The Bonfire of the Vanities

I wish I picked up the book I was reading rather than start and finish the Tom Wolfe novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities.  The story is set in NYC!  That’s about it… well not really.  100 years from now it will be considered a “period piece” as it reflects the greed, self-preservation, racism, and behind door politics of the era.  The characters, centering around four men, all have some flaw - greed, power, alcoholism, etc.  Sherman McCoy, the millionaire, accidently visits the Bronx on his way to the airport with his mistress (Maria).  That is a huge detour for those of you who don’t leave the borough (how he didn’t know after crossing the bridge?)!   McCoy is faced by a few African-American men late at night in which it “appears” a hit and run occurs when he exits his car, avoiding garbage cans.  The local DA (Abe Weiss), up for re-election, tracks down McCoy as the culprit when the two men complain of the hit and run.  Between the humiliation for McCoy through the bad press (Peter Fallow, an alcoholic reporter who attempts a revival on his career following the alleged “hit and run) of the “incident” and his relationship with the mistress, he contemplates his life. The various story lines all intersect with a ho-hum ending.  The story and the drab, “I have such a bad life” characters make me want to scream!  Not worth your time… A highly rated book for its time.  Take a pass!