![]() ![]() It is a work of fiction, yet goes to great lengths to prevent the reader from sympathizing with any one major character or side. ![]() What makes Bonfire remarkable, however, is its bizarre devotion to objectivity. ![]() ![]() The book has everything-conniving politicians who demonize McCoy for political gain, an Al Sharpton-esque leader in the black community who brings racial tensions to a fever pitch, and incredible media spin, with journalists who try to convict McCoy in the court of public opinion before he even goes to trial. It follows McCoy's fall from the heights of a self-proclaimed "Master of the Universe" to his new role as a social pariah and public punching-bag, while also detailing the tangential stories of the controversy, from the reporter who uncovers and investigates the car accident to the district attorney's office that prosecutes McCoy. The novel follows Sherman McCoy, a Wall Street trader, who finds himself the center of controversy when he becomes an accomplice to a hit and run that resulted in the hospitalization and ultimate death of a young African American, Henry Lamb, in the process. Three decades down the road and we're still facing the same issues as a nation as we were then. The Bonfire of the Vanities celebrates its 30th anniversary this month, and, despite the time that has passed since it was written, it still holds up. ![]()
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