Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Another Doctorow winner!, 20 Jun 2007
This is a fabulous book, completely absorbing, rich in detail, strong on history and completely unputdownable. I missed my tube stop more than once. I have gone back to Doctorow's earlier books. I had forgotten how good a writer he is. .

A good but uneven read, 19 Apr 2007
The March is a fine book, large in scope and perhaps at times to large. The characters are many and so are the storylines. It is a story that maintains interest all the way through but is somewhat uneven. All but the best of epics have ups and downs. With The March the greatest ups frequently involve Will and Arly, two down on their luck confederate soldiers trying to survive in an ugly and brutal war. Their episodes tend to be funny and dramatic. Sometimes but not always both at once. I have not read a book by E.L. Doctorow before, The March left me interested in reading more of his books but hasn't gotten me rushing out to by them. The book might merit somewhat more than three stars but as I only give four stars to very good books it doesn't make that grade.


Very good historical novel, 04 Dec 2006
In Europe most people know little about the Civil War in the USA, except maybe that there was and issue about freedom for slaves and Abraham Lincoln was murdered. Even though I am a bit of a history buff, I have to admit that I also did not know much about this war. So how appropriate that I started reading this book while I was in Atlanta. The book follows a number of characters, both from the Confederate side and the Union side and from slave to general during the March that General Sherman undertook through George, South and North Carolina at the end of the Civil War. The book gives a disillusioning view of war: the dirt, the stench, the chaos, the atrocities, and the total futility of war. But also of love, comeradeship and gallantry. It is amazing how many parallels one can draw with the war in Iraq: a population of which one half is not happy with the liberation and the other half is in the end considered as a hindrance for the conquering army.

My main problem with the book was that there were so many characters involved that the book never really goes in depth: by using many characters the author can describe a large variety of aspects of war, but if one follows only one or a few characters (like in Kaputt from Malaparte, that I read last winter) the total disarray that is caused by war becomes much more apparent.


The march into an unknown future, 03 Sep 2006
I had to read the first page twice to grasp its meaning. It is such a gush of words that my brain felt overwhelmed, inundated, suffocated - as people must feel who just learn that war is about to engulf them and shatter their lifes. There could not be a better match of style and content.
The American Civil War is a subject which has already been tackled by many, but Doctorow still manages to tell a fresh story. He does not take sides - Union and Confederate soldiers commit attrocities, show compassion and sometimes even something resembling greatness.
There are three categories of people:
the old ones who either die or disappear from the story, presumably to die off-scene;
the middle-aged ones who will go on living but without illusions, hopes or expectations; they might as well be dead, becaue their lifes are really over;
and there are the (very) young ones who will build a new life for themselves and maybe even a new country, although the "Land of hope and glory" seems very far away at the end of this war.
Doctorow beautifully catches the hapharzardness of the last months of the Civil War; it is more or less a question of accident whether people survive or die and if fate exists it is definitely blind. But this is not a book without hope, because Coalhouse and Wilma, Stephen and Pearl, and the child David will start a new life - and maybe even a better one than before.

conventional, or unusual?, 16 Mar 2006
I have read all of Doctorow's books and have loved his extraordinary literary experiments with American history - often making me interested in times i'd otherwise not have known anything about.

But to start with, I found this book verging on the Oprah-ish - the fact that the two American reviews posted on co.uk here, can be so - matter of fact about reviewing it, making it sound like an epic movie... shows that.

I really felt disappointed - I expect so much more from this writer than a beautiful freed slave girl and a cantankerous general - just felt these were cliches out of a tv miniseries.

But in fact the book does have its own strangeness - and the incredibly layered story does help to add to that. I'm still not sure, on finishing the book, whether this wasn't a very conventional book from a usually-more-unusual writer. But I stayed up late to finish it. It really did involve me.

And the book is still so much more worth reading than a lot of other things. I'm still not sure what i think about Pearl - whether i believed in her. But to read this book and to think about the march through Iraq, happening at the same time Doctorow was writing the book - I found very interesting.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Another Doctorow winner!, 20 Jun 2007
This is a fabulous book, completely absorbing, rich in detail, strong on history and completely unputdownable. I missed my tube stop more than once. I have gone back to Doctorow's earlier books. I had forgotten how good a writer he is. .

A good but uneven read, 19 Apr 2007
The March is a fine book, large in scope and perhaps at times to large. The characters are many and so are the storylines. It is a story that maintains interest all the way through but is somewhat uneven. All but the best of epics have ups and downs. With The March the greatest ups frequently involve Will and Arly, two down on their luck confederate soldiers trying to survive in an ugly and brutal war. Their episodes tend to be funny and dramatic. Sometimes but not always both at once. I have not read a book by E.L. Doctorow before, The March left me interested in reading more of his books but hasn't gotten me rushing out to by them. The book might merit somewhat more than three stars but as I only give four stars to very good books it doesn't make that grade.


Very good historical novel, 04 Dec 2006
In Europe most people know little about the Civil War in the USA, except maybe that there was and issue about freedom for slaves and Abraham Lincoln was murdered. Even though I am a bit of a history buff, I have to admit that I also did not know much about this war. So how appropriate that I started reading this book while I was in Atlanta. The book follows a number of characters, both from the Confederate side and the Union side and from slave to general during the March that General Sherman undertook through George, South and North Carolina at the end of the Civil War. The book gives a disillusioning view of war: the dirt, the stench, the chaos, the atrocities, and the total futility of war. But also of love, comeradeship and gallantry. It is amazing how many parallels one can draw with the war in Iraq: a population of which one half is not happy with the liberation and the other half is in the end considered as a hindrance for the conquering army.

My main problem with the book was that there were so many characters involved that the book never really goes in depth: by using many characters the author can describe a large variety of aspects of war, but if one follows only one or a few characters (like in Kaputt from Malaparte, that I read last winter) the total disarray that is caused by war becomes much more apparent.


The march into an unknown future, 03 Sep 2006
I had to read the first page twice to grasp its meaning. It is such a gush of words that my brain felt overwhelmed, inundated, suffocated - as people must feel who just learn that war is about to engulf them and shatter their lifes. There could not be a better match of style and content.
The American Civil War is a subject which has already been tackled by many, but Doctorow still manages to tell a fresh story. He does not take sides - Union and Confederate soldiers commit attrocities, show compassion and sometimes even something resembling greatness.
There are three categories of people:
the old ones who either die or disappear from the story, presumably to die off-scene;
the middle-aged ones who will go on living but without illusions, hopes or expectations; they might as well be dead, becaue their lifes are really over;
and there are the (very) young ones who will build a new life for themselves and maybe even a new country, although the "Land of hope and glory" seems very far away at the end of this war.
Doctorow beautifully catches the hapharzardness of the last months of the Civil War; it is more or less a question of accident whether people survive or die and if fate exists it is definitely blind. But this is not a book without hope, because Coalhouse and Wilma, Stephen and Pearl, and the child David will start a new life - and maybe even a better one than before.

conventional, or unusual?, 16 Mar 2006
I have read all of Doctorow's books and have loved his extraordinary literary experiments with American history - often making me interested in times i'd otherwise not have known anything about.

But to start with, I found this book verging on the Oprah-ish - the fact that the two American reviews posted on co.uk here, can be so - matter of fact about reviewing it, making it sound like an epic movie... shows that.

I really felt disappointed - I expect so much more from this writer than a beautiful freed slave girl and a cantankerous general - just felt these were cliches out of a tv miniseries.

But in fact the book does have its own strangeness - and the incredibly layered story does help to add to that. I'm still not sure, on finishing the book, whether this wasn't a very conventional book from a usually-more-unusual writer. But I stayed up late to finish it. It really did involve me.

And the book is still so much more worth reading than a lot of other things. I'm still not sure what i think about Pearl - whether i believed in her. But to read this book and to think about the march through Iraq, happening at the same time Doctorow was writing the book - I found very interesting.

Doctorow brings U.S history to life, 23 May 2008
E.L Doctorow's most prevalent skill as a writer, apparent in most, if not all of his novels, is to heave American History, breathing, writhing and alive, directly onto the printed page. `The Book of Daniel' demonstrates the way in which the writer achieves this remarkable feat.

Doctorow's novel is a fictionalised account of the trial and execution of the Rosenbergs, an American communist couple who were found guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S government by disclosing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The fictional counterparts to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are Paul and Rochelle Isaacson. Apart from some minor differences, the events of the novel largely reflect those of the Rosenberg case. The Isaacsons, like the Rosenbergs, are put to death at the end of the novel, by means of electric chair.

