The Embezzler
by Louis Auchincloss
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Description
Like Francis Prescott in The Rector of Justin, Guy Prime enjoyed the distinction of having become a legend in his lifetime. But in Guy's case, the legend is one of betrayal and infamy. For the scandal of his embezzlement brought down the delicately balanced structure of the Stock Exchange. The long-honored system of self-government by mutual trust among gentlemen came to an end with the default of one of its brightest stars. The story of Guy's fall is told by the three persons most show more intimately concerned: Guy himself, Rex Geer, his closest friend, and Angelica, his wife. We see him first through his own eyes -- embittered, oddly proud of his peculiar distinction, and entirely unrepentant -- the golden boy, the Wall Street manipulator, and finally the old man determined to justify himself to the grandchildren he will never see. Rex and Angelica in turn pick up the same threads of the story, but the threads change color subtly as they pass through different hands. In the end, the reader must decide for himself which is the real Guy Prime. Louis Auchincloss brings to the financial world the same authority and understanding he brought to the worlds of the law (Powers of Attorney), the private school (The Rector of Justin), and the old families of New York (Portrait in Brownstone). Virgilia Peterson, writing in the New York Times Book Review, called The Rector of Justin "not only a passionately interesting, but a spiritually important study of the American character of, and for our time." Her words hold true for The Embezzler. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
One of the best "novels of business" I've ever read. It's also, technically, a crime novel, but, well, that's not how a normal person would categorize it.
thoroughly enjoyed the same story told from 3 different perspectives...it helps explain why we sometimes get so balled up on the details of any given event in real life....we all have a slightly different view........for some reason i just like the whole body of Auchincloss's work..can't really explain it..i just do.....and i've got lots more of it on my shelf to read!! yay
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Author Information
86+ Works 4,728 Members
Louis Auchincloss was born on September 27, 1917 in New York. He attended Groton College and Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy for four years during World War ll. A practicing attorney, Auchincloss wrote his first novel, "The Indifferent Children," in 1947 under the pseudonym show more Andrew Lee, establishing a dual career as a successful lawyer and writer. Born into a socially prominent family, Auchincloss generally writes about society's upper class. Strong family connections, well-bred manners, and corporate boardrooms are subject matter in such novels as "Portrait in Brownstone" and "I Come As a Thief." He has also written several biographical and critical works on such notable writers as Edith Wharton and Henry James. Auchincloss was President of the Museum of the City of New York. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1966
- People/Characters
- Guy Prime
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA
- Dedication
- For two Blakes: My son Blake Leay and his grandfather, Blake Lawrence
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I have the distinction of having become a legend in my lifetime, but not a very nice one.
- Original language
- English US
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 165
- Popularity
- 198,037
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- English, Italian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 11
