TrustTrust
What it's about
In 1920s New York, everyone knows of Benjamin Rask, a Wall Street financier who grew enormously rich, even through the crash of 1929, and his wife, Helen. Their story is first told in a popular novel. Then it's told again, from three other sides: an unfinished memoir by the financier himself, the recollections of the young woman he hired to write it, and finally the private journal of his wife.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It's a puzzle about money, power and who gets to tell the story, and each section changes what came before.
You'll love it if you liked
The Great Gatsby
The Blind Assassin
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the WorldGood to know
The first section is written in an old-fashioned style on purpose. The book rewards patience.
By the numbers
- Readers8 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics88 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller42 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz37 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #141 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #221 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1237 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Gripping
More by Hernan Diaz
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Quick answers
Is Trust worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and was longlisted for the Booker Prize. It ranks #1,237 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Trust about?
In 1920s New York, everyone knows of Benjamin Rask, a Wall Street financier who grew enormously rich, even through the crash of 1929, and his wife, Helen. Their story is first told in a popular novel. Then it's told again, from three other sides: an unfinished memoir by the financier himself, the recollections of the young woman he hired to write it, and finally the private journal of his wife.
How long does it take to read Trust?
About 10 hours (416 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Trust won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2023).
What should I read after Trust?
If you liked it, try The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood or Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed.