The Bonfire Of The Vanities by Tom Wolfe
This 1988 novel centres on NY, a car accident, a jerkass bond salesman, his mistress, his starved wife, social x rays, lemon tarts, a preacher, incompetent police and lawyers. There are competing agendas and fights and downfalls and sleaze and sexism and racism and dated references. This is not as clever as it thinks it is. This has many unscrupulous people, who are contemptible.
This is an emotionally tragic story of a match made in hell. This was ridiculous. Obligations are ignored. This was absurd. There are terrible realisations and the bond salesman is an 80s victim of cancel culture and public shaming and vilification and ignominy. People are perfidious. There is is no professional conduct or ethics. People are traumatised and there are no hands of care.
Best Lines:
“Fury of the community.”
“Despaired of this evening and of his life.”
“Highly mentionable.”
“Launched into a denunication of her husband. He was consumed with jealousies and resentments.”
“Social grin.”
“The smile of the tormentor.”
“Obsessive tormentor.”
“Pudgy and throughly dejected.”
“Baleful orotundity.”
“Willing connivance.”
“Unacceptable situations.”
“A crack sweep.”
“Sympathetic and believable individual.”
“Pernicious commerce.”