Bright Lights, Big City: Jay McInerney

This novel isn't bad, but it isn't great either. For me it was a slightly queasy nostalgia trip through some aspects of 80's culture, and I mean culture as in this piece of literature, not real life or what society actually was about. The novel has a seductive sheen of being high on mediocre talent, which poisoned a lot of the cultural output at the time. In retrospect it is impossible to disentangle mentally from similarly gilded decent handicraft in movies and music of the time. Brat pack, anyone? In one way the book can be given classic status, that is as a historical document. Going to pick up one more book by McInerney though, curious what direction he took after this one.

I LOVED this book, it's still one of my favourite books. If you like descriptive and slightly chaotic and edgy books then it's great. I loved the writing, it's definitely more about description and emotion than plot. Fully recommend

Very engaging story, clever perspective. I found it witty and relatable, different to most books I have read. Most readers should enjoy it.

I'd never read it before but had heard of it. Thought it might be dated but it hooked me from the start and didn't let go. Made me miss the 80s. Loved it.

The dust cover was a bit more beat up than expected, but the book it selv was pretty good.

Reading this nearly thirty years after the fact, BLBC becomes more than it was when it was first released, because there is so much nostalgia for the reader who lived through the period.More importantly than that is the fact that Jay McInerney is a fine writer, very probably a great writer and someone that anyone interested in American literature should read. This book is wonderful, dark, funny and pretty bleak, but most of all a delight to read.

Any author that can say all he wants to say so succinctly and absorbingly has to be worth a read.This book might be short, but it is totally satisfying. The story may be as unhealthy as kebab and chips after a night on the town, but the reader is left feeling as replete as if they had eaten a 3 Michelin starred meal.

Love this book so much that despite the fact that I had read the french version I bought the original version to re-read it. If you like Bret Easton Ellis' vibe you'll love this.