“I’m defending him because it is
the right thing to do.” - Roberto Escobar on his brothers Godfather like perception and
underworld heavy weight judgement by the public by in large. Roberto Escobar depicts Pablo as a Robin Hood-type character; someone who gave back to his people as opposed to
the ruthless drug magnate the media inflated him to be; the book, ESCOBAR stresses this yet still leaves room for interpretation.
ESOCBAR is
an informative, one-sided, and interesting look at one of the world’s most
famous criminal figures in drug trafficking kingpin, Pablo Escobar. While
ESCOBAR doesn't add much by virtue of providing the reader with an insight into deep and dark secrets, it does
provide a glimpse at life of Pablo and his family whilst on the run from
authorities, his vast methods for smuggling drugs around the globe, the sums of
cash he had hidden, and his networks of lawful and unlawful people alike.
Despite the
core topic being about Pablo, its Roberto who often takes center stage and
tells his story while brushing over Pablo in passing. I wouldn’t have
minded so much if the book jacket specified a story about the Escobar brothers
but it didn’t – as a result I left wanting more of Pablo and his trials and
tribulations. More along the lines of the quote below would’ve really added a
truer reflection of the books intended purpose:
“On December 3 the New York Times
announced the death of Pablo Escobar on the front page. “Pablo Escobar, who
rose from the slums of Colombia to become one of the world’s most murderous and
successful cocaine traffickers, was killed in a hail of gunfire...
“The
death is not expected to seriously affect cocaine traffic.”
When Roberto
focused on his sole existence whist incarcerated, the writing improved along
with the recollection and intensity. I found the last portion of the book very
satisfying.
“The bomb exploded in my face. My
eyes were gone. The explosion had lifted me off my feet to the ceiling,
breaking the ceiling tiles with my head. The world was black. I smelled the
blood. God, I thought, don’t let me die here.” – Roberto Escobar on a failed
attempt on his life whilst incarcerated.
Overall,
ESCOBAR is informative and insightful and has me interested to read more about
Pablo and his exploits.
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