Title: Day Of The Locust
Author: Nathanael West
First published January 1, 1939
Rating: 3.72
Overview
Nathanael West’s Day of the Locust takes readers on a journey through the dark side of Hollywood, where the American dream is nothing but a twisted nightmare. In this seedy world, every character is driven by their own desires, whether it’s the ironically romantic artist, the macho movie cowboy, the middle-aged innocent from America’s heartland, or the hard-as-nails call girl would-be-star.
As they all lust after the same unattainable dream, their lives become a mockery of reality, plunging into empty sex and breeding savage violence. This novel is a classic indictment of all that is most extravagant and uncontrolled in American life and an unforgettable portrayal of a world that rewards the false and punishes the true.
About the Author
Nathanael von Wallenstein Weinstein was born to a wealthy Jewish family, but he preferred to create his own identity. While studying at Brown University in Rhode Island, he became friends with S.
J. Perelman, who later married his sister.
West started cartooning and writing during this period. He sometimes borrowed his cousin’s work and passed it off as his own.
Due to failing a crucial course in modern drama, he almost didn’t graduate. He convinced a professor to upgrade his marks, using dramatic tactics and tears.
After a few years in Paris, where he wrote his first novel, he returned to New York. He managed his family-owned hotel, the Sutton, but did a poor job.
The job allowed him to observe a peculiar group of misfits and drifters who frequented the hotel’s drugstore. Some of these characters inspired West’s novel.
West spent the remainder of his life in Hollywood, writing B-movie screenplays for small studios. He became immersed in Tinseltown’s seedy underworld of drug dealers, extras, gangsters, and prostitutes, all of whom he incorporated into his final masterpiece.
West’s life ended as tragically as his stories. He had recently married and was receiving better-paid script work, making him happy and successful.
However, he ignored a stop sign and crashed his car, killing himself and his wife Eileen, just a day after his friend F. Scott Fitzgerald’s death.
Editoral Review
Day of the Locust by Nathanael West is a seminal piece of literature that was first published on January 1, 1939. The author was a prolific writer, and his works are widely regarded as being some of the best in the twentieth century.
This book is especially important as it provides a rich description of the American Dream and its disillusionment, which is still prevalent in American society today. The novel portrays the life of aspiring artist Tod Hackett, who comes to Los Angeles in the hope of making a name for himself.
In his journey, he encounters several characters who are trying to achieve their dreams, including Faye Greener, a young woman who wants to become an actress. The novel showcases the degeneracy, violence, and despair that lurk beneath the glittering facade of Hollywood.
West’s writing style is both elegant and precise, making it a pleasure to read. The prose is meticulously crafted, creating vivid imagery that immerses the reader in the world of the novel.
The characters are multi-faceted, and West’s skillful character development allows the reader to intimately delve into their psyches, making their motivations and feelings palpable. The pacing of Day of the Locust is deliberate, enabling the reader to engage with the book’s themes, which explore the banality of existence, the futility of ambition, the fragility of human identity, and the dangers of unchecked desire.
The setting of the novel is also significant in that it showcases the stark contrast between the glamour and glitz of Hollywood and the raw, seedy underbelly of the city. While the book is set in the late 1930s, its relevance cannot be overstated as it provides a scathing critique of American culture and society that is still present today.
The portrayal of the disillusionment of people who cannot achieve what they aspire to is especially poignant, given the current economic and social context. However, the book has a few limitations.
The ending is abrupt, providing little resolution, and the depth of some of the characters backstories remains unexplored, which may leave some readers wanting more. Nonetheless, the novel’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.
In conclusion, Day of the Locust is a masterpiece of American literature. West has crafted an enduring exploration of the human condition and the pursuit of the American Dream that is significant and relevant to contemporary society.
It is a compelling read that will appeal to anyone interested in exploring the complexities of the human experience. I highly recommend this novel to both avid readers and those who are new to the genre.
I give this book a well-deserved score of 9 out of 10.
