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The Day of the Locust (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Nathanael West (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 26 Jan 2006 | Series: Penguin Classics

Tod Hackett is a brilliant young artist - and a man in danger of losing his heart. Brought to an LA studio as a set-designer, he is soon caught up in a fantasy world where the cult of celebrity rules.

But when he becomes besotted by the beautiful Faye, an aspiring actress and occasional call-girl, his dream rapidly becomes a nightmare. For, with little in the way of looks and no money to buy her time, Tod's desperate passion can only lead to frustration, disillusionment and rage...

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Product details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Ed edition (26 Jan 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0141023651
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141023656
  • Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 1.4 x 18.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 39,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Nathanael West
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Product Description

About the Author

Nathanael West (1903-1940) - original name Nathan Weinstein (until 1926) American writer who died in a car crash at thirty-seven. Nathanael West published four novels.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This gem of a book speaks volumes about Los Angeles 11 April 1999
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In this wonderfully crafted mini-novel, Nathanael West captures the cultural essence of boomtown Los Angeles during its tumultuous adolescence. The dark, coarse, seamy side of the "California dream" is vividly portrayed here. The plot is not really the point in this period piece; the truth is in the characters and their always unfortunate interactions. For those who seek to understand the social history of southern California, this novel might be more useful than a half-dozen academic treatises.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The flip-side of the Golden Age of Hollywood 9 Nov 1998
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Nathanael West hits it right on the head. The subject matter of his most famous novel is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that it was written in the 1930's. What we take for granted as the sordid and seedy stories of Hollywood today are actually nothing new, but it takes a shrewd observer like West to show us how even the periphery of the glamour capitol can go down in flames. Perhaps the greatest single symbol is the hero's painting, titled "The Burning of Los Angeles". Think about that when you conjur images of Watts, Rodney King, Mark Fuhrman, and O.J. Simpson. I picked up this book when I saw it listed on the controversial "100 Greatest English-Language Novels of the 20th Century". Until then, I knew it only by reputation but it was well worth investigating. Nathanael West is the real godfather of Hollywood. A shame he is not around to comment on it today.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Not the classic I was hoping for 10 May 2010
By Milton Fontaine
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was quite surprised by some of the reviews of this book.It is often mentioned as a classic,but having just finished it,I would have to disagree.It's not a bad book by any means,but it can't seem to make up its mind what it wants to be.It could have done with being longer and more in depth as far as the characters are concerned and a lot more descriptive in terms of the actual interactive scenes.Some of the prose here is confused.I think he was striving for a different style,but it ends up being too abstract,too..unreal.I just couldn't imagine people(no matter how strange),acting the way they did, in the scenes he places them in,it was all a bit to fragmented.It's worth a read,but you're better off with Fitzgerald or Hemingway for this kind of thing.Shame, it could have been a classic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother
Utterly boring non plot. Gave up. What story there is is disjointed and frankly weird. Could not force myself to read more than a third of it. Maybe it improves. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sue Wilson
4.0 out of 5 stars day of the locust
Read on the back of the Great Gatsby. I enjoyed it and it is of its time.
A good example of American literature. Worth a look!
Published 10 months ago by dumpletondavies
1.0 out of 5 stars Bad kindle version
I agree with a comment from 9 months ago ( so obviously nothing has been done to rectify the situation) about the unreadable nature of the text. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Philippa Bambach
1.0 out of 5 stars Unreadable due to terrible formatting
I Don't know if it's ju
st my kindle but
Like others I have a majo
r problem with the formatt
ing of this kindle edition. Read more
Published 12 months ago by fishboy
2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story, terrible edition
I bought this, expecting an interesting read. And it is. Sort of. It's a bit of a disjointed narrative, but once you get used to it, it's not too bad (although not terribly... Read more
Published 14 months ago by S. Pomfrett
1.0 out of 5 stars Bad kindle version?
Great book, bad kindle version in that the lines don't fit the page even if I change the type size. Is there a way of remedying this? It's unreadable.
Published 21 months ago by Ms. A. C. Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars Clever Trash
I read this book on the way back from my honeymoon. It is a lovely depraved bit of writing for its time (1939). Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2006 by G. Montgomerie
3.0 out of 5 stars Unfulfilled desire
"Nothing short of violent rape would do" is Tod's line when he becomes frustrated with a whore's refusal to sleep with him. Violence is what this novel is abount. Read more
Published on 4 May 1999
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, not great
The story was going so well. Characters were interesting and the sense of closure was near. Then ??? What happened? West needed to write another couple of chapters.
Published on 1 Mar 1999
3.0 out of 5 stars strange
The Day of the Locust was required reading for me so that may be one of the reasons that I did read it. I did however find it easy to read and almost enjoyable. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 1999
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