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Title: Still Relevant and Exciting
Review: I have seen so many passing references to Tom Wolfe's first novel, Bonfire of the Vanities, as a modern classic, that I thought I should finally read it (I never saw the movie either); yet, I was worried that, in the 24 years since its publication, it might have become dated and irrelevant. I had no need to worry. The New York City and Wall Street of the 1980s has not changed much and with the focus of the 2008 great recession as a new point of reference, Bonfire of the Vanities has an immediacy that belies the passing of a quarter of a century. The characters and the situations related in the novel are contemporary, and above all, the book tells a very, very good, indeed exciting, story. It is easy to predict that Bonfire of the Vanities will remain in print indefinitely and will continue to be read by readers like me, who value good and pleasurable writing, centered around plausible and relevant plots. I now plan to watch the 1990 movie adaptation starring Tom Hanks.
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