the index of self-destructive acts

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha (Tin House, 2020)

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts is a big, ambitious New York City novel — rather similar in scope and tone to Bonfire of the Vanities (I imagine).  Its wealthy and privileged characters are well-developed and interesting, and the book has no post-modern gloss or attitude — the rich Trollopian narrative is conventionally presented and offers all the many satisfactions of 19th-century novels.

It takes place over about six months in 2009 — after the crash of 2008 — and seamlessly combines the worlds of high-finance, baseball, and journalism.  Beha writes with a confident authority about all these things and whatever research he did is unobtrusively incorporated into this very accomplished and enjoyable book.