A Novel That Captures the Allure of the Scam

If you’ve ever been lured into a mediocre dining establishment by the promise of unlimited food, you’re not alone. In 2017, TGI Fridays made endless appetizers a permanent part of its menu because they had, in the words of the chain’s CEO, become such a “pop-culture phenomenon, as evidenced by the outcry we heard every time the limited-time offer expired.” Customers needed their steady, salty flow of mozzarella sticks, and they needed it forever—no matter the gastrointestinal consequences.

I thought about the perilous allure of Endless Apps as I read Chang-rae Lee’s new novel, The book’s characters don’t sign themselves up for unending reserves of breaded cheese,, an Indonesian drink with alleged healing qualities, to yoga studios and their privileged clientele; he enlists Tiller because of the young man’s curious ability to identify flavors that can make the product more addicting. The scheme relies on a truth that Pong, as a con artist, knows intuitively: People are willing to pay exorbitant prices to satisfy their appetites, whether literal or spiritual.