Like the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius in Robert Harris's 'Pompeii', the impending doom of the Isaacsons is inevitable, and the tension is slowly elevated as the plot slowly unravels to this grisly denouement. Although we know throughout that the Isaacsons can not and will not be saved, the importance of the novel rests in how the novel's protagonist Daniel, the son of Paul and Rochelle, attempts to come to terms with the events of a case which becomes one of the most important political events of the 20th Century. The Isaacsons becomes objects in a political tug-of-war; to those on the right they are traitors to their nation, to the communists they become martyrs. Doctorow constantly reminds of this conflict between the human and the political; that the Rosenbergs were not just political symbols; they were human beings, and most importantly, parents.

Do not allow the explicitly political themes of the novel to put you off; the novel is accessible and the prose is exciting, witty, and concise. The dialogue is acceptable although not remarkable throughout, discounting occasional moments of truly superb dialogue, as shown in the eccentric hippie Artie Steinlicht's politically charged diatribes against Daniel's parents, who he believes `played the game' with the government by `wearing ties' and acquiescing. Doctorow brilliantly contrasts the ideals of the Old Left, represented by Daniel's parents, with Daniel and Steinlicht's disillusioned, disaffected generation of rebels.

While the novel does explore political issues, it is chiefly concerned with Daniel's humanity; he is a fragmented, disconnected individual, unable to love those close to him, and sometimes bordering on the sociopathic. Doctorow's characterisation is so subtlety effective, in the way the reader encounters Daniel in both his formative childhood years, and his adult years as a member of the `hippie' New Left movement, that the reader comes to feel profound concern for Daniel during his lowest moments, in the same way a parent would react to their child being sent to rehab.

The `Book of Daniel' should certainly not be limited to enthusiasts of American History; it is a vibrant, lively novel, worthy of a read by anyone with an appreciation for striking, visceral prose and excellent characterisation. The novel's political themes are particularly relevant today, as like the Cold War and the Vietnam Wars as shown in the novel, George W Bush's `War on Terror' has once more set the political Left in direct opposition to the agenda of a right-wing regime.


A powerful read, 15 Jun 2006
Whilst reading The Book of Daniel by E.L Doctorow with interest, I was so absorbed, gripped and emotionally touched. The novel concerns a boy (Daniel) and mentally unstable sister Susan. The events surrounding their young lives is not a phleasant picture at all. The mental trauma and pain of witnessing their parents being trialled and executed for committing treason adds the shocking experience. Treason is defined as a nationalist disclosing information to other nations for harmful and unlawful purposes. In context of the novel, Daniel parents acted as spies by disclosing information to Russians during the cold war for creating an atom bomb that is capable of causing immense disasters, which I do not want to even want to comprehend in words.

The key issues underlying the novel is firstly old political regimes gain continued support by extremist and left wing communist parties. Daniel's parents are registered as members of the party. Their sole aim is to overthrow the socialist party and seek to promote equality in society which includes a classless society and equal distribution of income and wealth. Another issue tackled is capital punishment. Do you think people should be sentenced to death for committing serious crimes, in which it is you as an individual to judge and have the desire to live in a stable society? The purpose of the review is to offer my opinion and views on the novel, but not to discuss issues in details, just to identify. This is the general background of the novel.

The turning point of the novel is when Daniel's parents are arrested by the FBI for their involvement in a conspiracy to commit treason. Daniel's life dramatically changes. He has to accept life without parents, which is very hard and take responsibility at such a young age for taking care of his mentally unstable sister. The novel is set in 1960's America, which runs in parallel with the past and present. It is about the American society and the political extremist who want to voice their opinions and views.

If you have a passion for American history and politics, read The Book of Daniel. It is a good read, but you may find it a little heavy and disturbing.

a stunning fictionalised account of the Rosenberg trial, 13 May 1999
This book does not set out to be a history of the Rosenberg executions, and by changing the names of the couple on trial, Doctorow is free to explore the climate of Cold War and McCarthyism that killed the Rosenbergs. The novel is written from the perspective of their son, who is growing up amid the Vietnam War protests, and facing his own crisis of civil unrest. The contrast of the two periods of left wing activism, so often ignored in the USA, is masterful, but the novel neither preaches or steers clear of the issues it raises. Worth buying alone for the glorious deconstruction of Disneyland at the end.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Another Doctorow winner!, 20 Jun 2007
This is a fabulous book, completely absorbing, rich in detail, strong on history and completely unputdownable. I missed my tube stop more than once. I have gone back to Doctorow's earlier books. I had forgotten how good a writer he is. .

