E.L. Doctorow: American Author Challenge

"The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like."

"There is no longer any such thing as fiction or nonfiction; there's only narrative."

"Edgar Lawrence "E. L." Doctorow was born in the Bronx, January 6, 1931. He was an American author, editor, and professor, best known internationally for his works of historical fiction. He has been described as one of the most important American novelists of the 20th century.

He wrote twelve novels, three volumes of short fiction and a stage drama. They included the award-winning novels Ragtime(1975), Billy Bathgate(1989), and The March (2005). These, like many of his other works, placed fictional characters in recognizable historical contexts, with known historical figures, and often used different narrative styles. His stories were recognized for their originality and versatility, and Doctorow was praised for his audacity and imagination."

Sadly, he died of lung cancer on July 21, 2015, aged 84, in Manhattan. This is our tribute to a wonderful American writer.

**This is part of our American Author Challenge 2015. This author will be read in December. The general discussion thread can be found right here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/185195

Wow! Our last American author of the year. We did it! Thanks to everyone for making AACII a success. Looking forward to doing this again, next year.

I have been reading Doctorow for about 35 years. I have read seven of his novels, starting with Loon Lake and The Book of Daniel. It took me a long time to finally get to his masterwork- Ragtime. I had all ready seen the film, which is also terrific, despite it's truncated form. If you have not read him, I would suggest starting here.

There are still a few of his, I have not read, so this time, I will read World's Fair and since I have never read his short fiction, I might try to bookhorn in Sweet Land: Stories.

I have always wanted to read his first novel, Welcome to Hard Times, but never have. Has anyone read it? Thoughts?

I want to read Ragtime and I can't remember whether I have a copy lying about the house or not....

I happened across a copy of Ragtime in a used bookshop about 3 months ago, and have been saving it for this month. I'm in!

I think I will read Andrew's Brain.

There are quite a few Doctorow books I'd like to read but, for starters in December, Homer & Langley.

I have The March in my TBR stash. I might get to it this month. I generally prefer to read lighter books around the holidays since it's so busy.

I checked out Homer & Langley from the local library to end the year on.

Ragtime was my first, Mark, about 35+ years ago for me (before the film anyway). This month I will be reading The March and if I get ambitious I might do Homer and Langley as well. I've already started The March and I'm liking it a lot.

I've read Andrew's Brain. It's a fantastic story. I hope that everybody is enjoying their readings.

I've got World's Fair on the menu, too.

reading "The March" I was struck by a sort of inside tip of the hat by Doctorow. Along the way as Sherman's army tears things asunder, one of the minor main characters hooks up with one Coalhouse Walker Sr. Senior he says to his bride to be because there is gonna be a junior.

Now in Ragtime there was one Coalhouse Walker Jr.

>13 RBeffa: - Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

I'll be joining those reading Ragtime. I was working in a bookstore in the 70's when it was released. At that time, I made it a point to not read the popular new releases - and so I have not read anything at all by Doctorow.

ETA: Whoops, I was wrong. I've read Homer and Langley. Although it was based on a real life pair of brothers, he flipped the identities of the brothers - the older became the younger in his novel and vice versa. I get annoyed when authors take that much liberty when writing historical fiction.

Read just a little early, this is my selection for December for the American Author challenge.

The March by E. L. Doctorow, finished November 30, 2015, 3 1/2 stars, acquired in 2015 for the AAC


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Interesting piece of historical fiction - "The March" is Sherman's March through Georgia (Part One), South Carolina (Part Two) and North Carolina (Part Three).

For the most part I like how Doctorow crafted this story. It is fragmented (we don't follow some characters for long stretches) but it worked. There's maybe a bit of oddness to part of it, but emotionally it captured me. There is a rotating cast of main characters. I'd read a chapter, think about it, and then tackle the next. I've read a fair bit of Civil War history and a handful of Civil War fiction. Reading this novel let me see and think about Sherman's march in a way I probably never would have otherwise.

This novel doesn't rise to the "great" level, yet it seems that it could have because parts of it are magnificent. I liked the first half of the novel where we meet each of the characters in various situations. I became interested and invested in the story arc of several characters. However some of those disappeared and the playing out of the story in the second half just did not have the energy of the beginning of the book. In particular I thought the story of one of the primary characters, Pearl, was just odd. When I think about it, I was disappointed with the story arc of virtually every character, none moreso than a young Johnny Reb named Arly.

