The Bonfire of the Vanities
by Tom Wolfe
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a novel by Tom Wolfe, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the United States in October 1987 after serialisation in Rolling Stone. It follows bond trader Sherman McCoy, whose life unravels after a car accident in the Bronx becomes a media sensation.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1987
- First published
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1987
The first edition of The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe was published in New York by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1987. We track 2 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Farrar, Straus and Giroux1987 Hardback I own The Bonfire of the Vanities, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 1987 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- Jonathan Cape1988 Hardback I own The Bonfire of the Vanities, Jonathan Cape 1988 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Adaptations
- The Bonfire of the Vanities film, 1990
- The Bonfire of the Vanities: The Opera musical
Setting and characters
- Set in
- New York City
Read next
- Followed by
- A Man in Full
In print
- Editions recorded
- 89 on Open Library, 44 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 15 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Tom Wolfe
- The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby1965 · 2 editions
- The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test1968 · 2 editions
- The Pump House Gang1968 · 2 editions
- Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers1970 · 2 editions
- The New Journalism1973 · 2 editions
- The Painted Word1975 · 2 editions
- The Right Stuff1979 · 3 editions
- From Bauhaus to Our House1981 · 2 editions
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Bonfire of the Vanities?
The first edition of The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe was published in New York by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1987.
How many editions of The Bonfire of the Vanities are there?
We track 2 editions of The Bonfire of the Vanities, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has The Bonfire of the Vanities been adapted?
Yes, including The Bonfire of the Vanities: The Opera (musical), The Bonfire of the Vanities (film, 1990), according to Wikidata.
What should I read after The Bonfire of the Vanities?
In order, it is followed by A Man in Full, according to Wikidata.
Where these facts come from
- The Bonfire of the Vanities, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Bonfire of the Vanities (Q1401130), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 19 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.