Tuesday, November 03, 2015

You Shall Know Our Velocity

Will is emotionally troubled after his best friend was killed in an automobile accident and he may be physically beat up as well. He has come into a chunk of money and decides he is going to use it for good. He enlists his other friend, Hand, to help him disburse the money on a frantic weeklong trip around the world. They have no itinerary and are at the mercy of airline schedules, visa requirements, etc. They had planned on starting out in Greenland. When circumstances make this impossible Will and Hand depart for Senegal and continue on to Morocco, Estonia and Latvia. They discover that giving money to random strangers is harder than they had thought. They remain in constant motion through foreign landscapes that, to their disappointment, bear a strong resemblance to American landscapes. The two philanthropists spend a lot of time exchanging currency and devising creative ways to distribute the cash - taping it to a donkey, leaving a treasure map in a tire swing that will lead delighted, curious children to the buried treasure.
This is a zany road trip from hell during which would-be do-gooders can't give money away. It's about white North American guilt. It's kind of silly and a bit immature but delightful to read.

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