge of its Latin America division, is being pressured by a bank official to cut aid to Bolivia. The country is poised to elect socialist politician and former coca farmer Evo Morales, who’s threatening to nationalize the country’s lucrative natural gas industry, a move that worries many in Washington.
“The Dismal Science” won’t necessarily fill you with optimism. But its exploration of a man who can’t seem to find his way out of a darkness partly of his own making has a beauty that is as delicate as the fleeting hope in Vincenzo’s story.
“The Dismal Science” won’t necessarily fill you with optimism. But its exploration of a man who can’t seem to find his way out of a darkness partly of his own making has a beauty that is as delicate as the fleeting hope in Vincenzo’s story.
Read more: ‘The Dismal Science’: a dark brew of angst and economics | Books | The Seattle Times
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