Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
9.5/10
I started reading this a while ago, in anticipation of going to New York for a visit.
Various sources say that there are some iconic texts that capture the feel of the place and people of New York. This is one of them, and also 'Let the Great World Spin' by Colum McCann.
This book is a long one and it took me ages to read, but that says more about my life being cluttered than anything about the quality of the book. I want to compare it with 'The Wire', which was about law and politics in Baltimore. But this book is bigger and reaches further, into Wall St, the church, racism, policing, political manoeuvring, society, the arts, fashion and whims, greed and sex. I find myself to be a hopeless reviewer of books, because I want to share the feel of the book, rather than the plot.
I wish I had finished it before I hit New York. Then walking on Park Avenue and seeing the canopied entrances to very opulent apartment blocks would have meant something more.
Have you read it? Whatever does happen to Sherman McCoy?
9.5/10
I started reading this a while ago, in anticipation of going to New York for a visit.
Various sources say that there are some iconic texts that capture the feel of the place and people of New York. This is one of them, and also 'Let the Great World Spin' by Colum McCann.
This book is a long one and it took me ages to read, but that says more about my life being cluttered than anything about the quality of the book. I want to compare it with 'The Wire', which was about law and politics in Baltimore. But this book is bigger and reaches further, into Wall St, the church, racism, policing, political manoeuvring, society, the arts, fashion and whims, greed and sex. I find myself to be a hopeless reviewer of books, because I want to share the feel of the book, rather than the plot.
I wish I had finished it before I hit New York. Then walking on Park Avenue and seeing the canopied entrances to very opulent apartment blocks would have meant something more.
Have you read it? Whatever does happen to Sherman McCoy?
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