The Day of the Locust

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. 纳撒尼尔·韦斯特 1903年生于纽约的一个犹太家庭，父母为来自俄属立陶宛的犹太移民，生长于美国的韦斯特乃家中独子，背负着父母对这块新大陆怀抱的美国梦。他一生共出版四部小说，1939年出版的《蝗灾之日》是生前最厚也是最后的一部小说，《The Day of the Locust》直陈好莱坞成名梦背后并不光鲜亮丽的真相，刻画美国群众的集体幻灭，被誉为好莱坞小说中的罕见杰作。 韦斯特在世时从未享有盛名，只获得少数评论家注意。1957年，美国出版商出版《韦斯特全集》，方使韦斯特渐为人知，《寂寞芳心小姐》与《蝗灾之日》更双双列入美国现代文学经典，进而译成十数种语言，备受推崇，影响深远。