RICH PICKINGS

A young Englishman starts a career in investment banking in this novel set in 2006.

Jake Egerton is a recent graduate of Oxford University, and he and his friends Tim and Wes move to London, where they start their careers in investment banking. Jake works hard, eager to impress his bosses at his company, Brasher Menthol, so he may quickly move up the ladder. His hard work leads to some success, but it starts taking a toll on his mental health as he begins to experience severe anxiety. A tense investment deal in Azania, in southern Africa, increases Jake’s stress. However, his difficulties don’t stop him from toiling away in his job despite concerns from his friends, who frequently lament the “soullessness” of the industry. The story, told through Jake’s journal entries, is often fun and digestible, peppered with mid-2000s slang and easy conversation between Jake and his pals. However, the plot is very niche-oriented, with each chapter beginning with an “Average EM [Emerging Markets]$bond Spread” and a lot of dialogue focusing on aspects of the financial industry that may be confusing for those who aren’t familiar with them: “The investors will get some juicy EM yield in a world where, let’s face it, you could hardly buy a six percent a year return for love or money.” Jake, as a character, is mostly static aside from his developing anxiety; he goes on the occasional date and chats with his pals, but more often, he simply works at his job, gets a bit stressed, takes a beta blocker, and continues working. The stakes of the story never feel particularly thrilling, and the ending does little to remedy this.

A sometimes-enjoyable read but one that’s too narrowly focused to have much impact.