Staff Pick
An immersive literary work and rare example of a novel written in the second-person point of view. McInerney narrates your story as you're gallivanting through New York City in the 1980s, staying up way too late, making questionable decisions with questionable people, sabotaging your work life, running away from your past and yourself, and basically just recklessly careening through your post-college existence. This is a fun yet thought-provoking novel you will absolutely devour, with an ending you'll likely want to reread due to its sheer brilliance. Easily in my top 10 favorite novels of all time. Recommended By Nicholas Y., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
With the publication of Bright Lights, Big City in 1984, Jay McInerney became a literary sensation, heralded as the voice of a generation. The novel follows a young man, living in Manhattan as if he owned it, through nightclubs, fashion shows, editorial offices, and loft parties as he attempts to outstrip mortality and the recurring approach of dawn. With nothing but goodwill, controlled substances, and wit to sustain him in this anti-quest, he runs until he reaches his reckoning point, where he is forced to acknowledge loss and, possibly, to rediscover his better instincts. This remarkable novel of youth and New York remains one of the most beloved, imitated, and iconic novels in America.
Review
"Each generation needs its Manhattan novel, and many ache to write it. But it was McInerney who succeeded." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Short, sleek and very funny…. Beneath it’s surface, though, a heart’s cry for a saner, sweeter, more thoughtful and restrained existence." Chicago Tribune
Review
"Bright Lights, Big City defined, and even determined, the mood of this whole town." Vanity Fair
Review
"Bright Lights, Big City is a brilliant and moving work — unique, refreshing, imaginatively powerful and authentically conceived." The New York Times
About the Author
Jay McInerney is the author of seven previous novels, a collection of short stories and three collections of essays on wine. He lives in New York City and Bridgehampton, New York.