The Day of the Locust - Nathanael West

'He began to wonder if he himself didn't suffer from the ingrained, morbid apathy he liked to draw in others'

Tod Hackett is a brilliant young artist - and a man in danger of losing his heart. Brought to an LA studio as a set-designer, he is soon caught up in a fantasy world where the cult of celebrity rules. But when he becomes besotted by the beautiful Faye, an aspiring actress and occasional call-girl, his dream rapidly becomes a nightmare.