A good but uneven read, 19 Apr 2007
The March is a fine book, large in scope and perhaps at times to large. The characters are many and so are the storylines. It is a story that maintains interest all the way through but is somewhat uneven. All but the best of epics have ups and downs. With The March the greatest ups frequently involve Will and Arly, two down on their luck confederate soldiers trying to survive in an ugly and brutal war. Their episodes tend to be funny and dramatic. Sometimes but not always both at once. I have not read a book by E.L. Doctorow before, The March left me interested in reading more of his books but hasn't gotten me rushing out to by them. The book might merit somewhat more than three stars but as I only give four stars to very good books it doesn't make that grade.


Very good historical novel, 04 Dec 2006
In Europe most people know little about the Civil War in the USA, except maybe that there was and issue about freedom for slaves and Abraham Lincoln was murdered. Even though I am a bit of a history buff, I have to admit that I also did not know much about this war. So how appropriate that I started reading this book while I was in Atlanta. The book follows a number of characters, both from the Confederate side and the Union side and from slave to general during the March that General Sherman undertook through George, South and North Carolina at the end of the Civil War. The book gives a disillusioning view of war: the dirt, the stench, the chaos, the atrocities, and the total futility of war. But also of love, comeradeship and gallantry. It is amazing how many parallels one can draw with the war in Iraq: a population of which one half is not happy with the liberation and the other half is in the end considered as a hindrance for the conquering army.

My main problem with the book was that there were so many characters involved that the book never really goes in depth: by using many characters the author can describe a large variety of aspects of war, but if one follows only one or a few characters (like in Kaputt from Malaparte, that I read last winter) the total disarray that is caused by war becomes much more apparent.


The march into an unknown future, 03 Sep 2006
I had to read the first page twice to grasp its meaning. It is such a gush of words that my brain felt overwhelmed, inundated, suffocated - as people must feel who just learn that war is about to engulf them and shatter their lifes. There could not be a better match of style and content.
The American Civil War is a subject which has already been tackled by many, but Doctorow still manages to tell a fresh story. He does not take sides - Union and Confederate soldiers commit attrocities, show compassion and sometimes even something resembling greatness.
There are three categories of people:
the old ones who either die or disappear from the story, presumably to die off-scene;
the middle-aged ones who will go on living but without illusions, hopes or expectations; they might as well be dead, becaue their lifes are really over;
and there are the (very) young ones who will build a new life for themselves and maybe even a new country, although the "Land of hope and glory" seems very far away at the end of this war.
Doctorow beautifully catches the hapharzardness of the last months of the Civil War; it is more or less a question of accident whether people survive or die and if fate exists it is definitely blind. But this is not a book without hope, because Coalhouse and Wilma, Stephen and Pearl, and the child David will start a new life - and maybe even a better one than before.

conventional, or unusual?, 16 Mar 2006
I have read all of Doctorow's books and have loved his extraordinary literary experiments with American history - often making me interested in times i'd otherwise not have known anything about.

But to start with, I found this book verging on the Oprah-ish - the fact that the two American reviews posted on co.uk here, can be so - matter of fact about reviewing it, making it sound like an epic movie... shows that.

I really felt disappointed - I expect so much more from this writer than a beautiful freed slave girl and a cantankerous general - just felt these were cliches out of a tv miniseries.

But in fact the book does have its own strangeness - and the incredibly layered story does help to add to that. I'm still not sure, on finishing the book, whether this wasn't a very conventional book from a usually-more-unusual writer. But I stayed up late to finish it. It really did involve me.

And the book is still so much more worth reading than a lot of other things. I'm still not sure what i think about Pearl - whether i believed in her. But to read this book and to think about the march through Iraq, happening at the same time Doctorow was writing the book - I found very interesting.

Doctorow brings U.S history to life, 23 May 2008
E.L Doctorow's most prevalent skill as a writer, apparent in most, if not all of his novels, is to heave American History, breathing, writhing and alive, directly onto the printed page. `The Book of Daniel' demonstrates the way in which the writer achieves this remarkable feat.

Doctorow's novel is a fictionalised account of the trial and execution of the Rosenbergs, an American communist couple who were found guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S government by disclosing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The fictional counterparts to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are Paul and Rochelle Isaacson. Apart from some minor differences, the events of the novel largely reflect those of the Rosenberg case. The Isaacsons, like the Rosenbergs, are put to death at the end of the novel, by means of electric chair.

