Title: The Blind Bidder’s Eye: How Prep School Troubles Jumbled Up Wall Street’s Ledgers
Author: Oscar Seurat
Publisher: Quadrature Books, New York, NY
ISBN: 0-991-32354-8
Pages: 387
Genre: Thriller
Reviewed by: Gabriella Harrison
Pacific Book Review
Oscar Seurat’s magical realism thriller, The Blind Bidder’s Eye, narrates the adventures and misadventures of fifteen-year-old Ulrick and his Wall Street Executive father, Harry, who continually pushes him to excel at school, particularly in mathematics. When Ulrick scores a C on his finals at a prestigious private high school for brilliant students, the news is received with much consternation. After much ado, a makeup exam is scheduled for the class, as the majority of students performed poorly due to a risky gamble with their teacher. Given a second chance, Ulrick decides to seek questionable means to ace the exam. However, the resultant effect is far more than he could’ve bargained for. Offering multiple timelines, the book moves between the present and centuries in the past, dating back to the time of famed mathematician Leonhard Euler. Before long, the connection between this historical figure and young Ulrick is clear.
A witty and engaging omniscient narrator easily balances the technical aspects of the story. Therefore, it is easy to become engaged in the struggles and aspirations of the characters as they all chase success at varying levels: Euler racing to solve The Great Theorem of Fermat under strict orders from Frederick the Great of Prussia, Ulrick doing his best to ace his exam and becoming entangled in various math problems with an ever-reddening eye, the traders at Blackburn and Cunningham trying to make financial gains while staying away from the suspecting and probing eyes of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a strange woman with an unclear purpose moving between timelines.
I like how informative the book is in its coverage of topics about history, finance, and science. While the complex math terms and financial discourse about bids and the general business of the stock market the book presents can be a bit befuddling, the humorous undertones, mystery surrounding Ulrick’s fate, and engaging flow of the story are enough to keep the pages flipping. The personalized descriptions vivify the characters, rendering them as people who could be encountered in reality and adding even more humor to the bizarre happenings in the book. At first, it may appear that there are many seemingly unrelated storylines. However, as the story progresses, the bits and pieces become clearer and fuse into one intricate plot. Mathematicians, in particular, will appreciate the formulas and extensive research and calculations in the book. Those looking to learn a bit about how trading occurs will also benefit from the book. Similarly, anyone interested in planes, history, and astrology will enjoy reading this book.
The Blind Bidder’s Eye is a captivating and thought-provoking thriller filled with risks and possibilities. It is an adventure worth diving into.
