Book of the Week

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
Recommended by Nick Stanger

Apart from the mysterious foreshadowing of tragedy in the title, the most immediately enticing element of this novel for me was the backdrop of 1980s New York. The fast-paced nature of the book combined with its omniscient narrative style packed full of dialogue really fuels the atmosphere of a hectic lifestyle which is established from the onset.

The novel documents just a few months in the life of Sherman McCoy, a successful bond broker at Pierce & Pierce on Wall Street who lives in a flashy two-storey Park Avenue apartment with his wife, to whom he is unfaithful. Whilst navigating the Manhattan highway with his adulteress Maria Ruskin, who is also married, Sherman takes an accidental yet damning turn into the Bronx.

They are, in their opinion, confronted by two young black men who block the way of the car, although the nature and intent of these men remains a contentious issue throughout the novel.  Maria panics and runs one of the men over – teenager Henry Lamb, an intelligent boy much loved by his community. Despite the supposed passion they shared, Maria tries to frame Sherman for the crime, and the rest of the novel becomes a battle for justice – both Sherman’s justice as a man who has been framed for a crime he did not commit, but also the more prominent theme of social justice.

This book is a masterful social commentary on the tensions between black communities and the wealthy WASP inhabitants of central New York City. Furthermore Wolfe explores changing attitudes towards sex, gender, class, and privilege as Sherman quickly learns that he must take matters into his own hand and fight the prosecution head-on. McCoy’s case becomes high-profile, with the rest of the New York population as excited with anticipation as you will be if you read this book.

Wolfe’s eloquent yet uncomplicated style makes for an enjoyable and thrilling read. In the words of the editor of my prized 1990 edition of the book: “ALL MEET IN THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES – AND SPARKS FLY!”