This book, as with other books by Tom Wolfe, features
male characters as the leads. Women are merely incidental in the
story line, allowing the plot free to move on, or allowing Wolfe a way of showing his male characters from another person’s, perhaps more realistic, perspective. Tom Wolfe doesn't do this in a sexist, denigrating way, he simply writes about what he knows best.
The male characters here are strong and proud of their manly physique. In the
case of the main character, Sherman McCoy, this is his chin, in the case of the prosecutor Lawrence Kramer it is his strong neck muscles that are his
pride and joy. The insightful way in which Wolfe writes these characters and their thoughts of themselves suggests that he has the inside track on this sort of male mentality. However the scathingly humorous way in which he portrays other characters as observing these 'manly' traits, suggests an even greater insight into the ego and pride that is a fundamental part of such males.
The plot of this book centers around a bond seller, Sherman McCoy - self proclaimed Master of the Universe. He is in the process of an affair with another wealthy man's young wife, and during one of their clandestine meetings they veer off track and into the Bronx. Here an traffic incident takes place, resulting in the death of a young
black male. This causes uproar, with a black, politically minded 'Reverend' doing a lot of the stirring. What exactly happens during this incident we are never sure. We are given both sides of the story - one from Sherman, one from the black boy's companion, who just happens to be a small-time criminal with a mind to making a deal over such a high profile case as his friend's untimely demise. All this helped along by a British gossip columnist, Peter Fallow, who's desperate for a successful story before his career dissolves.
Once the characters are all in place and set in motion, the story focuses on the noose closing around McCoy, and his desperate struggle to insulate his wife and daughter from the furore that results whilst preserving their million-dollar lifestyle.
A tale of human emotions - greed, lust, fear and pride, this is one that almost everyone will enjoy.
Characters are introduced bit by bit throughout this novel, and their full importance in the tale only beings to emerge after the half-way mark, when Wolfe begins to tie all the threads together in a high-energy finale. No unrealistic happy endings here, Wolfe finishes by demonstrating the true nature of writing ... life goes on after the last sentence has been finished, and tying up the loose ends of a story only makes for an artificiality that leaves the reader feeling duped.
The pace here is nice and varied. Sometimes the reader is unsure how things are relevant, but is always willing to pay attention until the purpose revealed to them. The emotions and events here are on a very human scale. Those of you who are fans of Clive Cussler or Ian Fleming, where one man single-handedly saves the
world, will be disappointed. This is not about a hero saving the world. This is a flawed anti-hero trying to save his own world.
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