Like the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius in Robert Harris's 'Pompeii', the impending doom of the Isaacsons is inevitable, and the tension is slowly elevated as the plot slowly unravels to this grisly denouement. Although we know throughout that the Isaacsons can not and will not be saved, the importance of the novel rests in how the novel's protagonist Daniel, the son of Paul and Rochelle, attempts to come to terms with the events of a case which becomes one of the most important political events of the 20th Century. The Isaacsons becomes objects in a political tug-of-war; to those on the right they are traitors to their nation, to the communists they become martyrs. Doctorow constantly reminds of this conflict between the human and the political; that the Rosenbergs were not just political symbols; they were human beings, and most importantly, parents.

Do not allow the explicitly political themes of the novel to put you off; the novel is accessible and the prose is exciting, witty, and concise. The dialogue is acceptable although not remarkable throughout, discounting occasional moments of truly superb dialogue, as shown in the eccentric hippie Artie Steinlicht's politically charged diatribes against Daniel's parents, who he believes `played the game' with the government by `wearing ties' and acquiescing. Doctorow brilliantly contrasts the ideals of the Old Left, represented by Daniel's parents, with Daniel and Steinlicht's disillusioned, disaffected generation of rebels.

While the novel does explore political issues, it is chiefly concerned with Daniel's humanity; he is a fragmented, disconnected individual, unable to love those close to him, and sometimes bordering on the sociopathic. Doctorow's characterisation is so subtlety effective, in the way the reader encounters Daniel in both his formative childhood years, and his adult years as a member of the `hippie' New Left movement, that the reader comes to feel profound concern for Daniel during his lowest moments, in the same way a parent would react to their child being sent to rehab.

The `Book of Daniel' should certainly not be limited to enthusiasts of American History; it is a vibrant, lively novel, worthy of a read by anyone with an appreciation for striking, visceral prose and excellent characterisation. The novel's political themes are particularly relevant today, as like the Cold War and the Vietnam Wars as shown in the novel, George W Bush's `War on Terror' has once more set the political Left in direct opposition to the agenda of a right-wing regime.


A powerful read, 15 Jun 2006
Whilst reading The Book of Daniel by E.L Doctorow with interest, I was so absorbed, gripped and emotionally touched. The novel concerns a boy (Daniel) and mentally unstable sister Susan. The events surrounding their young lives is not a phleasant picture at all. The mental trauma and pain of witnessing their parents being trialled and executed for committing treason adds the shocking experience. Treason is defined as a nationalist disclosing information to other nations for harmful and unlawful purposes. In context of the novel, Daniel parents acted as spies by disclosing information to Russians during the cold war for creating an atom bomb that is capable of causing immense disasters, which I do not want to even want to comprehend in words.

The key issues underlying the novel is firstly old political regimes gain continued support by extremist and left wing communist parties. Daniel's parents are registered as members of the party. Their sole aim is to overthrow the socialist party and seek to promote equality in society which includes a classless society and equal distribution of income and wealth. Another issue tackled is capital punishment. Do you think people should be sentenced to death for committing serious crimes, in which it is you as an individual to judge and have the desire to live in a stable society? The purpose of the review is to offer my opinion and views on the novel, but not to discuss issues in details, just to identify. This is the general background of the novel.

The turning point of the novel is when Daniel's parents are arrested by the FBI for their involvement in a conspiracy to commit treason. Daniel's life dramatically changes. He has to accept life without parents, which is very hard and take responsibility at such a young age for taking care of his mentally unstable sister. The novel is set in 1960's America, which runs in parallel with the past and present. It is about the American society and the political extremist who want to voice their opinions and views.

If you have a passion for American history and politics, read The Book of Daniel. It is a good read, but you may find it a little heavy and disturbing.

a stunning fictionalised account of the Rosenberg trial, 13 May 1999
This book does not set out to be a history of the Rosenberg executions, and by changing the names of the couple on trial, Doctorow is free to explore the climate of Cold War and McCarthyism that killed the Rosenbergs. The novel is written from the perspective of their son, who is growing up amid the Vietnam War protests, and facing his own crisis of civil unrest. The contrast of the two periods of left wing activism, so often ignored in the USA, is masterful, but the novel neither preaches or steers clear of the issues it raises. Worth buying alone for the glorious deconstruction of Disneyland at the end.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

EL Doctorow's City of God starts off not merely with a bang but with the big bang itself, that "great expansive flowering, a silent flash into being in a second or two of the entire outrushing universe". It doesn't remain on this cosmic plane throughout. There's a mystery here, along with a romance, a chilling Holocaust narrative and a deep-focus portrait of fin-de-siécle Manhattan.