Slightly surprising to me, Sherman was my favorite character of the book and the only character who did not disappoint.

I may read another Doctorow (Homer and Langley) before the year ends. I have not read a Doctorow novel for a long time and I thank Mark's challenge for getting me to pick him up again.

I picked The March. To try to make my December reading manageable, I've chosen the audio version from my public library and will start listening tonight on my ride home from work.

I've read Ragtime and Billy Bathgate and The Book of Daniel. Earlier this year, I read The Waterworks. On the shelves are World's Fair, The March, and Homer & Langley. Definitely expect to read the latter two; dunno about World's Fair. Probably won't fit it in.

>15 RBeffa: Good review of The March, Ron. I read it back when it came out, so I only remember that I liked it.
Homer and Langley is a quick read, although a bit light.

>17 weird_O: I'll be reading World's Fair, Bill. How was The Waterworks? I haven't heard much about that one.

City of God will be mine for December and I understand it to be one of his more difficult reads.

I have never read that one, Paul. I will be watching for your thoughts. Have you read Ragtime?

Yes mate I have read by Doctorow:

Ragtime
The Waterworks
Billy Bathgate
The Book of Daniel

and I liked them in that order with Ragtime being his best for me to date.

Second all who are reading The March, especially those going for the audio book.
Doctorow is an author who I gave a second chance. I read him early on in his career but didn't swoon at his feet. Instead, I turned the page on him -- until last year.

I listened to "The March," my first return to his works in more than 30 years, at the same time his death was announced. How can the average reader (moi) not see a portent in that? That novel delivered -- subtle, mature, meticulously constructed, balanced, and unrelentingly condemnatory of the Glorious Cause and the so-called Glory of War. IMO, it, not Ragtime, is the apex of Doctorow's talent as a novelist.

>13 RBeffa: Oh, I love that. I've read neither but I'm planning to read Ragtime, starting later this week. Then perhaps I will listen to The March.
>22 Limelite: Such a great endorsement!

>22 Limelite: I've started listening to it, and I'm enjoying it so far.

I liked Doctorow's The March. I loved Homer & Langley.

Homer & Langley by E. L. Doctorow, finished December 4, 2015, 4 1/2 stars, acquired in 2015 for the AAC


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I loved this book. It is told in a very unconventional manner and it hooked me right from the start. Oh this is a sad book. Two brothers bound to one another who go through life despite their problems. I can't talk myself into 5 stars - Homer gets 5 stars but Langley only 4 because I never felt connected to Langley or quite understood him the way I did with Homer. The story is told by Homer so perhaps that is only natural, but also at about the 3/4 mark the story got a little extra strange.

I had some worries before reading this that it might be a little too creepy dealing with some renowned hoarders, even in a highly fictionalized form, but those worries became nothings.

If I had not read Anthony Doerr's All The Light You Cannot See at the beginning of the year I'd call this my favorite book of the year.

Great review of Homer & Langley, Ron. I liked this book too, just not as much as you. LOL. Love that enthusiasm.

I plan on starting World's Fair, sometime next week.

> 26 Wasn't much of a review. It deserves a better more thoughtful review but I'm not sure I could write one. It would be more truthful of me to say I loved the first half of the book as we got to know Homer and Langley. The book really had me under a spell for quite a while. The latter part of the book is really sad when you discover what is happening to Homer and then the end made me especially sad. The bit about the young girl that Homer tutored who decades later we discover became a nun also got a little strange. Poor Homer was really a victim of his brother's madness ... and then at some point he seems to have joined him. I hoped until the very last paragraph that Homer would somehow escape and find a bit of happiness late in life.

There were a few things that bothered me about the book, and I completely understand the mixed reviews the novel has received. Some of my "bothers" were nitpicky but a bigger bother is that I don't think I ever understood why this all happened. I keep thinking about the story and I just do not understand Langley. He wasn't overtly batshit crazy and we are constantly told (more like beaten over the head) why he collects all the newspapers but still, at the end, I wonder why this guy was like this.

I am one of those readers who wasn't won over by Homer & Langley. My illustrated report is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/196008#5364015

I finished my Doctorow read - Homer and Langley. I'd read My Brother's Keeper 45 years ago, long enough that I've forgotten how that author told this story. Just remembering the basics, I can't compare them. But Doctorow did put personality on the Collyer brothers and plausibility as to how they came to be the way they were, building on the events in their lives from their teens until their end. After reading their story this time, it was interesting to google them and see images of what 140 tons of junk looked like. The pictures matched the atmosphere that Doctorow painted in his story. I can't speak to how accurate he was to reality, but as a story, it was very well told. 3.8 stars.

