“David against Goliath,” a vivid portrait of a small, diverse, and stubbornly brave group of lawyers from Carabanchel led by Jeremías Abi, centers on a battle against a domineering and corrupt multinational pharmaceutical giant. Set against the backdrop of a gripping forensic thriller, Revolt of the Good Guys, the story is the result of a seasoned writer, playwright, and filmmaker who has earned recognition with works like World’s Longest Sentence and Suicide Club, and whose career spans children’s and youth literature as well. The narrative draws on a meticulous investigation that allegedly collected extraordinary information supplied anonymously by industry insiders, and it unfolds as a public denial after Ana, a role famously portrayed by Maribel Verdú in a television adaptation. This is a fresh entry from a versatile author who has left a mark on both screen and page, with a backdrop that includes a celebrated children’s series about football players and a celebrated prose career.
Our health depends on pharmaceuticals. We have seen in a pandemic how pharma power can become dominant on the world stage.
Huge multinational corporations generate profits that far outstrip those of banks and the arms trade. The logic is straightforward: private firms aim to maximize profit. And health decisions increasingly rest in their hands, as more illness means more medicine, and more medicine means fewer questions. The real issue lies in the system that enables this dynamic. We must acknowledge it and push for change.
Pharmaceuticals cited as surpassing both arms and banking in economic impact
The book opens with Edmund Burke’s line, “For evil to triumph, it only takes good people to do nothing.” Is it necessary to defend Indignaos by Stephane Hessel?
The author invites readers to ask what kind of system they want to live in. A sense of urgency arises from daily life—paying bills, caring for ill relatives, supporting children. Politics often remains quiet about these concerns, but the subconscious knows pharmaceutical companies sometimes act unethically while society grows accustomed to a sedated state. Great powers appear to prefer a sleeping citizenry.
OECD data suggest 80% of Western society overuses anxiolytics and antidepressants.
Meanwhile vast regions lack access to essential medicines. The entities behind the system know where business lies: under-research for rare diseases and non-lucrative targets. When health becomes privately owned, the balance of power tilts away from patients toward profits. This is a moral distortion that the novel questions openly.
We must revolt. The public is under anesthesia. Powerful interests prefer a quiet, compliant society
Is corruption the unavoidable fate of power?
Corruption is a recurring issue, often born from the junction of money and influence. In finance and politics, power and wealth tend to travel together, which helps explain why some drugs hit the market despite known risks. The narrative points to patterns seen in the United States and across Europe, where thousands of complaints against drug companies are settled out of court, sparing many sentences. The system can feel infuriatingly resistant to accountability.
Who stands behind these enterprises? Are unscrupulous individuals at the helm?
People, many of them ordinary in appearance, yet shaped by a deep class divide. The wealthier classes are born into privilege, while the legal professionals in the novel hail from Carabanchel, the neighborhood of the author’s own beginnings. Promotion is hard-won there, and those who have it tend to take it for granted. The story urges readers to confront how power secures its advantages and who ultimately pays the price.
What data gave you goosebumps?
The author uses fiction to reveal truths about real-world practices: drugs released despite addictiveness or severe side effects, and the chilling use of human subjects in Africa, echoes of The Constant Gardener. The fear is palpable: how can those responsible sleep at night when their actions harm people?
Health services should not be captive to private pharmaceutical interests
And patents…
A common grievance is that vaccine research and the bulk of medicines rely on public funding through taxes, with private firms stepping in only at late stages, securing patents. The book challenges any incumbent who suggests this is a neutral arrangement, arguing that politics reflect broader societal values. It notes that politicians respond to voters, and as a result, meaningful reforms often struggle to gain electoral traction.
There is the issue of impunity.
Yes. Consider the pattern where a large corporation can pay billions in compensation and keep operating, absorbed into a system where accountability is costly or slow to enforce. The financial scales often tip the balance away from justice toward settlement and continuity.
How can laws that advance equality and safety be endangered?
The owner of the pharmaceutical company hires Jeremías’s office for a high fee. Is anyone for sale?
The novel probes the thin line between loyalty and compromise. It asks whether people would betray core values for relief from personal or family distress, and it questions whether ultimate power can truly be bought for any price.
Were there pressures to halt the investigation?
No explicit threats halted the work; the author writes to provoke questions and encourage readers to stand up. While writing Ana, there were moments of tension behind the scenes, but the author pressed on, guided by the belief that fiction can illuminate truth without becoming a target.
There is a thread about male abuse.
Direct experience shaped the narrative. It reflects a long road toward equality, while acknowledging that progress sometimes stalls. The author hopes future steps will keep moving forward, avoiding reversals and ensuring that social advances remain secure for everyone.
What about writing for children? Do reading rates pose a challenge?
The topic is troubling. The education system shows gaps that demand attention. Encouraging reading involves active participation from families, who should model reading habits and create daily opportunities for children to engage with books. Responsibility rests with parents and communities to foster a culture of literacy.