All I Can Say Is...Read It!

I finished Bonfire of the Vanities yesterday. I don't even know if there should be much more to this post than, "Read it." I liked it that much.

Tom Wolfe is definitely not the best writer on this list (I thought he was never going to stop repeating the words "gloaming" and "snout"). But his characters and the storyline were so interesting and layered and deliciously complex that I could hardly put the book down (which is really saying something - if you'll recall, the only version I could find was a hefty large-print edition that probably weighed 10 lbs). Read it!

I looked like this. Except that I didn't wear a suit or glasses, and I'm not a man. Almost entirely unlike this, actually.

The novel follows the derailment of bond tradesman Sherman McCoy's charmed life after he is involved in a hit-and-run accident in the Bronx. A sleazy reporter's newspaper articles quickly magnify the case into a local sensation, charged with racial tensions and political intrigue. Many people behave badly, but Wolfe's genius is that most of the character's motivations are so complicated that it becomes increasingly difficult to say who the "good guys" are...if there are any at all. My description doesn't do it justice. You should really read it.

I have been told not to watch it though. Evidently not a good adaptation.

Disclaimer: The back of my book contained critics' remarks raving about the book's hilarity. The satire is amusing, but I didn't find it to be laugh-out-loud funny. In case it bothers you when book jackets don't necessarily match up to the contents (and sometimes it does me), you have been notified.

What's the last book you read that you would definitely recommend "Just read it!"?

Reading man photo found here. Bonfire movie photo found here.