In 1987, Tom Wolfe, a renowned journalist, author, and American Studies scholar, released his debut novel (and eleventh overall published work), The Bonfire of the Vanities. Before this novel, Wolfe had primarily authored non-fiction pieces and essays centered on American life, including titles like The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Right Stuff. While Bonfire of the Vanities ventured into the realm of fiction, it still carried with it the incisive social commentary that had been a hallmark of his earlier writings.
Initially serialized in Rolling Stone magazine, the book quickly gained immense popularity, spending two consecutive months at the top of the New York Times bestseller...
