Rating: 
Summary: Things you might notice and things you might not like
Review: The first thing that struck me, after reading a synopsis of Bonfire, is that its impetus is similar to the climax of The Great Gatsby. Given this connection, we can look at these two novels in the context in which they are written. The Great Gatsby is considered by some to be "the great American novel," trying to encapsulate a time in the country's history. Jay Gatsby creates a wealthy identity for himself, appearing out of nowhere to claim his love, Daisy. Vehicular manslaugther ends their love. Sherman McCoy, in contrast, is born wealthy. Vehicular manslaughter ends his fun, which I hesitate to call love. Lust is probably more appropriate. This is only the beginning of the novel, and we watch his entire downfall unfold. So the two main contrasting ideas are what Jay and Sherman's motivations are (love versus lust) and what the focus of their lives in the novels are (love versus downfall). These are important things to think about when reading these novels and considering what each author might be trying to say about the period they are writing in. I also want to comment briefly on a few reasons some readers really dislike this novel. First, none of the main characters are admirable. There is definetly no one to latch on to as a moral center. Don't read on in hope of finding someone, but do read on anyway. Second, the entire society we are viewing is corrupt. There is no way to place blame on any single person or group in the novel. Be careful while reading and I hope that at the end, you are satisfied that everyone is equally at fault. I don't think Wolfe intended for his novel to place blame.
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Summary: Misconceived, badly written...why, Lord, oh why?
Review: Tom Wolfe's reputation as a good writer is one of those things that escapes me, rather like the appeal of figure-skating and the music of Dean Friedman. His fans claim him for a dazzlingly witty writer and an inventor of a whole new style of journalism - which style seems to me to be a pathological delusion that we are more interested in him than in what he writes about. His book on architecture is farcically shallow, and his major contribution to 20th century prose style seems to be the introduction of multiple exclamation marks to signify when he's being funny.So, no, I don't like him. Skip to the last paragraph if you feel you've heard enough of my opinion. The Bonfire of the Vanities was a major publishing event, as it was Wolfe's first venture into fiction; he had claimed for years that contemporary fiction writers had abandoned the idea that fiction had anything to say about the real world, ignoring the fact that a really _good_ novel like Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow" is chock-full of information about military technology, the complicity of America in colluding with Nazi science (hiring the borderline war criminal Werner von Braun to work on the space program, for example) and historical examples of genocide. Hence, he turned out this galumphing "satire" in which a yuppie is prosecuted for knocking down a black man in his car. Wow. Like, daring. Bret Easton Ellis' "American Psycho" was a far more visceral registration of 80s greed than Wolfe had the nerve to dream up. The best thing about this book is that it gave rise to a very bad but far more entertaining movie. You may be interested to know that National Alliance, an extreme right-wing group devoted to raising the consciousness of the white race, list this book on their website as recommended reading, along with "The Turner Diaries" and the works of Alfred Rosenberg. You can even buy it from their online bookshop (National Vanguard Books). I'm sure Mr. Wolfe would not be happy to learn this, but if he were a better writer they wouldn't have found so much in his work to admire. Just thought it was worth pointing out.
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Satire of 80s New York
Review: The Bonfire of the Vanities is one of the best social satires to date. The way Mr. Wolfe manages to poke fun at racial relations, yuppies, the media, is just too difficult to explain, yet at the same time it is so utterly brilliant that one just finds themselves marveling with every turn of the page. This novel encapsulates the very essence of life in 80s New York for both the very rich, and very poor. It is a must-read for anyone who is looking for that "next book" to read.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible disappointment
Review: Perhaps I expected too much after hearing so many good things about this book. But I found it one of the most dull works of fiction I've ever read. I admit that Wolfe does has a prescient insight into the 80's greed mentality. But the writing and his use of language is sophomoric at best. This is one "best-seller" that clearly plays to a mass audience, but completely will be forgotten with time.
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Summary: Modern classic
Review: Bonfire of the Vanities is a marvelous achievement: By turns, it doubles you over with laughter, causes you to pause and linger over a sublimely-written paragraph and shocks you into confronting the realities of our modern day institutions. The language is not for the faint-hearted -- beware. But as social satire and commentary, you're likely to find few equals.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: Reading "Bonfire of the Vanities" is the best thing happened to me this year. The novel is one of the best I've read in my life. The author has expertly developed a chain of ordinary events into a gripping tale. Very strong character development, elaborate details and unbiased analysis of the contradictions existing in metropolitan life in USA are the hallmarks of this work. Shame that Tom Wolfe has written only two novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull
Review: I'm not sure why this book got so many five star reviews. It's not a terrible book, but I found it to be incrediably predictable and dull. I had pretty much figured out everything that was going to happen within the first hundred pages or so. There wasn't much point in finishing it. I love long books, but this one was pointlessly so. Wolfe goes into a lot of useless rambling that has little if nothing to do with the plot. I found myself skimming many of the pages without feeling I has missed out on anything important. Definately the sort of book you read only if there is nothing else around.
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Summary: a top 10 of all time favorite
Review: Woolf is a genius -- this is one of the most enjoyable and interesting novels you may ever read. No where has the ego and greed of Wall Street in its heyday been so exposed along with all the conventions and pretenses of the newly rich and famous. Few readers will forget the opening page with "Shuuuurmen" blaring out. The characters are unforgettable and Woolf is an absolute genius at capturing detail in both his dialogue and description. One of my favorite all time novels. At once fun, and great literature.
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Summary: Great Book but leaves you hanging.
Review: I loved A Man in Full and Bonfire was equal to the task. The book read well and the Dickensian descriptions showed up but not enough to be put off by them. The ending lacked the completness that A Man in Full had, which was part of the idea behind Bonfire. It was an enjoyable read and I recommend it but again, the book does leave you hanging. Everything comes together in a stew of egos, desires and greed...but the stew just wore a lil thin for my own taste.
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Summary: Fascinating how these characters change
Review: Somehow I'd missed reading Bonfire of the Vanities back when it came out. Now I see why it's considered a modern classic. Wolfe's characters are richly drawn composites of how I picture the ultra rich Wall Street traders, contrasted with the whole other world of the South Bronx. Although I've never been there or done that, I can relate to these characters and the fascinating situation that unfolds when their world's collide. Sherman, his wife and mistress, assistant D.A. Kramer and all the rest are so consumed with lust for power and position that their fall from grace seems appropriate; after all, what does really matter in life? The preoccupation with wealth, status and the pretenses of success all come tumbling down. I look forward now to reading more Tom Wolfe; I see what all the fuss is about.
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