1939
The Day of the Locust
Nathanael West · 1903–1940 · United States
Why it matters
A studio artist watches Hollywood's discarded dreamers curdle into a mob outside a movie premiere. West's savage, hallucinatory vision of American celebrity culture souring into violence.
At a glance
satirepsychological novel
Difficulty 6/10fast pace176 pagesGrotesque, hallucinatory imagery compressed into a short, densely allusive novel.
Where to go next
Nathanael West · 1933Miss LonelyheartsLvl 6Fast paced
Katherine Anne Porter · 1939Pale Horse, Pale RiderLvl 6Medium pace
Wright Morris · 1980Plains Song: For Female VoicesLvl 5Slow burn
William Maxwell · 1979So Long, See You TomorrowLvl 5Slow burn
Mary Lee Settle · 1977Blood TieLvl 6Medium pace
F. Scott Fitzgerald · 1925The Great GatsbyLvl 4Fast paced