The Bonfire of the Vanities

by Tom Wolfe

published

August 20th 2002 (first published 2001) by Picador

edit

binding

Paperback, 752 pages

literary awards

1987 National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee

isbn

0330491938 (isbn13: 9780330491938)

description

After Tom Wolfe defined the '60s in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers and the cultural U...more

find at: Amazon | Half.com | Barnes & Noble | Abebooks | compare prices ...

discuss this book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

groups with this book

friend reviews (0)

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

lists with this book

Where's the love? Add this book to your favorite list.

other reviews (showing 1-20 of 5776)

all | this edition

Chelsea rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

07/02/07

Read in June, 2007

Wow. I started off feeling very lukewarm about this one, mostly because I couldn't get over my distaste for some of the characters. But about 100 pages in I started to feel confused about whom I actually felt sympathetic toward (the only truly good character never gets to speak). 200 pages in, I couldn't stop reading anymore. This book is hilarious in a bitter and infuriating way. It's a study of how people will use each other and not even notice how they are routinely used by other people ...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

add a comment

Elizabeth rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

10/22/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in January, 1992

I had a friend who said that in the future when people point to a movie and say, "That's what the '80s were like, they'll point to Oliver Stone's "Wall Street." That's what I think about this book.

A bonds trader hits and kills a guy in a scary neighborhood and then runs scared. What's more '80s than that? It's got greed, excess, and Bernard Goetz all rolled into one.

I actually got to hear Tom Wolfe talk about this book while I was in college in the mid-'80s. He wrote it a...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Thorir2007 rated it:

(review of isbn 0374115370)

08/06/07

bookshelves: greatbooks

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: this is the SECOND part of my review of this book

(continued from the First Part of the review of this book, as the site controls tell me it's too long, blah-blah-blah)

Literature thrives on extraordinary situations in which characters are inspired to perform extraordinary acts. The element of suprise in Wolfe's novel is purely circumstantial. In his story, people have no free will. (All atheists are determinists more or less by definition, I suppose).

In the past, I've had some interesting experiences related to the publication of this n...more (continued from the First Part of the review of this book, as the site controls tell me it's too long, blah-blah-blah)

Literature thrives on extraordinary situations in which characters are inspired to perform extraordinary acts. The element of suprise in Wolfe's novel is purely circumstantial. In his story, people have no free will. (All atheists are determinists more or less by definition, I suppose).

In the past, I've had some interesting experiences related to the publication of this novel. Two years after it came out (in the early 'Nineties, I believe), the news finally reached the Philistines, and by Philistines I mean those representatives of the middle class (and, sometimes, the upper middle class; I have nothing to say about the actual upper class since no one, not even the representatives of the said class themselves, can figure out what the hell they're up to, what it is they do all day, and what their problem is) ... uh ... where was I? ... Philistines ... those representatives of the middle class that once in a while make a lukewarm (half-assed, to put it plainly) effort to appear CULTURED, which, in their view, is about catching a program on the History Channel once in a while and telling others that they're reading "this book, it's actually very good." They never seem to finish that book (whatever it happens to be), for some reason. I mean, they sort of struggle through the first twenty pages, and then skim through the rest, and make plans to read it properly when they visit Aruba next year, or some such. They're always too busy; there's never any free time. One would think that if they stopped being busy for a moment, civilization would just fall apart forever. Anyway, this dude had a copy of "Bonfire" in his briefcase and was telling me (his colleague) how everybody recommended this book to him and all. He was going to read it when he was less busy. He actually DID take it to Aruba with him (there was also a wife involved, I believe). He came back, I believe, without having finished it. A year later he died. He was a good guy, too. Reading just wasn't his thing, as Philistines like to say.

(concluded in the THIRD part of my review of this book ... THUNDER AND LIGHTNING! ... )
...less

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Holly rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

07/06/08

bookshelves: goguen-bookclub, literature

Read in June, 2008

recommended to Holly by: hollygoguen@gmail.com

After reading a few books recently by first-time authors, I felt like I stumbled into the definition of mastery with this book.
It's thick and deeply descriptive, so visceral.... and the language is amazing. Wolfe captures accents so deliciously well that you find yourself speaking the words along with the characters....to blend yourself into the sound environment with them.

I've never been so grateful for tightly woven backgrounds and stages so artfully set. I hate being plopped into the...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comments

Bennett rated it:

(review of isbn 555118000X)

10/11/07

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in October, 2007

I read this book on vacation and it proved to be a great read for airplanes and beaches. I even bought most of the philosophical digressions and found myself mulling over some of the ideas Wolfe works in about self and society.

My only substantial gripe was the ending. Up until the last 80 pages or so the story seemed so realistic and I found the ending and epilogue pretty absurd.

