2 out of 4 stars
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When I checked the rating of Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive by Dan “Tito” Davis and Peter Conti online before I could read it, there were really good reviews which gave me high expectations. On the contrary, I did not like the book that much which is why I rate this book 2 out of 4.
The book follows the adventures of Dan; he made millions of dollars per week by finding the thin line between legal and illegal and sold a drug called the White Cross making millions of dollars from it. After serving some time in jail, he later got involved in weed. Further into the story, he was set up by a friend for a crime he did not do. Considering his background, past history and relation with the Republican Party no one bothered to investigate and merely believed his friend who framed him. Rather than proving his innocence he found an “easier” way out. He fled. He goes to various countries in the process, with the help of fake and stolen identities that he obtained with the help of his friends, constantly hoping that he does not get caught.
Eventually, he is tired of the constant running and escaping and wants to settle down at a place he can call home. Venezuela and America were not at the best terms then, so he figured that even if he did get caught, Venezuela would be the least likely among other countries to hand him over so he decides to settle there. He builds a successful business there – the El Yaque Club and made millions.
However, he was eventually caught and was sentenced to 120 months in prison.
I like that the book is realistic and shows his struggle through various identities and how he had a difficult time keeping up with the same. It reflects the irony of how we hope that when a person is released from jail, he does not get involved in something illegal again but at the same time it is nearly impossible to find a job for a person who has served time in prison which ultimately leads them to go back the same path even if initially they were willing to change. If I could, I would add half a point for that.
At one point in the story, he promises not to ever get involved in cocaine, but that does not stop him from getting involved in other drugs. He never learns from his mistakes and as much as he tries not to do something illegal, he ends up doing the same. It shows his greed for money, but again he wants to acquire it through hard work. He did not come from a well off family and they barely got by which motivates him to earn as much as he can.
Something that is bewildering is that whenever he initially meets any of his wives, it is always the same story, he falls in love, he marries them and then due to circumstances, they divorce or separate. He is seemingly in love with them but after he has divorced one, he never mentions or misses any of them after the divorce; there is not even a passing reference throughout the book of the wife once he has divorced her! When they were married, he is talking and thinking about his wife almost all the time, but once they separate or divorce, suddenly he forgets about their existence and falls in love again every time in a short span of time. Though that is not unusual, completely forgetting about their existence after divorce is, how is it humanely possible to not remember about the person who was a significant part of your life once they are no more physically present in your life. It is understandable if it was with one of them, but this is the pattern with all of the wives and is utterly baffling.
Even when one of his wives lost their baby when he was in jail he said and I quote “The poor kid. My poor wife.” Nothing that stated that he was sad about the death of his own child and all of a half a sentence that said “It destroyed me, not to be able to bury my son,” but again he was destroyed that he could not bury his son, not about the fact that his son was dead! He said that it was understandable that his wife went into a period of mourning but in no way did he feel any remorse, or if he did it was not communicated as it should be.
There is a very rare display of emotions and is just a retelling of the events as it happened and given that this is from the perspective of the one who went through it, it did not give me enough insight of how he felt, why he did certain things and what he actually thought of certain situations. The book is in a first point of view but in most parts is written as if it was from a third point of view, and by this I don’t mean the grammar but the way the story is relayed. This may be due to the fact that Peter has written Dan’s story but it still does not justify it if the story is written in first point of view.
The last few pages of the book were just an attempt to wind up the book; a very rushed up and abrupt end. I understand that a sequel is probably underway, but it practically felt like the last few chapters were replaced by the concluding chapter so that they could expand on the chapters and make a sequel from it.
Overall, the book does contain adventurous events and action that kept me turning pages to know what happens next. However, the actual prose and writing style was not one that allowed me to imagine and be completely immersed in the story.
The book has a decent plot but has many plot holes.
This book is recommended for people who like books in the genre of adventure and action and enjoy more from seeing rather than feeling.
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Gringo
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