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Nathanael West
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Day Of The Locust, The Mass Market Paperback – 6 March 2006

by Nathanael West (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars 521
Edition: 1st
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Tod Hackett is a brilliant young artist - and a man in danger of losing his heart. Brought to an LA studio as a set-designer, he is soon caught up in a fantasy world where the cult of celebrity rules. But when he becomes besotted by the beautiful Faye, an aspiring actress and occasional call-girl, his dream rapidly becomes a nightmare. For, with little in the way of looks and no money to buy her time, Tod s desperate passion can only lead to frustration, disillusionment and rage . . .
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780141023656
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0141023656
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Penguin
  5. Publication date
    6 March 2006
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    10.97 x 1.45 x 17.96 cm
  8. Print length
    192 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

Nathanael West (1903-1940) - original name Nathan Weinstein (until 1926) American writer who died in a car crash at thirty-seven. Nathanael West published four novels.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0141023651
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; 1st edition (6 March 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780141023656
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141023656
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.97 x 1.45 x 17.96 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 out of 5 stars 521

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Nathanael West

Nathanael West

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3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5
521 global ratings

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Allan Carin
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 29 September 2015
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Still a classic about Hollywood.
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Hoka
5.0 out of 5 stars could better have been described by Hemingway and I felt the ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2015
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There's little more to say, because I agree with your earlier reviewers, except for the one who says the book ends so suddenly. Yes, but by then the author has stated his case and succinctly - it's a very short novel. It is not so much a story as a snapshot of Hollywood at its most decadent. Anyone who has read "Hollywood Babylon" will know that the 1920s and 1930s comprised the most decadent and sordid era of Hollywood - drugs, alcoholism, rape.For me there was nothing unexpected in this book, but I thought it dealt well with the Hollywood of that era, with a man [Tod] who is a talented artist, but who becomes embroiled in the really messy side of the film capital in the shape of the woman Faye. Some of the other characters, such as the Mexican, could better have been described by Hemingway and I felt the whole business of cock fighting reminded me of Hemingway's obsession with bull fighting - but not quite. However, unlike the lengthy novels of Hemingway [For Whom The Bell Tolls in particular], it is an easy read and it is a page-turner. A must for all serious readers of fiction who like to explore all aspects of humanity.
2 people found this helpful
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GML
5.0 out of 5 stars The Flip Side of L.A.
Reviewed in the United States on 17 March 2012
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Nathanael West created a haunting, eminently readable novel in 1939. The real twist is that the tale resonates today. West's keen and prescient evaluation of the dark side of L.A. stands up to contemporary times. It is a city that is complex: extremes of wealth and poverty, a city of dreams and nightmares, a place of competition and sublimation, where almost every facet of the city is touched by the "industry" of film with its vapor trail of glamour and beauty.

The protagonist, Tod Hackett, is a frustrated commercial artist working for the movie studios, a "sellout" according to his art school compatriots back on the East Coast. The narrator's voice never fails to reflect the immediate events around him with fluidity and insight, key to the book's readability. Tod's philosophical examination and keen insight into his adopted City of Angels encompasses the city's unique role as a destination of dreamers that can deteriorate into a nightmare as the distinctions become clear between those that "made it," those that think they're going to make it, and those that know they aren't. Tod's experiences with various characters in Hollywood could itself make a movie (and, indeed, has): the capricious survivor Faye Greener and her worn-out father Harry; contentious dwarf Abe Kusich, drugstore cowboy Earle Shoop, and perhaps the most complex and troubled character, Homer Simpson, a Midwest emigrant to the "promised land" who also is briefly a narrator. Throughout various scenarios ranging from religious revivals, movie openings, the business of a bordello, and the everyday ephemera known as life, West creates a memorable portrait of a man who is seeking something that perhaps can never be found. Tod is overwhelmed with nihilism but seeks to temper it with a dual objectification and repulsion towards Faye Greener.

Perhaps what West creates most movingly is a portrait of L.A.- the excitement, the grunge, the messiness, the beauty of it all juxtaposed with the fairy tale meeting cold reality. With so few "making it" L.A. is a city filled with those who believe they are one step away from success, or have more chillingly, resigned themselves to feeding off the city and its inhabitants through various means. You have to be hungry, smart, and relentless to make it in L.A. Behind the sunshine and palm trees lies a spirit of fierce competition and brutal one-upmanship.
I would strongly recommend this book for its straightforward yet beautifully insightful prose, and the unforgettable characterization of Tod Hackett, perhaps one of my favorite male narrators
outside of Holden Caulfield. Entertaining, witty, and realistic, "The Day of the Locust" doesn't have a Hollywood ending. But would we want it to?
23 people found this helpful
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Chris Ahern
4.0 out of 5 stars Good writing, not a gripping plot at all.
Reviewed in the United States on 27 February 2017
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It's an interesting story and the writing is good but I think the story might have been better suited for its time. Most of the characters were basically one aspect caricatures and didn't bring a whole lot to the story. It was enjoyable enough however and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it.
2 people found this helpful
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Robert Campion
4.0 out of 5 stars Thirties Hollywood.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2015
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I've been wanting to read this American classic ever since it was recommended in RV Cassill's The Writing of Fiction, which read when I was much younger than I am now. It's taken a shockingly long time to get around to read it. But I am glad I did. It is a modest book, crisp, terse and eloquent. The central character is 25 years old, and like many 25 year olds (including myself when I was that age) he seems a bit lost. I works in Hollywood in the thirties as a set designer, but doesn't push himself too hard. His wry observations of the Hollywood scene give the novel its flavour. He finds himself drawn to a young lady of dubious morals who wants to be a movie star. But you suspect that the only reason he's trying his luck with her is because he is bored. And who else is there? None of this sounds like promising literary material. But Nathanael West makes it work.
One person found this helpful
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