In the early pages of the novel, an enormous brass cross is pilfered from a church on the Lower East Side. Father Thomas Pemberton of St Timothy's promptly sets off in search of it, dubbing himself the Divinity Detective. Yet he suspects from the start that this is no ordinary theft, with no ordinary solution. The cross eventually turns up on the roof of the Synagogue for Evolutionary Judaism, a tiny Manhattan institution to which Pemberton has clearly been led by fate. His encounter with the synagogue's rabbinical duo--a husband-and-wife team struggling to reclaim a pre-scriptural state of "unmediated awe"--transforms his life. It also destroys what's left of his conventional Christian belief. As his relationship with Judaism deepens, he discards the clerical collar altogether and embarks upon a penitential exploration of the Holocaust--which in turn allows Doctorow to loop his narrative back and forth between several generations of (mostly) Jew and Gentile.

City of God is a marvellous hybrid which includes a meta-fictional framework (i.e., an author-as-character with a rather Doctorovian CV), an ongoing rumination on city life and a dozen other major strands and minor players. There is an undeniable power to the way Doctorow makes his fictional worlds collide, setting off all manner of historical and philosophical conflagrations. At one point he imagines "the totality of intimate human narrations/composing a hymn to enlightenment/if that were possible". A tall order, yes. But despite its occasional longueurs, City of God suggests that it is possible indeed. --James Marcus

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Another Doctorow winner!, 20 Jun 2007
This is a fabulous book, completely absorbing, rich in detail, strong on history and completely unputdownable. I missed my tube stop more than once. I have gone back to Doctorow's earlier books. I had forgotten how good a writer he is. .

A good but uneven read, 19 Apr 2007
The March is a fine book, large in scope and perhaps at times to large. The characters are many and so are the storylines. It is a story that maintains interest all the way through but is somewhat uneven. All but the best of epics have ups and downs. With The March the greatest ups frequently involve Will and Arly, two down on their luck confederate soldiers trying to survive in an ugly and brutal war. Their episodes tend to be funny and dramatic. Sometimes but not always both at once. I have not read a book by E.L. Doctorow before, The March left me interested in reading more of his books but hasn't gotten me rushing out to by them. The book might merit somewhat more than three stars but as I only give four stars to very good books it doesn't make that grade.


Very good historical novel, 04 Dec 2006
In Europe most people know little about the Civil War in the USA, except maybe that there was and issue about freedom for slaves and Abraham Lincoln was murdered. Even though I am a bit of a history buff, I have to admit that I also did not know much about this war. So how appropriate that I started reading this book while I was in Atlanta. The book follows a number of characters, both from the Confederate side and the Union side and from slave to general during the March that General Sherman undertook through George, South and North Carolina at the end of the Civil War. The book gives a disillusioning view of war: the dirt, the stench, the chaos, the atrocities, and the total futility of war. But also of love, comeradeship and gallantry. It is amazing how many parallels one can draw with the war in Iraq: a population of which one half is not happy with the liberation and the other half is in the end considered as a hindrance for the conquering army.

My main problem with the book was that there were so many characters involved that the book never really goes in depth: by using many characters the author can describe a large variety of aspects of war, but if one follows only one or a few characters (like in Kaputt from Malaparte, that I read last winter) the total disarray that is caused by war becomes much more apparent.


The march into an unknown future, 03 Sep 2006
I had to read the first page twice to grasp its meaning. It is such a gush of words that my brain felt overwhelmed, inundated, suffocated - as people must feel who just learn that war is about to engulf them and shatter their lifes. There could not be a better match of style and content.
The American Civil War is a subject which has already been tackled by many, but Doctorow still manages to tell a fresh story. He does not take sides - Union and Confederate soldiers commit attrocities, show compassion and sometimes even something resembling greatness.
There are three categories of people:
the old ones who either die or disappear from the story, presumably to die off-scene;
the middle-aged ones who will go on living but without illusions, hopes or expectations; they might as well be dead, becaue their lifes are really over;
and there are the (very) young ones who will build a new life for themselves and maybe even a new country, although the "Land of hope and glory" seems very far away at the end of this war.
Doctorow beautifully catches the hapharzardness of the last months of the Civil War; it is more or less a question of accident whether people survive or die and if fate exists it is definitely blind. But this is not a book without hope, because Coalhouse and Wilma, Stephen and Pearl, and the child David will start a new life - and maybe even a better one than before.

conventional, or unusual?, 16 Mar 2006
I have read all of Doctorow's books and have loved his extraordinary literary experiments with American history - often making me interested in times i'd otherwise not have known anything about.