I read The March last year. It was also a 4 star read.

Picked up Doctorow's Andrew's Brain at the library last night, so maybe I'll actually complete this month. I have a volume of essays on the shelf too, so may dip. I moved my copy of Ragtime recently, so can't put my hand on it.

I finished Ragtime last night and ended up liking it, once I could devote some attention to it. I have nothing much profound to say because my brain is fried, but I'd encourage people to give it a whirl. It's a well-written, fast but thought-provoking read.

I am waiting for Sweet Land Stories, which I have requested at the library. I wanted Ragtime, but they didn't have it. They did have The March, but I can't quite muster the energy for that this month. I'm way over my Kindle budget for the month, so if I like the short stories, I may spring for Ragtime in January. :)

I thought World's Fair was really well done, and for those interested, my review is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/206504#5374071

>32 nittnut: I may try to bookhorn in Sweet Land too. Plus it is a shorty.

I hope to start World's Fair tomorrow.

Ha, I like bookhorn.

"With my new freedom, I was developing a certain confidence. I was reading more than I ever had, three or four books a week, sea stories and boys' stories, and sports and adventure novels; and I began to feel hampered having to wait for an adult, my mother particularly, to find the time to accompany me to the library."

-World's Fair

^Nearly perfect coming of age story, set in NYC, during the 1930s, capping off with the World's Fair in '38. This looks to be based on Doctorow's early life.

4 stars





^New York World's Fair 1939

I finished the volume of short fiction, Sweet Land Stories, this morning. For the first time that I can remember, I loved every single selection in a collection like this. Short fiction is so often hit or miss with me, and even when I greatly enjoy some of the stories, others usually feel flat and pointless. There are only five stories in the collection, and each one is a gem. Three of the five are told in the first person. The most powerful of the lot is "Walter John Harmon", a first person narrative from inside the head of a member of a religious cult founded by a former mechanic who survived a cyclone that engulfed the repair shop where he worked. It is downright terrifying to note how the healthy skepticism of the seemingly rational narrator gradually turns to cautious acceptance of the cult's lifestyle requirements, and ultimately morphs him into a true believer and incipient fanatic. In "A House on the Plains", the narrator is a young man whose mother is up to something, the nature of which gradually and subtly becomes horribly clear. It's a tiny little novel, and I rate it right up there with Tom Tryon's The Other for the way pieces fall in place to suggest and then reveal a picture you don't want to see but can't look away from. "Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden" is a touching portrait of a disillusioned FBI agent who does what he can unofficially to rectify a sad situation created by a disturbed young woman with a grudge against her father and a bureaucratic system that sees nothing in human terms. Highly recommended....there's plenty of time to read these before the end of the year, if you're still trying to complete your AAC.

> 37 Nice review that gives me something to look forward to from Doctorow!

>38 RBeffa: It's been on my shelf for several years, Ron. I don't know what took me so long to get around to it. I always love Doctorow. I got Homer and Langley from the ER program and gobbled it up. Since you enjoyed that one, you ought to read (after a sufficient lapse of time) Jon Clinch's Kings of the Earth about another set of brothers in peculiar life circumstances, also based on real people.

>37 laytonwoman3rd: Good review of Sweet Land: stories, Linda! Sounds really good. I do have it saved on ebook, so I hope to get to it, in the near future.

I am also a big fan of Clinch's Kings of the Earth. The documentary, about those brothers was excellent as well.

I finished Ragtime early this morning and absolutely loved it. I'm picking up more Doctorow books. I'll be reading World's Fair soon, I think.

I really liked how he wove the real life characters like Harry Houdini and Emma Goldman in with his fictional characters.

I finished Sweet Land Stories yesterday. Doctorow is very skillful with the words and has crafted a compelling set of stories. They are nicely reviewed by Linda up at >37 laytonwoman3rd:, so I won't repeat. While the creepiest for me was probably "Walter John Harmon", my favorite was the last in the set - "Child, Dead in the Rose Garden."

>37 laytonwoman3rd: Ouch! BB got me.I'm putting World's Fair aside for now. Now I understand I need to find a copy of Sweet Land Stories.