Nathanael West, originally Nathan Weinstein, emerged from the bustling streets of New York City on October 17, 1903. He was born into a family of Jewish immigrants, with his father, Max Weinstein, a successful building contractor, envisioning a future for him in the family business. However, West's aspirations diverged considerably from his father's expectations, setting him on a path that would lead away from conventional success.

Early Life and Education

Max Weinstein hoped his son would embrace the virtues of hard work and business acumen, often gifting him Horatio Alger novels, which celebrated self-made success. Yet, Nathanael, nicknamed "Pep" due to his reputed lack of energy, had little interest in such pursuits. He dropped out of high school, preferring a more unorthodox approach to life. West's educational journey was unconventional; he secured entry into Tufts University under false pretenses and was expelled due to poor performance. Undeterred, he managed to enroll at Brown University by borrowing someone else's academic records. West graduated in 1924, remembered more for his wit and social engagements than for any notable scholarly achievements.

Paris and Return to the U.S.

After his time at Brown, West spent two formative years in Paris, a gift from his father that provided him exposure to a world of arts and letters. In 1927, he returned to a United States on the brink of economic turmoil, summoned home as his family's business began to falter. To support himself, West took on various roles managing residential hotels. These positions provided more than just a living; they introduced him to an array of struggling writers and colorful characters, including luminaries like Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman. Fascinated by the lives around him, West often resorted to reading his tenants' private correspondence to fuel his creative pursuits. It was during this period that he completed his first book, The Dream Life of Balso Snell, though it failed to capture the attention of critics or the public when it was published in 1931.

Literary and Hollywood Ventures

West's second novel, Miss Lonelyhearts, emerged in 1933 and was met with critical acclaim from his literary peers, though it struggled to achieve commercial success. Concerned about his financial future, West relocated to California, securing a brief stint as a screenwriter for Columbia Pictures. This endeavor lasted a mere year, prompting his return to New York City where he penned his third novel, A Cool Million: The Dismantling of Lemuel Pitkin. The sale of its film rights in 1935 lured West back to California, where he sought to carve out a more permanent niche in screenwriting.

Life in California

In California, West's lifestyle echoed his earlier days in New York, as he resided in modest hotels and mingled with a diverse crowd, including prostitutes and small-time crooks. His attempts to establish a successful career in screenwriting were tenuous, and for a period, he relied on financial support from his brother-in-law, S.J. Perelman. Eventually, West found steady employment with a minor studio producing low-budget films, which afforded him financial stability and the freedom to pursue his literary interests with renewed vigor.

Legacy and Untimely Death

With a more stable income, West turned his creative energies towards completing The Day of the Locust in 1939. Like his previous works, it garnered critical praise but failed to achieve widespread popularity or financial reward. Throughout his career, West's novels brought in a modest sum of approximately $1,300. Tragically, his promising life was cut short in an automobile accident on December 22, 1940. West, alongside his wife Eileen McKenney, with whom he had shared only nine months of marriage, died when he inadvertently ran a stop sign near El Centro, California.