Product Description

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…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30179 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

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.

Customer Reviews

This gem of a book speaks volumes about Los Angeles
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.

The flip-side of the Golden Age of Hollywood
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.

Excellent American novel
This is *the* novel about Hollywood and its place in American culture. All other attempts are imitations. Period.