Dinner & Acknowledgments
Last Thursday we met at Jack's and, in a first, practically ignored the dinner he placed in front of us. Instead, our attention was riveted on his selection of appetizers. Well, one appetizer in particular. Since a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, here goes:
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| A fitting appetizer |
Yes, to complement a book about one man's incarceration for drug trafficking, Jack treated us to lines of cocaine and shots of tequila and bourbon. (The liquor was real; I can't vouch for the coke.)
Our Review and Discussion of Marching Powder by Rusty Young and Thomas McFadden
When he proposed his list of book titles, Jack explained that Marching Powder made the list because, while he and his wife were traveling back from Machu Picchu, their train companions were reading the book and touting it as the real-life story of an Englishman ensnared in a byzantine criminal justice system and locked up in a most extraordinary prison. Their comments were enough for us, and our comments during dinner were almost as enthusiastic.
Caught leaving Bolivia with a suitcase of cocaine, Thomas McFadden is sentenced to serve 6 1/2 years at the San Pedro prison in La Paz. He learns quickly that San Pedro is unlike any prison in the west. There are few guards patrolling the prison, there are no cells and no curfews, and no food or clothing is provided. Unable to speak Spanish, McFadden almost dies from exposure before he is befriended by another inmate who shows him how to survive (and later thrive) in the self-governing underground economy that is San Pedro.
We were all enthralled by McFadden's story. Much like Among the Thugs, another non-fiction account that aroused our interest (but in the hooligan subculture of British soccer), Marching Powder revealed a world so unlike the one we know (and read about in Bauer's American Prison) that we forgave its repetitive writing and bloated length and were instead absorbed by McFadden's triumphs: his lucrative prison tours to foreign backpackers, his relationship with an Israeli girl who is allowed to live with him, his prison business successes (including a convenience store and a restaurant), and his eventual release two years ahead of schedule.
Our Rating of Marching Powder
McFadden surely would have garnered a 10 if we rated on novelty alone, but we don't and so the book's significant shortcomings yielded it a 6.8. Doug, in a rare act of defiance, refused to read it. Stan, in an all-too-common act of defiance, gave it a 10. Dan didn't finish but promised he would. (Well, did you, Dan?)
Next Up: The Wager by David Grann
Paul put us on track for summer with 3 seafaring titles. We set aside Master and Commander and Captain Blood and instead chose The Wager, David Grann's latest non-fiction blockbuster. We meet next in the lovely town of Glen Ellen, a rather different locale from that depicted in Marching Powder.
I was crushed that my book choice failed to get read by Doug, whose literary breadth and erudite criticism sets the bar (as low as it is) in our mangy club. I promise to do better next time, Doug!
ReplyDeletePaul here. I was fascinated by the book; it's like an exploding fireworks factory. You can't help but keep looking at it and wondering what's going to happen next. The story is so beyond crazy that it was well worth learning about this...insanity? Glad we read the book.
ReplyDeleteI fall down on the side of frustration, more with McFadden's behavior than anything else. Sometimes he seems very sharp -- running a store and a restaurant in the prison, knowing who to bribe. At other times he behaves in ways that are surprisingly naive. Then again, what would we do if we were dropped into that environment?
I'm sad that Jack was unable to schedule our book club meeting inside the prison. Maybe next time!
I did not comment on Stan's experience in Bolivia and his passing association with the cocaine trade (who puts coke in drums, Stan?!), but it was almost enough to make us want to visit La Paz and San Pedro.
ReplyDeleteAs for McFadden, despite all of his entrepreneurial skills he had serious problems with impulse control. Had this guy put less coke up his nose while in prison, he might have been even more successful in his various ventures (including his efforts to secure an early release).
Another bad boy trying to make good off of his bad ways. While he eschewed coke before being sent to prison, he comes to enjoy it. No mention of all of the potential victims of his trade in Europe. No real need to read this book. McFadden should have relied more on Young for the finished product. The writing suffers from too much "me, me ,me".
ReplyDelete