Nonetheless, a great New York story. Wall Street Powerhouses, Crack-Dealers, Rent Control-- what more could you...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Rachel rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

01/06/08

I suppose I'll date myself by posting this part, but I remember taking the subway into Manhattan and looking up and seeing just about everyone reading a copy of this book. It was almost a zeitgeist of the book talking about the zeitgeist. The of the moment need to capture the moment. The book was long, it rambled at times, but it captured a New York that no longer exists buried under a Disney-fied exterior and bloated building projects. I read a recent interview with Tom Wolfe where he said t...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Solitairerose rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

09/20/07

Read in January, 1992

When I am asked what my favorite book ever is, this is one that immediately springs to mind. Wolfe's writing is some of the best of the 20th Century, and this story of investment bankers, homeless people and the collusion between rich and poor is the best explanation of the 80's, and manages to be a story that explains more about an era than any history of the time ever could. Wolfe has moved from recreating how non-fiction was written to a brilliant novelist.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Ani rated it:

(review of isbn 0374115370)

08/01/07

Read in January, 2000

recommends it for: people who love Jane Austen, anyone who went to business school

I think this book is the Great Modern Comic American Novel, if not the Great American Novel. ALthough it takes place in the go-go 1980s, it perfectly describes the same kind of attitude that was around in the go-go late-1990s. Although his later novels are really not as good, this book draws upon Wolfe's ability to perfectly describe the culture and environment of a particular time and place.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Madeline rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

10/31/08

bookshelves: the-list

This book made a much deeper impression on me than I expected it to. At the very least, I will never look at jury duty in the same way again.
So, the plot in a nutshell: Sherman McCoy, a wealthy investment banker (white, obviously), is driving his mistress home from the airport one night when they take a wrong turn and end up in the Bronx. This ends with them hitting a nineteen-year-old black boy and then driving away. The story follows McCoy trying to cover up the accident while the Bronx det...more This book made a much deeper impression on me than I expected it to. At the very least, I will never look at jury duty in the same way again.
So, the plot in a nutshell: Sherman McCoy, a wealthy investment banker (white, obviously), is driving his mistress home from the airport one night when they take a wrong turn and end up in the Bronx. This ends with them hitting a nineteen-year-old black boy and then driving away. The story follows McCoy trying to cover up the accident while the Bronx detectives and prosecutors try to figure out what happened, and the ensuing trial and its effects on the lives of everyone involved.
The book was really engrossing, and I especially liked it for two reasons: the first is Tom Wolfe's obvious and flattering admiration of the Irish (woot!) - or at least, the fact that every single Irish character in the book is regularly described as a total BAMF. Case in point: "Irish bravery was not the bravery of the lion but the bravery of the donkey. As a cop, or as an assistant district attorney in Homicide, no matter what kind of stupid fix you got yourself into, you never backed off. You held your ground. That was what was scary about even the smallest and most insignificant of the breed. Once they took a position, they were ready to fight. To deal with them you had to be ready to fight also, and not many people on this poor globe were willing to fight...No, thought Kramer, they don't need alcohol. They're high on what tough, undeluded motherfuckers they are."
I don't know if Tom Wolfe is Irish, but if he isn't he definitely wants to be.
The second thing I loved about the story was Judge Kovitsky, who makes Judge Judy look like a no-talent milquetoast. Here's his idea of counseling a nineteen-year-old kid who's been brought to court for being an accessory to armed robbery: "'See?' said Kovistsky. 'You've got a job, you've got a home, you're young, you're a nice-looking, bright young man. You've got a lot going for you. You've got more than most people. But you've got one big problem to overcome. YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN ALL THESE FUCKING ROBBERIES!'"
He's also fond of screaming at unruly courtroom spectators to "SHUDDUP!" and I adored him for it. ...less

Like this review? yes

2 comments

Jason rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

10/27/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in October, 2008

I finished this last night, and I've been mulling it over all day. On the one hand, Wolfe is a talented writer, capable of creating vivid, visceral scenes. On the other hand, he relies on a lot of crutches, most notably the ellipsis-riddled paragraph to represent the frenzied thoughts of a person in panic.