But to start with, I found this book verging on the Oprah-ish - the fact that the two American reviews posted on co.uk here, can be so - matter of fact about reviewing it, making it sound like an epic movie... shows that.

I really felt disappointed - I expect so much more from this writer than a beautiful freed slave girl and a cantankerous general - just felt these were cliches out of a tv miniseries.

But in fact the book does have its own strangeness - and the incredibly layered story does help to add to that. I'm still not sure, on finishing the book, whether this wasn't a very conventional book from a usually-more-unusual writer. But I stayed up late to finish it. It really did involve me.

And the book is still so much more worth reading than a lot of other things. I'm still not sure what i think about Pearl - whether i believed in her. But to read this book and to think about the march through Iraq, happening at the same time Doctorow was writing the book - I found very interesting.

Doctorow brings U.S history to life, 23 May 2008
E.L Doctorow's most prevalent skill as a writer, apparent in most, if not all of his novels, is to heave American History, breathing, writhing and alive, directly onto the printed page. `The Book of Daniel' demonstrates the way in which the writer achieves this remarkable feat.

Doctorow's novel is a fictionalised account of the trial and execution of the Rosenbergs, an American communist couple who were found guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S government by disclosing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The fictional counterparts to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are Paul and Rochelle Isaacson. Apart from some minor differences, the events of the novel largely reflect those of the Rosenberg case. The Isaacsons, like the Rosenbergs, are put to death at the end of the novel, by means of electric chair.

Like the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius in Robert Harris's 'Pompeii', the impending doom of the Isaacsons is inevitable, and the tension is slowly elevated as the plot slowly unravels to this grisly denouement. Although we know throughout that the Isaacsons can not and will not be saved, the importance of the novel rests in how the novel's protagonist Daniel, the son of Paul and Rochelle, attempts to come to terms with the events of a case which becomes one of the most important political events of the 20th Century. The Isaacsons becomes objects in a political tug-of-war; to those on the right they are traitors to their nation, to the communists they become martyrs. Doctorow constantly reminds of this conflict between the human and the political; that the Rosenbergs were not just political symbols; they were human beings, and most importantly, parents.

Do not allow the explicitly political themes of the novel to put you off; the novel is accessible and the prose is exciting, witty, and concise. The dialogue is acceptable although not remarkable throughout, discounting occasional moments of truly superb dialogue, as shown in the eccentric hippie Artie Steinlicht's politically charged diatribes against Daniel's parents, who he believes `played the game' with the government by `wearing ties' and acquiescing. Doctorow brilliantly contrasts the ideals of the Old Left, represented by Daniel's parents, with Daniel and Steinlicht's disillusioned, disaffected generation of rebels.

While the novel does explore political issues, it is chiefly concerned with Daniel's humanity; he is a fragmented, disconnected individual, unable to love those close to him, and sometimes bordering on the sociopathic. Doctorow's characterisation is so subtlety effective, in the way the reader encounters Daniel in both his formative childhood years, and his adult years as a member of the `hippie' New Left movement, that the reader comes to feel profound concern for Daniel during his lowest moments, in the same way a parent would react to their child being sent to rehab.

The `Book of Daniel' should certainly not be limited to enthusiasts of American History; it is a vibrant, lively novel, worthy of a read by anyone with an appreciation for striking, visceral prose and excellent characterisation. The novel's political themes are particularly relevant today, as like the Cold War and the Vietnam Wars as shown in the novel, George W Bush's `War on Terror' has once more set the political Left in direct opposition to the agenda of a right-wing regime.


