Nathanael West

"Somehow or other I seem to have slipped in between all the 'schools,' " observed Nathanael West the year before his untimely death in 1940. "My books meet no needs except my own, their circulation is practically private and I'm lucky to be published." Yet today, West is widely recognized as a prophetic writer whose …

The Day of the Locust is a 1939 novel by American author Nathanael West, set in Hollywood, California. The novel follows a young artist from the Yale School of Fine Arts named Tod Hackett who travels to California in search of inspiration for a new painting titled "The Burning of Los Angeles," which Tod is set to …

In 'Miss Lonelyhearts', a cynical hack takes on his newspaper's agony column and thinks of it as a joke, until he sees the letters of despair. In A Cool Million, the hapless hero chases a dream of success, but discovers the dark corners of human life.

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 …

West: Novels and Other Writings is a book by Nathanael West.