Bonfire Of The Vanities (Novel)

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I am of the opinion Tom Wolfe is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. I think he is greater than F. Scott Fitzgeral.

I saw the movie version of this novel, and Tom Hanks says to this day he regrets being a part of that project.

Bonfire of the Vanities perfectly captures the flavor of New York City in the mid-80s.

I frequently visited NYC in the 70s and 80s, and when I visited in 1986 for the reopening of the Statue of Liberty, I was so taken aback and disgusted with what a sewer the city had become, I swore I would not return for 20 years.

Bonfire is a story about a "master of the Universe" bond trader who takes on a mistress, and a series of events lead to a disaster in the Bronx. This disaster comes to the attention of a district attorney in the Bronx, and the hunt for the Great White Defendant is on.

Meanwhile, an alcoholic English reporter is tipped to the story and he takes a match to the city.

Everyone in this story has a giant ego.

Wolfe covers all the races in NYC during this period with much hilarity as he portrays the conflicts between all these cultures.

This is not the first book by Tom Wolfe I have read, but it is easily the best.

 

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I enjoyed “The Right Stuff” even more

 

[BackAgain]

I enjoyed “The Right Stuff” even more

I enjoyed the Bonfire book. The movie was a swing and a miss.

I enjoyed The Right Stuff book. The movie was memorable — including the music.

I think the movie and the music captured best the test pilot era just before the space program quite brilliantly.