Wolfe does a remarkable job of creating a bunch of horrible characters who we nonetheless end up having some positive feelings for at the end of the story. However, the reason we ...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

06/04/08

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Jessica by: Dean

I learnt that I shouldn't be so committed to finishing things. This book was loooooooooong, and I was trying to read it while visiting family during a difficult time. It may be a good book, but it took me a long time to get into it and I should have shelved it for a little bit until I was in the mood.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comments

Nicholas rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

10/05/08

Read in August, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Jon rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

07/31/07

i know its a reach but when i watch american vacation and clark takes the wrong turn in st.louis (i think) and gets lost (he gets his hub caps stolen when he asks the locals for directions), i always think of sherman taking the wrong exit.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

add a comment

Beth rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

07/11/07

Read in January, 2007

Thought this might seem outdated twenty years after it was published, but guess what -- tawdry, lurid excesses and their consequences are still pretty much the order of the day. It's riveting and relevant.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

2 comments

Jimmy rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

06/30/08

Read in June, 2008

I enjoyed it. I like the characters and the picture painted of NYC and it's politics in that particular period of time. i watched the movie of it soon after. Not nearly as good as the book.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

2 comments

Seamus rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

11/16/08

I feel compelled to defend this book in light of a few of the reviews which I have read, so I will focus mainly on the criticisms which arose in those.

1. The characters are dislikeable.
I wholly agree with this point, but I wouldn't suggest that it detracts from the novel. Wolfe has constructed a story around the greed which capitalism inspires in people, particularly in the late 1980s, so it is perhaps natural - necessary even - that the characters be detestable. Far from this factor dist...more I feel compelled to defend this book in light of a few of the reviews which I have read, so I will focus mainly on the criticisms which arose in those.

1. The characters are dislikeable.
I wholly agree with this point, but I wouldn't suggest that it detracts from the novel. Wolfe has constructed a story around the greed which capitalism inspires in people, particularly in the late 1980s, so it is perhaps natural - necessary even - that the characters be detestable. Far from this factor distancing me from the novel, I found myself compelled to read further, awaiting with delight the next thread being unravelled from a loathsome life. At one point, towards the end, I was literally beaming as I read about a certain attorney's downfall.

2. Pacing and length.
The book IS long, but I would argue that the pacing is perfect. Some people have complained that Wolfe spends 200 pages writing about the events before the car crash - but this is necessary in order to highlight the walks of life which each of the characters inhabit at the start of the scandal. It makes the reader accutely aware of what each player stands to lose or gain in the case. From the event of the car crash the reader knows all the facts, and you can guess which pieces of evidence will come into play - but not where or when. It was a joy waiting to see which bomb would detonate under McCoy next, and the pacing is as fine as you're ever likely to see in a novel of this size.

3. The characters are one dimensional, or cliched.
I think that the only characters in the novel who one could accuse of being one dimensional are the Irish, who are prototype, strong silent officers. However, as fairly minor characters we have little insight into their actual though processes, and as such little chance to see any other dimensions. We do see how they impact upon the behaviour of other characters however, which is extremely amusing.
I disagree with those who claim that the female characters are just sex symbols. Both Maria and Ruth prove themselves to be strong independant figures by the end of the novel, and if they are subjected to a certain degree of male fanatasy then it is only natural - after all we are viewing them through the eyes of McCoy, Kramer, Fallow et al, who are all greedy, machismo and sex-hungry.

4. It makes a ridicule of the American justice system.
And yet it is fairly realistic. You could imagine this being a major case, people using it for election purposes and so forth. A wholly unreasonable point to disregard the novel, maybe you should think more about what it is saying.

5. The ending.
Apart from one piece of evidence, I found the ending believable, and I don't really understand the criticisms others have been levelling at it. ...less

Like this review? yes

add a comment

J.d. rated it:

(review of isbn 0553275976)

08/02/08

It was a bizarre experience reading this book. I hated every character in it and wished they'd all die...but I couldn't put it down.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comments

Erika rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

05/19/08

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Erika by: Lucy

a totally absorbing novel. so fascinating how wolfe gets into all the different subcultures of 80s NYC.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

4 comments

Stephanie rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

10/27/08

Read in October, 2008

I am finally fully licensed to make Tom Wolfe/Master of the Universe references!

Which would be incredibly retro of me if it weren't for the whole End of Wall Street thing that happened a couple of weeks ago. (By the way I started this in mid-August, well before its fall of the Wall Street titan subject matter became topical again.)(Although somewhat after race and politics and sketchy reverends became topical again.)

So... Tom Wolfe is like his own genre, which makes him hard to "re...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment

Benaboo rated it:

(review of isbn 0553381342)

09/26/08

Read in September, 2008

recommended to Benaboo by: a mime. I reported him to his superiors for speaking aloud
recommends it for: musicians and non-musicians alike

I have visitors from Cali at my place and I did not think it would be in good taste to be caught reading this with the wildfire problems they are having. That limits my reading time to trips to the bathroom (I put the book in a large zip-loc and hid it inside upper toilet tank) or trips to the shed (I hid a second copy inside a bag of grass seed). So far I like it. I've read to the third chapter. Will update when I reach the fourth chapter.
***Update: 8/23*** Got to fifth chapter.I've been havi...more

Like this review? yes

add a comment