Windfall

by James Magnuson

In his twenties and thirties, Ben never thought about money--more or less what you'd expect from a scholar whose specialty was the transcendentalists. But now, in his forties, trying to raise two children on a thirty-thousand-dollar-a-year salary, it's all he thinks about.

Money is a problem for Ben Lindberg. As a college professor, he's fought long and hard to keep his intellectual life--and his family life--safe and secure. But he can't afford to replace his broken-down car, can't even afford to fix it, can't even afford to move his family into a better part of Austin.

Then, one night, things change. Searching for the stray family cat, Ben finds in the basement of an abandoned feed store eight coolers filled with fifty-dollar bills. A windfall.

He knew he should leave, but he couldn't. It was the most extraordinary moment of his life and he wanted to savor it.

Ben takes the money, hides it and doesn't tell his wife. For a time, their lives improve. They move into a wonderful new house and buy a second car. Ben becomes a hero to his family. But when someone comes looking for the coolers, Ben discovers that everything comes at a cost--in this case, a cost beyond anything he could have imagined.

Windfall is the story of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. Tautly plotted, intelligently written, and shot through with searing psychological insight, it is a novel of paranoia and betrayal, secrets and shattered ideals--a relentlessly suspenseful thriller.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

Hardcover

First published February 9, 1999

About the author

James Magnuson is the author of eight previous novels and the recipient of multiple fellowships and awards for fiction. He currently directs the James A. Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas. He lives in Austin.

Reviews

[Robert Glover · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers included...

This book was dull and silly. Every plot point was slow and telegraphed. I can't believe the drug dealers would be so easygoing after having Ben, the main character, steal millions from them. Their warning to him is on a chalkboard in his classroom? These guys would have broken out the Louisville Sluggers much sooner. They weren't threatening at all.

The book takes place in the hyperactive and nervous head of the main character, Ben. He takes the money, doesn't let his wife in on it, but tells an ex-student, who winds up stealing the money from him. At the end, his wife and kids leave him - who can blame them? - and he gets a note, with some money included, from the ex-student who's escaped to Canada. Why send him anything? It feels like the story is about to begin, not end. I closed the book and said to myself, "That's it?" Very disappointing ending.

I didn't care much for the main character, an untenured professor at UT in Austin. He just didn't seem like the best of husbands and fathers, even before he stole the money. Skip this one.

[Brett Bickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marriage is a sacred joining of two soles. Keeping secrets from your spouse is unforgivable. Even if they are able to forgive you, that bell has rung. Nothing should be more important than your wife and children. Any father with teenage children should have figured that out by then.
Yet here I am, a grandfather, and I too would have taken the money. Honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness, and plain old decency all fall behind money. Greed is in us, same as jealousy. James Magnuson laid out a scene I immediately tried to relate to. How would I do better? Just like Ben, I think I am intelligent enough to deceive family members, coworkers, and friends.
You rationalize they could not keep your confidence; thus, you can’t trust them. Ironically, you are the one who no one can trust.
I loved how this story included paranoia. When you are living a lie, deceiving everyone around you, it doesn’t take long for you to distrust those interacting with you. “Oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive” from “A Tale if Flodden Field” by Sir Walter Scott.
This novel kept me wanting to read the next page. We all make choices every day. At the time, how do you know which choice to make? A few wrong choices can mushroom into a bottomless pit before you know it. Good to know is the old saying, “When you reach rock bottom, the only place to go is up”.
Once relieved of the heavy burden of guilt and secrecy, let the truth flow and rebuild your life. We all may fantasize of a better life when in reality we need to appreciate the life we have. My heart bleeds for Ben because I can relate to him. Hopefully he will be able to get back to his old life. This novel is well written and a real page turner.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. The plot was both thrilling and immersive, making it easy to imagine what it would be like to stumble upon millions of dollars. It sparked a thought-provoking internal dialogue about what I might do in a similar situation, which kept me hooked throughout.

The story is told from the perspective of the main character, who proves to be an unreliable narrator in the most engaging way. His skewed perception of events keeps you questioning what’s real and what’s not, making you feel uncertain about who can be trusted and who might be working against him.

The book is an incredibly smooth read that I found hard to put down, and I truly enjoyed the experience. That said, the middle section did feel a bit slow at times, but the gripping intensity of the final scenes more than made up for it. Overall, it was a captivating journey that I would highly recommend.

[Matt Castello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild tale that was definitely engaging. Quite the melancholy ending.

[Brenda Stec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

[Bradley Brill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story.

[Penny Pascoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Paula L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of plugged along with this book. It just didn’t do it for me

[Ashley Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm really quite surprised by the amount of people who really enjoyed this book. I am glad when I hover over the stars it tells me how I should be feeling about it because I feel a litlte guilty giving it only 2 stars but after all, if I had to explain how I felt about it, I would says "it's okay." I found the book to be quite dull. Any sort of plot twist was so well thought out ahead of time by the main character it kind of ruined the said twist. I admit that I liked that the main character, Ben, reacted in many ways /rationally/ - something that usually doesn't happen. However, I feel as though too few things happened and we had to follow his merry-go-round of thoughts for just too long.

If you want to try reading Magnuson, I would pick something else up of his, instead.

[Ginny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have only not finished one book that I started. This was almost the second. I liked the premise of the book, Finding a windfall of money, and how do you handle it. My problem was with the main character. I didn't like him, I couldn't find a way to like him. He wasn't the kind of character you love to hate, or that you can find sympathy with. I had no sympathy for him, and no interest in his story. Sorry, a good idea, but poor execution.

[Travis Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this really is a gem. I found myself really engaged with it and repeatedly mentally calling out to the bungling protagonist: "No, don't!!" as he progressively blows the great chance. Magnuson shows a great touch in portraying the behaviour patterns of a man under stress and out of his element and making every mistake in the book. Now, if I'd found that money...

[Cyn (RaeWhit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you ever have that dream (awake or asleep) in which you find a huge cache of money? What would you do--turn it over to the police, keep it, or skim a bit off the top before you 'do the right thing? This is the story of Ben, who finds around 8 million in cash, an the repercussions of the choice he made. A very fast and riveting read, which might make you rethink what you think you'd do.

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow this one worked for me, even a second read was enjoyed. However, when I tried another Magnuson book I didn't finish. The main character, after finding the criminal cache, behaved in a believable manner.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

O what a tangled web we weave........couldn't put it down!! I rooted for Ben the whole way!