Back to Blood (2012)

by Tom Wolfe

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A big, panoramic story of the new America, as told by our master chronicler of the way we live now. As a police launch speeds across Miami's Biscayne Bay-with officer Nestor Camacho on board-Tom Wolfe is off and running. Into the feverous landscape of the city, he introduces the Cuban mayor, the black police chief, a wanna-go-muckraking young journalist and his Yale-marinated editor; an Anglo sex-addiction psychiatrist and his Latina nurse by day, loin lock by night-until lately, the love of Nestor's life; a refined, and oh-so-light-skinned young woman from Haiti and her Creole-spouting, black-gang-banger-stylin' little brother; a billionaire porn addict, crack dealers in the 'hoods, "de-skilled" conceptual artists at the Miami Art Basel Fair, "spectators" at the annual Biscayne Bay regatta looking only for that night's orgy, yenta-heavy ex-New Yorkers at an "Active Adult" condo, and a nest of shady Russians. Based on the same sort of detailed, on-scene, high-energy reporting that powered Tom Wolfe's previous bestselling novels, BACK TO BLOOD is another brilliant, spot-on, scrupulous, and often hilarious reckoning with our times.… (more)

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I never read a disappointing book by Tom Wolfe. I think it was with this one I realized he was conservative in outlook. (

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JoeHamilton | Jul 21, 2020 |

This is a big doorstop of a novel that is set in the steaming immigrant stew that is Miami, Florida, and is the perfect spot for Tom Wolfe's Dickensian prose. He weaves a story full of rich characters: Nester Machado, a first generation Cuban-American trying to serve honorably on the Miami Police department; his girlfriend, Magdalena who dumps him for her boss, a noted sex addiction psychiatrist, hoping to strike it rich in Miami society; a Haitian College professor who is trying to move up in class, but is thwarted by his son who is drawn to the American black gansta culture; the canny Cuban mayor matching wits with his black police chief; retirement communities full of old Jewish yentas and Russian oligarchs looking for a big score.

In the midst of all of this Wolfe spins the story of a clever art forgery scam at the Miami Art Basal, that somehow Nestor and a reporter from the Miami Herald manage to uncover. This is not The Bonfire of Vanities that was arguably Wolfe's masterpiece, but it's a great page turner. (

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etxgardener | Jun 11, 2018 |

Story: Just ok. I really really liked I am Charlotte Simmons and BoV but I felt like this story was a bit forced. Some people have complained that this novel is just a re-telling of BoV and Man in Full (I have not read) in Miami. As someone who grew up in south Florida I appreciated the outsider's perspective on how politics are affected by class-ism/racism in the Miami area and how the different ethnic groups intermingle (or don't in some cases). That said, the story itself dragged at times and I felt that a few characters could have been developed more. I also hated the ending...it was such a non-ending and really didn't accomplish anything.

Performance of audio: Pretty good. I can only imagine it is difficult to perform a Tom Wolfe book out loud because of Wolfe's onomatopoeia love. I thought the narrator did a good job with all the sounds and the wittier sections. However his female voice wasn't always convincing and his laugh (while meant to be obnoxious) was too much at times.

Overall: B-/C (

)

JamieBH | Apr 3, 2018 |

One of the most annoying books I have read in a long time. I bought it because of the cover (the font reminded me of Bifur, one of my favourite fonts); because it is set in Miami (and I am on a bit of a Miami jag because of Dexter); because it purports to be about the art world; because it explores complex racial tensions and because I remember being swept up by Bonfire of the Vanities back in the day. It took ages to start, the art stuff was clever, and true enough I think, and I learnt a lot more about different communities in America, but I had obviously forgotten just how much Tom Wolfe indulges in words for effect, usually a stylistic device I enjoy but this was just ... annoying , because it got in the way of the story and the themes (and yes, the way the words are used conveys some of the themes but it got in the way of everything else.) Still a great cover though! (

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Deborahrs | Apr 15, 2017 |

Tom Wolfe focuses on Miami in this novel and, as he has been known to do, paints a vivid and highly sharp-eyed fictional snapshot. An insipid newspaper editor, a young, hard-charging reporter, a super-fit Cuban cop with good intentions, his status-seeking former girlfriend, and an extremely shady Russian art collector all figure into the story, along with others they touch along the way. Wolfe is very adept at creating these characters and bringing them to life. His list of acknowledgements shows he spent time in the city with people, doing things, experiencing the place, and it shows in the writing.

At first I wondered if Wolfe’s style was still relevant – words all capitalized, multiple explanation points, creative spacing, but that settles down as the story progresses onward into a masterful exposition of all the foibles and strengths that people display, only it’s in Miami. (

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Hagelstein | Nov 13, 2016 |

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Awards

Bad Sex in Fiction Award (Shortlist – 2012)

Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Audio (2013)

Distinctions

SPIEGEL-Bestseller (2013)

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Canonical title

Back to Blood

Original title

Back to Blood

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2012

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Miami, Florida, USA

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Back to Blood

File:BackToBlood.jpg

Oscar J. Corral

▾Book descriptions

A big, panoramic story of the new America, as told by our master chronicler of the way we live now. As a police launch speeds across Miami's Biscayne Bay-with officer Nestor Camacho on board-Tom Wolfe is off and running. Into the feverous landscape of the city, he introduces the Cuban mayor, the black police chief, a wanna-go-muckraking young journalist and his Yale-marinated editor; an Anglo sex-addiction psychiatrist and his Latina nurse by day, loin lock by night-until lately, the love of Nestor's life; a refined, and oh-so-light-skinned young woman from Haiti and her Creole-spouting, black-gang-banger-stylin' little brother; a billionaire porn addict, crack dealers in the 'hoods, "de-skilled" conceptual artists at the Miami Art Basel Fair, "spectators" at the annual Biscayne Bay regatta looking only for that night's orgy, yenta-heavy ex-New Yorkers at an "Active Adult" condo, and a nest of shady Russians. Based on the same sort of detailed, on-scene, high-energy reporting that powered Tom Wolfe's previous bestselling novels, BACK TO BLOOD is another brilliant, spot-on, scrupulous, and often hilarious reckoning with our times.

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