Complex sentence: His first novel, "The Bonfire of the Vanities", published in 1987, was met with critical acclaim, became a commercial success, and was adapted as a major motion picture (directed by Brian De Palma).
Split into simpler sentences: His first novel, "The Bonfire of the Vanities", published in 1987, was met with critical acclaim, and became a commercial success. It was adapted as a major motion picture (directed by Brian De Palma).