This is an iconic novel that perfectly captures themes of alienation and desperation that are just as relevant today as when it was first published in 1939. Aspiring young artist Tod Hackett arrives in Los Angeles with grand ambitions and begins working for the movie studios. However, reality soon sets in and the glittering facade of Hollywood fades into the background, as Tod navigates through the lonely and disenfranchised majority, encountering beautiful actress Faye Greener, frustrated accountant Homer Simpson, and a motley crew of cowboys, crooks, and stars on the wax and wane. This is a classic study of early Hollywood, each page sizzles with brutality and black humour, as life in the bristling, parched underbelly growls towards a thundering climax.