In my senior high school English class we had to read Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. I didn’t like it. First, I was mad because all the local bookstores had essentially sold out of it by the time I wanted it (it’s not one of those books they tend to keep caseloads of in anticipation for school assignments), so I had to buy the hardcover. I didn’t particularly enjoy reading it, but what really got to me was all the cussing it it. To me, it was extreme, and I sort of got that it was part of the characterization but it still bothered me. I read it with a black market and blacked out every bad word and then showed my dalmatian-like copy to my teacher when we finished it as officially entering my word of protest. I never really got why we had to read Richard III, Dr. Faustus, and… a book written about the 1980s. In fact, I just finally threw the thing out recently but not before whining to Adrian about it and showing him my desecrated (or perhaps improved) copy as evidence of the language.
Fast forward a few years (ahem… I am failing to give the specific year not because it makes me feel old but because I don’t like drawing attention to what I feel is my relative youngness. I think people don’t take me seriously sometimes because they think I’m young) . Today, there’s a huge backlash against Wall Street and stockbrokers and we’ve taken a sudden economic downturn to put it lightly. And what have I noticed? Little references are popping up all over to the Sherman McCoys of Wall Street (this was just casually mentioned in a New York Times article this morning) and to Tom Wolfe’s writing. I feel smart every time I catch the reference.
Did my high school English teacher know we’d face this? He focused a lot on literary allusions. We had a massive project relating to biblical and mythological allusions that I still use because it does in fact help me understand references in news articles or books. So it’s fitting that the book I was so annoyed with now helps me catch nuances in articles about current events.
Perhaps he was just trying to warn us, his little class of A.P. seniors–especially when I think about Dr. Faustus as well–about the dangers of allowing our hubris to destroy us as we went out into the world. Either way, I’m learning to soften my view of the whole thing, and I like him even more. You see, anything would have been an improvement over junior English, where the standout of that year was Grapes of Wrath. Ug. I really hope the economy doesn’t get to the point where I find some twisted appreciation for reading THAT once upon a time.
I love John Steinbeck, but Grapes of Wrath is definitely not one of my favorites. But if you haven’t read East of Eden then you MUST go read it now. It is, without a doubt, one of my absolute favorite books and so beautiful in its prose, imagery, and allegorical teachings.
I’ve never read Tom Wolfe but I have, on occasion, discovered that some book which I had formerly despised, had actually had some useful purpose in my life even if it only meant that I knew the answer to a question on Jeopardy.
Agreed on the Grapes of Wrath comment. I do appreciate that I can catch references to that book (Neal and I even joked as we were driving from Oklahoma to California to get married that it was like the Great Depression all over again), but I still don’t like it.
I remember really disliking 1984 and Brave New World in high school, and now sometimes Neal and I debate which of those societies were a closer to becoming. It is funny how circumstances can change appreciation for books.
Well, not to be a dissenting voice, but I loved Grapes of Wrath. To each her own.
In light of the current situations all around us, I’ve been wanting to read “Atlas Shrugged.” I hear it’s pretty parallel to the way things are running these days. It’s kind of unreal how so many of these books that seemed unrealistic and far-fetched once upon a time really hit home today.
Christa, it’s good to have dissenting voices.
I suspect if I read it again I’d like it more. I don’t think I would have like any book assigned for that class, honestly. I’m curious about Atlas Shrugged as well. Maybe I’ll get there eventually…
Kiersten, I actually really liked Brave New World and 1984. However, I read 1984 in college. Brave New World I didn’t really like when I first read it, but again reading it in college I enjoyed it. Sometimes I guess a rereading can either help or hurt an opinion of a book.
And I have to point out the humor of comparing your driving to get married to the Great Depression. Hehehe. I know you don’t mean it that way.
Liz, YES for Jeopardy! I’ve noticed the same thing… And I’ve heard that about East of Eden, so someday I’ll get to that one as well. I always always have way more books “on my list” than I’ll ever get to. Sad.
Haven’t read it, but it definitely doesn’t seem like my kind of book. I was one of those rare people that hated Catcher in the Rye, partly because of the bad language. I too hated Grapes of Wrath, but Maren tells me East of Eden is wonderful. And Atlas Shrugged. Maybe I’ll get to those someday…though that someday may be twenty years from now.