274. Title & Author: The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe (659 pages)
Genre: Fiction—Novel
Completed: 5 November 2013
Summary & Review:
Sherman McCoy, a prominate New York City socialite, is living the life of a “Master of the Universe”: multi-million dollar apartment on Park Avenue, high powered bond trading job, wife, daughter, Mercedes sports car, and a mistress on the side. One night, however, everything in his universe falls apart after a fateful accident in the Bronx. Now, at the center of racial tensions between White and Black New York, Sherman McCoy watches as his hit-and-run becomes a stand-in battleground for decades of tensions and his private life is transformed into scandalous headlines read by millions.
This is an excellent book. Not only is Wolfe a tremendous writer, but the story is fascinating. It is a look into the dichotomous world of New York City during the eighties, a world of extreme wealth and extreme despair. Unlike lesser authors, Wolfe doesn’t automatically make the wealthy McCoy the villain, nor is he blameless. The story is complex and layered and vividly delves into the complex racial tensions that exist(ed) there.
Politically, as I understand, Wolfe leans to the right. I think that is reflected in his tale. He skewers the race-hustlers, including those in the media, who are more interested in personal wealthy and power than actually affecting any real change in poor, urban communities. Additionally, like I mentioned above with McCoy not being the villain, Wolfe doesn’t write of the wealthy as evil, nor does he automatically exalt all poor to sainthood. This absence of class-warfare by the author was refreshing, and it allowed him to present an examination of class tensions in a much more objective light. Finally, Wolfe rails against the power of the bureaucracy of government to control and destroy citizen’s lives, even without being convicted of any crime. As some have said, the process is the punishment when it comes to navigating the bureaucratic leviathan.
Bonfire was originally published as a serialization appearing in the bi-weekley issues of Rolling Stone from 1984 to 1985, much like Charles Dickens did with many of his novels. Apparently, before this final book-version of the novel was published, Wolfe made extensive changes to the story. The finished product is a modern masterpiece and I highly recommend it.
Rating: 9.5
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