Money (Heist) to Burn
Been a busy couple of weeks with midterms but I hope everyone doing good and enjoyed their St. Patrick's Day weekend. This week's read Money to Burn by Ricardo Piglia, tells a story of a group of robbers that attacked a bank in the heart of Buenos Aires. Six weeks after making their getaway with millions of dollars in cash, they discovered that 300 military police, reporters, and television cameras had surrounded the place where they were hiding.
While reading this book I noticed that "Money to Burn" by Ricardo Piglia and the TV show "Money Heist" share intriguing similarities despite one being a book written in 2003 and one being a worldwide hit of a show on Netflix. While both stories explore the same themes of crime, power, and human nature, they do so through distinct lenses that offer unique insights into the world of heists and deception.
The two are very similar in that they both explore the complex details involved in organizing and carrying out a heist. In "Money to Burn," the meticulous planning and execution of a daring robbery, with the narrative unfolding through a series of fragmented documents that slowly reveal the layers of deception at play. In Money Heist, we see the storyline of a group of outsiders and outlaws who plan and break into the Royal Mint of Spain leaving with millions of dollars.
Additionally, the psychology of the robbers is explored in both books/ series. Readers are exposed to a group of complex characters in "Money to Burn," whose goals and motivations move the story along. Every individual, ranging from the mysterious Alejandra Vidal Olmos to the driven journalist Emilio Renzi, faces their own personal struggles and ethical dilemmas. In the same way, "Money Heist" uncovers the motivations and pasts of its characters as they work their way through the complicated heist.
Both "Money to Burn" and "Money Heist" offer thought-provoking commentary on larger social and political issues. In "Money to Burn," Ricardo Piglia uses the backdrop of 1980s Buenos Aires to explore themes of political corruption and economic instability, painting a vivid portrait of a society in trouble. Similarly, "Money Heist" touches on themes of inequality and injustice, with the robbers' motivations rooted in their desire to challenge the status quo and seek justice for the poor.
The last similarity I found was the storytelling in both series/book isn't linear. While "Money to Burn" is a novel that relies on fragmented documents and non-linear storytelling, "Money Heist" often shows flashbacks of the robbers' past and the origins of how they joined the gang.
Question: Are you a fan of heist/robbery books/shows? Or are they becoming too repetitive?
"a group of robbers that attacked a bank in the heart of Buenos Aires."
ReplyDeleteThis is not what happens.
"Six weeks after making their getaway with millions of dollars in cash"
This is not the case.
"one being a book written in 2003"
The book was published in the 1990s.
"the narrative unfolding through a series of fragmented documents"
What fragmented documents?
"Every individual, ranging from the mysterious Alejandra Vidal Olmos to the driven journalist Emilio Renzi"
Alejandra Vidal Olmos is a character in a different book, by a different author.
"Ricardo Piglia uses the backdrop of 1980s Buenos Aires "
The book is not set in the 1980s, and mostly does not take place in Buenos Aires.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I don't think there are too many heist/robbery books/shows since to me I feel like whats intresting about them is the method that each book or show use to take on the hiest.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question you pose at the end, I am a fan of heist/robbery books/shows. They don't feel too repetitive to me, but I think that may be because I haven't seen too many of them. If I watched many more I might start to get bored of the repetitive structure, but as of now they have enough surprises in them to keep me watching.
ReplyDeleteAlex, I am not sure what to comment given that your mention of Alejandra Vidal Olmos, as well as other details of the setting of the novel, shows you didn’t complete the reading for the week. I want to remind you that the contract requires that the blogs be substantial reflections/contributions to the readings assigned. I hope you read it before class and repost a a response showing you’ve read or post a different blog before the deadline!
ReplyDeleteThe Money Heist comparison will be very interesting if you also reflect a little on how the two are different and share back with us after reading!
Thanks for your comment!
- Tesi