num_pages: 380
description: All four of these brilliant novellas are set in America during the Depression, where, in a biting indictment of America, Nataniel West depicts the New World as a wasteland of boredom, inhumanity and suffering.The Day of the Locust presents a comic portrayal of Hollywood--but a thin curtain keeps blowing aside to reveal unforgettable scenes of violence and mob hysteria.The Dream Life of Balso Snell, a surrealist dream story, is an exercise in private despair.Miss Lonelyhearts, whose protagonist is a reporter assigned to his newspaper's agony column, can be interpreted as a modern fable of disturbing power.A Cool Million, a Candide-like satire, explores the American rags-to-riches myth.--back cover
language: English
title: The Collected Works of Nathanael West : The Day of the Locust / The Dream Life of Balso Snell / Miss Lonelyhearts / A Cool Million
titlecomplete: The Collected Works of Nathanael West : The Day of the Locust / The Dream Life of Balso Snell / Miss Lonelyhearts / A Cool Million
genres: Classics, Collections, Fiction, Short Stories, Novels, 20th Century, Literature, American
ratings_count: 209
publisher: Penguin Books