The point of departure for Steinberg’s colourful, captivating début is the fact that a World Bank official is supposed to have said once that the only way to share the wealth in Brazil a little honestly would be to throw money down from a helicopter. In general, less than 20% of the money intended for the poor actually reaches the people for whom it was meant. While a commitment to their fate often leads to well-meaning documentary pamphlets, End of the Line is inventive and amusing fiction. Seven events that initially seem entirely separate are slowly but surely interwoven with exciting and delightful satirical consequences. Some events seem far-fetched but are based on reality. An Indian tribal chief calls on his people to stop performing the rain dance. He demands payment for their services, certainly now a drought is threatening energy supplies. A journalist quarrels with his wife about the kind of commissions he wants to get. A homeless man who collects paper finds a packet with something in it. A TV maker is working on a documentary about Charles Ponzi, the inventor of the pyramid fraud. A politician keeps winning the lottery. A baby goes missing and soon gets a taste for money. The result is an exciting parable about what happens when people put their faith in the absolute power of money. In other words, a parable for our times. (GT)
