Bright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big City
Score Classic
What it's about
A young man lives in 1980s Manhattan as if he owned it, moving through nightclubs, fashion shows, editorial offices and loft parties as he tries to outrun mortality and the coming dawn, until he reaches his reckoning.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It made Jay McInerney a literary sensation, hailed as the voice of a generation.
You'll love it if you liked
The Great Gatsby
American Psycho
The Bell JarGood to know
There's a lot of drug use.
By the numbers
- Readers42 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Bright Lights, Big City worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,270 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Bright Lights, Big City about?
A young man lives in 1980s Manhattan as if he owned it, moving through nightclubs, fashion shows, editorial offices and loft parties as he tries to outrun mortality and the coming dawn, until he reaches his reckoning.
How long does it take to read Bright Lights, Big City?
About 5 hours (205 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Bright Lights, Big City?
If you liked it, try The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis or The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.