The Bonfire Of The Vanities

Sherman McCoy, the central figure of Tom Wolfe's first novel, is a young investment banker with a fourteen-room apartment in Manhattan. When he is involved in a freak accident in the Bronx, prosecutors, politicians, the press, the police, the clergy, and assorted hustlers high and low close in on him, providing a vivid portrayal of New York City at the end of the twentieth century, rife with racial and ethnic tensions. The novel explores the complex social and legal tapestry of the city through various perspectives, illustrating how the criminal justice system targets individuals like McCoy amid the city's vibrant and tumultuous landscape.