This book is like a prototype of Thomas's work to come. Like her later novels, there are many long conversations and an emphasis on characters over plot. In "Bright Young Things," though, the characters never really reach quite the depth that they do in subsequent books, and the conversations aren't quite as ruminative. It's still certainly worth a read, especially if you're interested in watching Thomas's style evolve.

Bonus points if you can find the offhand comment a character makes that later becomes the basis for Thomas's novel "Going Out."