“Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex. You thought of nothing else if you didn’t have it and thought of other things if you did.”
Part One
The novel follows John Self, a hedonistic, self-destructive advertising director who shuttles between London and New York, drowning in excess—alcohol, fast food, pornography, and reckless spending. He is hired to direct a film, Good Money, bankrolled by the mysterious Fielding Goodney. Self’s life spirals as he indulges in every vice, oblivious to the chaos around him.
Part Two
Self’s relationships deteriorate—his estranged father, a failed writer, resurfaces, and his girlfriend Selina cheats on him. Meanwhile, the film project becomes increasingly dubious. Self’s paranoia grows as debts pile up, and he suspects betrayal. A violent altercation with a cab driver lands him in legal trouble, further destabilizing his life.
Part Three
Self discovers that Fielding Goodney has been manipulating him—Good Money is a scam, and Self is left financially ruined. His father dies, leaving him a bitter inheritance. In a final act of self-destruction, Self returns to London, where Selina abandons him. The novel ends with Self alone, reflecting on his hollow existence.
Key Ideas
- The corrosive effects of consumerism and unchecked capitalism.
- The emptiness of hedonism and self-destructive behavior.
- The blurred line between reality and artifice in media and fame.
- The cyclical nature of addiction—money, sex, and power.
- The illusion of the American Dream and upward mobility.
Who should read this book?
- Fans of dark satire and morally ambiguous protagonists.
- Readers interested in critiques of 1980s excess and materialism.
- Those who enjoy unreliable narrators and chaotic storytelling.