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Rating: 
Summary: Talented but Empty
Review: Extravagance is a nice quick read with a formal talent of a literary experiment, written alternately in the style of The Sot Weed Factor and Bright Lights, Big City, but is ultimately as empty as the platitude that there's nothing new under the sun. One problem is that ordinary investors/readers who lost money and, as a result, were left with a sour taste in their mouths from the internet bubble of the 1990's won't like the light way the book reminds us of that era.
Rating: 
Summary: I Have Read A Dozen Variations Of This Book
Review: Few books are entirely original, there is nothing wrong with this, for a talented writer can find something new to bring to a genre or a given theme. This is decidedly not the case with, "Extravagance". To be fair, if this is the first book you have ever read about irrational human behavior of any kind, perhaps you will enjoy this read. Bad judgment by humans is not confined to financial matters, greed just happens to be easy to write about, and examples are almost constantly in the news.There have been entertaining novels written about English financial markets of centuries ago, and bookshelves sag under the weight of fiction and non-fiction accounts of the avarice that took place in the 1980's and 1990's. This author has taken one story and stretched it by having his protagonist stumble and stagger between two time frames in history. To suggest this book involves time travel is unfounded for the protagonist is ignorant of any movement, and if there was to be some manner of travel, an explanation should have been offered however weak. In the last year there has been a massive amount of information and breaking stories about the most recent incarnations of greed and abominable behavior in the financial markets, men and women already rich beyond any possible need continuing to cheat for meaningless amounts of money at the expense of people who have been severely damaged. People whose only fault was to believe these modern day snake oil salesmen and women. If a writer wants to lampoon stupidity he or she needs to look no farther than several billionaires who have set a course to court and probably jail over insider trading worth twenty or thirty thousand dollars. That is a good deal of money, to a billionaire willing to break laws and face jail, that amount of money is pocket change and is indicative of not only massive greed and arrogance, but by a diminutive IQ as well. Net worth and good sense seem to be inversely related. The other part of this book that was exceptionally annoying was the paternalistic morality tale offered to the reader as though those reading this book are simpletons. Trust that is violated does not make a fool of the person who placed faith in another. Those who are the violators may have amassed wealth at the expense of others, and then made decisions worthy of greed-fogged thought processes, but kindly don't lecture readers. Why not lecture those that are in a position to place these thieves in jail for meaningful periods of time, and then see that they never again may hold a position where they have a fiduciary responsibility to the public? This book has some memorable banter and that is why I gave it 2 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Way underrated
Review: I enjoyed this daring comparison between two economic booms and the moral struggles straddling them both. An enoyable undertaking from first to last.
Rating:
Summary: Way underrated
Review: I enjoyed this daring comparison between two economic booms and the moral struggles straddling them both. An enoyable undertaking from first to last.
Rating:
Summary: What's the point?
Review: Quoting from the blurb on its back cover, Extravagance is a novel of "financial mania" and is set in two time periods - London in the 1690's and New York in the 1990's. It is a single story, that of William Merrick, an ambitious young man. who comes to stay with his uncle in the big city, but moves from one time period to another, for example he could be having lunch with his uncle in 17th century England, leave and step into a cab in New York 20th century. The same characters are having parallel lives and interactions with each other in both time periods. This simply happens and is never explained to the reader, are they time travelers, a group reincarnation, a dream?????? It seems the only reason we are constantly shifted back and forth is to demonstrate the similarities in the two periods with regard to stock trading and sudden wealth. Though the book's concept is intriguing and includes some clever and witty writing the actual plot simply did not hold my attention. The cliche characters are totally one dimensional, shallow, greedy and predictable in every way.
Perhaps OK for someone who enjoys historical fiction about money, particularly stock market money.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific and Surprising
Review: This is a great novel. It jumps back and forth between old London and new New York, and really nails the atmosphere of both. It's one story--a classic tale about a young guy coming from a small town to make his fortune--but it ends up not being what you expect. It provides no simple morals about the stock market mess that we just want to get through, but instead suggests that it wasn't all about greed, but about a dream of power and possibility, too (though also about greed). And the book is hilarious in places. There's one incredible scene that takes place in Bedlam, the lunatic asylum where Londoners of the time went for entertainment. And there are loads of other really memorable scenes. It's one of those books you just enjoy thoroughly and effortlessly. A+.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific and Surprising
Review: This is a great novel. It jumps back and forth between old London and new New York, and really nails the atmosphere of both. It's one story--a classic tale about a young guy coming from a small town to make his fortune--but it ends up not being what you expect. It provides no simple morals about the stock market mess that we just want to get through, but instead suggests that it wasn't all about greed, but about a dream of power and possibility, too (though also about greed). And the book is hilarious in places. There's one incredible scene that takes place in Bedlam, the lunatic asylum where Londoners of the time went for entertainment. And there are loads of other really memorable scenes. It's one of those books you just enjoy thoroughly and effortlessly. A+.
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