The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West
"The Day of the Locust" is a novel set in 1930s Hollywood, portraying the dark side of the American dream through the lives of its desperate characters. The protagonist, a young artist from the East Coast, finds himself disillusioned by the superficiality and decay of Hollywood society, which is filled with failed actors, charlatans, and lost souls. The narrative culminates in a violent riot, symbolizing the destructive power of frustrated dreams and the harsh reality of the American dream.
The 346th greatest book of all time
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- Published
- 1939
- Nationality
- American
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 160-180
- Original Language
- English
- Avg User Rating
-
(3.4)
- Alternate Titles
-
- Il Giorno Della Locusta
- Il giorno della locusta
- Miss Lonelyhearts / The Day Of The Locust
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 19 lists:
- 4th on Quintessential American Fiction, According to the Rest of the World (Literary Hub)
- 8th on 100 Best Western(United States) Works of Fiction (San Francisco Chronicle)
- 51st on 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction (Larry McCaffery)
- 56th on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 73rd on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 84th on 100 Best Novels in English Since 1900 (Counterpunch)
- 1494th on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 100 Best 20th-Century American Books (Hungry Mind Review)
- David Bowie's Top 100 Favorite Books (David Bowie)
- Everything You Should Read without Being a Library Rat (Book by Luiz Carlos Lisboa)
- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher (Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Jonathan Lethem's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" (The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives (Book))
- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 (The American Scholar)
- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- The Great American Novels (The Atlantic)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels (TIME Magazine)