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A review by jackrabbitjb
The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
4.0
This is a rare specimen: a literary page-turner.
Wolfe has done a fantastic job with his caricature of New York for the uninitiated and the drama that unfolds within is full of intrigue, violence, and lust. It's all delivered tastefully, though with an overindulgent flare and aspiration to comedy that falls flat more often than not (perhaps reminiscent of Fitzgerald?). The characters' particular vanities require us to read from a distance without much emotional investment, but the darker side of us will surely find something to relate to.
Definitely worth the time.
Wolfe has done a fantastic job with his caricature of New York for the uninitiated and the drama that unfolds within is full of intrigue, violence, and lust. It's all delivered tastefully, though with an overindulgent flare and aspiration to comedy that falls flat more often than not (perhaps reminiscent of Fitzgerald?). The characters' particular vanities require us to read from a distance without much emotional investment, but the darker side of us will surely find something to relate to.
Definitely worth the time.