I'd read that Nathanael West modelled this book after Dostoyevsky, but how many prodigal, epilectic, gambling-obsessed Russian scions of doctors can the publishing world produce?
So although it wasn't a fair comparison, Miss Lonelyhearts was missing the raw emotion and chaos of Dostoyevsky, but with far more transparent Christianity at the surface. Still the book sent him star ascendant to Hollywood.
Side note: I've just read that West was the descendant of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania, like Salinger.