Someone had to do it, didn't they? Take those Bright Lights, Big City stories from the 80s and give them an update for the 90s. What with Jay McInerney writing books on wine these days (how middle-aged) and Brett Easton Ellis spending most of his time tanning himself
in the glare of his own ego, what were the young, drugged up, poor little rich kids of Wall Street going to do to get heard?
Enter Dana Vachon. Vachon had some experience working for a large financier in Manhattan, apparently, and thus retells his stories in a kind of "all names changed to protect the innocent" fashion. We follow Tom Quinn, who somehow lands himself at JS Spenser, a once great and still worthy bank right in the middle of all the financial action. While Quinn flounders, his graduating mate Roger Thorne, who has as much mental acumen as Joey from Friends, greases, sleeps and chances his way to the top. Thorne's rise is as metoeric as Quinn's passage is mediocre, yet somehow they both end up at a party on a yacht in South America being attacked by rebel pirates, one of whom Quinn kills. So far, so ridiculous.
I'm a little unkind. It's a fun romp, and the sorry personal side of Quinn's life - suicidal girlfriend, sad, wannabe Dad - is gently told and quite endearing. The action is entertaining, the characters so unbelievable they are no doubt based on people Vachon hung out with. It's a fun, if slightly vacuous ride. Coming to a big screen near you soon, I'm sure.
* Random House, $36.99
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