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.
