Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
This novel follows the life of a successful Wall Street bond trader who, after a wrong turn in the Bronx, finds his life spiraling out of control. After a hit-and-run accident in a predominantly black neighborhood, he becomes the target of a political witch hunt, exacerbating racial tensions in the city. As the protagonist's world unravels, the story provides a satirical commentary on 1980s New York City, exploring themes of racism, classism, politics, and greed.
The 255th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 7th on For The Love of Books (For The Love of Books)
- 9th on The Celebrity Reading List (Gardiner Public Library)
- 30th on The 50 best books of the past 100 years (The Times)
- 57th on The New Classics - 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008 (Entertainment Weekly)
- 65th on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe Publishing Course)
- 82nd on Waterstone's Books of the Century (LibraryThing)
- 88th on Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Entertainment Weekly)
- 305th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 338th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- A Century of Reading (Lithub)
- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 (The Modern Library (Book))