Link : Amazon. Price: £10.62
Radu Morare, an author and American expat of Romanian origins whose business failed during the financial crisis, winds up working as a security guard on the French stock market room: a blue-collar worker surrounded by investment bankers in a reality entirely detached from our own. From a spiritual awakening in a stuck elevator to faeces deposited on a superior’s desk, Radu witnesses the bizarre behaviour of those who believe themselves masters of the French economy, and his enquiring mind drives him to demand: why?
The central premise of this book is fascinating: the perspective of a security guard working in the French stock market through the aftershock of the financial crisis and during Brexit is inherently interesting, especially if you’re into banking (which I am, ref. my PhD). The stories are entertaining, the situations memorable, and this book is likely to give you the extra push (if needed) to accept that the financial markets are broken.
The main character feels like a massive Mary-Sue self-insert. Mitrache has clearly drawn extensively on his own experiences, which is a good thing, but his character ‘Radu’ can do no wrong – women love him, men want to be him, his every decision is correct, and his speeches rock the worlds of those who listen. But Radu’s insight into finance is not particularly profound or insightful, hardly likely to persuade actual bankers to make a sudden change of investment strategy, nor is he convincing as a Cassanova.
I felt this was a brave and clever piece of writing. Ramu is not particularly likeable (although he certainly likes himself) and thus the author satirises both himself, his protagonist, and the traders, keeping the book both funny and light on its feet. The games between the security guards and the traders create a genuinely unique perspective. I enjoyed the read, even if it made me berate myself for not taking a trading opportunity in my 20s so I wouldn’t have to worry about money later, and this book achieves the essential objective of highlighting how insane are our financial markets. An entertaining, useful book; a quick read that will both remind you bankers are human and kill any sympathy you had for them (although you may have more respect for security guards!)
(Note: When I read this book it was called “Wolves of the French Stock Market.”)
