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The Bonfire of the Vanities

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The Bonfire of the Vanities

Written by: Tom Wolfe
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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About this listen

This bitingly hilarious American satire will forever define late twentieth-century New York style.

Tom Wolfe’s bestselling modern classic tells the story of Sherman McCoy, an elite Wall Street bond trader who has it all: wealth, power, prestige, a Park Avenue apartment, a beautiful wife, and an even more beautiful mistress, until one wrong turn sends Sherman spiraling downward in a humiliating fall from grace.

A car accident in the Bronx involving Sherman, his girlfriend, and two young lower-class Black men sets a match to the incendiary racial and social tensions of 1980s New York City. Suddenly, Sherman finds himself embroiled in the most brutal, high-profile case of the year, as prosecutors, politicians, the press, the police, the clergy, and assorted hustlers rush in to further their own political and social agendas. With so many egos at stake, the last priority on anyone’s mind is truth or justice.

©1987 Tom Wolfe (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Comedy New York Funny Witty Suspenseful

What the critics say

"A big, bitter, funny, craftily plotted book that grabs you by the lapels and won't let go." ( New York Times Book Review)
"Sheer entertainment against a fabulous background....Often hilarious, and much, much more." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"Erupting from the first line with noise, color, tension and immediacy....brilliant." ( Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most Relevant
First encounter with this story in any format, excellent depiction of how personal bias and politics outweighs integrity and truth. Narration was superb, diversity of character and intonation was spectacular.

Masterful Narration

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This is a crazily vivid portrayal of greed in the NYC of the 1980s. Yet some, if not a lot, of this insanity still exists today. Of note is the relationship between the police and the black community and then, in turn, the activists with the media.

Tom Wolfe was inspired by the beat poets. There is rythmn and music in the pace of his narrative. The narrator is amazing. He never misses a beat and portrays each character in all of the gaudiness their actions embody. I am certain this is the way Tom Wolfe would have heard them talk in his head.

Greed in All It's Glory

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Tom Wolfe's dynamic writing style was brought to life and made even more vivid by the excellent narrator. Fantastic listening.

Great novel elevated by an exceptional reading

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The narration really brought this story to life. The narrator appears to have even well distinguished the difference between Parisian and Quebec French. Bravo! This story was a journey. What is masterful about Wolfe’s writing is how the reader can enjoy each stage of the progression, never wishing for any moment to wrap up to get to the next. And the topic? I can’t comment much on. But it was a relevant and important substrate for the froth of the story — one that is good to bring to daylight.

Very much enjoyed

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it was like a one-man radio play. Just the right amount of affectations and performance by the reader. I am really going to miss this book. And of course kudos to Tom Wolfe for writing such an 80s masterpiece. Having come of age in the 80s it all rang quite familiar. However it's striking just how relevant it is today. The book is not dated at all. On the contrary it will hold up well over time.

FANTASTIC!

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Book is obviously great. Narrator gave me a headache at times. Especially towards the rnd

Great book

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and sadly, all too real a depiction of life in New York City at the time. I sincerely hope the anger, fear, racism, ethnic attitudes and relations, meanness of spirit and greed have subsided. The only antidote was and remains increased diversity at every level of opportunity, education and wealth.

Brilliant…

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Even more relevant today than it was when it was first written. The ugly politics of this case and now the ugly politics of our entire society.

Topical and well done

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Really didn't like any of it. I had heard somewhere that this was a good book - it was not.

All characters deplorable

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The book is decent but even the the best work wouldn’t be saved by this narration. Horrible. Most characters he tries to do sound like a nasally whine. Latino accents sound Chinese, French accents sound Latino, the Hasidic Jewish accent he does sound Slavic. It’s just indescribably bad.

Horrible narration

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