I got this book-on-tape to listen to as I drove to Seton Hill. I was not a big fan of The Bonfire of the Vanities movie, so I didn't read the book. I did not know what to expect from Tom Wolfe. I didn't know that this was only his third book. The writing was superb. It had a great descriptive hook. The prose style was smooth. Very descriptive, without too much filler. The multiple plot lines kept me going. I needed to find out how these characters would fit together. Wolfe's craft as a storyteller is very laudable, but the ending just fell flat. I was wondering how how a Greek stoic's philosophy would relate to an Atlanta real-estate developer. It was an unexpected ending, but unexpected endings are not the problem. The problem is that the ending move far afield of what the book was moving toward. It felt like a preachy tale of a born again follower of Zeus. It seemed an odd cop-out ending to a tense build-up.
I finally found a nice copy of Karen Taylor's Blood Secrets. Add that to my TBR bookshelf. I also got Stranglehold, that I can't help but read ASAP.
I've decided to spend a little more time with Mariella. Her character deserves more "screen time" in the novel. The Part I is coming along. I like that idea more and more as it clears up many problems, and adds to tension. I debated giving Steve a disability, but that looked a little to melodramatic. I just need to finish this damned thing. I got some Nick Cave to drive my fingers, and push my mind.
You'll see him in your nightmares,
you'll see him in your dreams
He'll appear out of nowhere but
he ain't what he seems
You'll see him in your head,
on the TV screen
And hey buddy, I'm warning
you to turn it off
He's a ghost, he's a god,
he's a man, he's a guru
You're one microscopic cog
in his catastrophic plan
Designed and directed by
his red right hand
-Nick Cave, "Red Right Hand"