A powerful read, 15 Jun 2006
Whilst reading The Book of Daniel by E.L Doctorow with interest, I was so absorbed, gripped and emotionally touched. The novel concerns a boy (Daniel) and mentally unstable sister Susan. The events surrounding their young lives is not a phleasant picture at all. The mental trauma and pain of witnessing their parents being trialled and executed for committing treason adds the shocking experience. Treason is defined as a nationalist disclosing information to other nations for harmful and unlawful purposes. In context of the novel, Daniel parents acted as spies by disclosing information to Russians during the cold war for creating an atom bomb that is capable of causing immense disasters, which I do not want to even want to comprehend in words.

The key issues underlying the novel is firstly old political regimes gain continued support by extremist and left wing communist parties. Daniel's parents are registered as members of the party. Their sole aim is to overthrow the socialist party and seek to promote equality in society which includes a classless society and equal distribution of income and wealth. Another issue tackled is capital punishment. Do you think people should be sentenced to death for committing serious crimes, in which it is you as an individual to judge and have the desire to live in a stable society? The purpose of the review is to offer my opinion and views on the novel, but not to discuss issues in details, just to identify. This is the general background of the novel.

The turning point of the novel is when Daniel's parents are arrested by the FBI for their involvement in a conspiracy to commit treason. Daniel's life dramatically changes. He has to accept life without parents, which is very hard and take responsibility at such a young age for taking care of his mentally unstable sister. The novel is set in 1960's America, which runs in parallel with the past and present. It is about the American society and the political extremist who want to voice their opinions and views.

If you have a passion for American history and politics, read The Book of Daniel. It is a good read, but you may find it a little heavy and disturbing.

a stunning fictionalised account of the Rosenberg trial, 13 May 1999
This book does not set out to be a history of the Rosenberg executions, and by changing the names of the couple on trial, Doctorow is free to explore the climate of Cold War and McCarthyism that killed the Rosenbergs. The novel is written from the perspective of their son, who is growing up amid the Vietnam War protests, and facing his own crisis of civil unrest. The contrast of the two periods of left wing activism, so often ignored in the USA, is masterful, but the novel neither preaches or steers clear of the issues it raises. Worth buying alone for the glorious deconstruction of Disneyland at the end.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Not For Everyone, 20 Nov 2006
This is a very tough one to review because it's a difficult book to know how to feel about. Despite its length, it has all the elements of an epic - Holocaust, God, philosophy, cityscapes, a millenium approaching etc - and plays self-consciously, and often brilliantly, with the possibilities of the epic form at the twentieth century's end.

However, Doctorow too often relies on detached speeches to make his point. There is very little character interaction or development, and thus little drama. It's almost as if Doctorow didn't trust the strength of his central story to hold the weight of the message, and also didn't feel he could write a full-on Holocaust story as an alternative (though I think he can judging by the scenes in here).

Nevertheless, there are long stretches of brilliant writing, particularly in the aforementioned Holocaust sections and in the thoughts of Wittgenstein and Einstein. The structure is also very clever as the reader is lost for a while but soon begins to see the outline of the book's narrative form. All in all, an ambitious and challenging work, up there with "Ragtime" and "Billy Bathgate" as one of Doctorow's best works.


Inventive, mordantly probing novel., 15 Dec 2001
E. L. Doctorow, author of "Ragtime" and "The Book of Daniel" has written another novel shrouded in mystery in "City of God." The large brass cross behind the altar of an Episcopal church in lower Manhattan has disappeared and, even more mysteriously, reappears on the roof of a Jewish synagogue on the Upper West Side. The church's maverick rector and a young rabbinical couple who lead the synagogue begin a search for the vandals who have committed this strange act of double desecration, and the purpose behind it. As a result the priest and rabbis are forced to deal with their own struggle with their respective traditions.

Doctorow fills this story with vividly drawn characters: scientists, Holocaust survivors, theologians, actors, and crooners. This is an inventive, mordantly probing novel of our times.

The soul's Big Bang, 27 Mar 2001
This is an amazing book. I never read anything of Doctorow and City of God was a shock to me. His strong thouhgts about christianity and judaism made me rethink my own belief. Doctorow's point of view is so plain and clear that it slaps in your face. Straight to the soul.

A Ragged Masterpiece, 28 Jan 2001
Although the plot of this book is often described as being concerned with the disappearence of the cross from the roof of an Episcopal New York church and its reappearance on the roof of a small synagogue, it isn't. This is a symbolic act which is never explained but provides a setting for the author to commence a meditation on the meaning and relevance of God. The story, such as it is, is told by many voices in a sometimes confusing and non linear way, but the whole text is illuminated by passages of profound beauty which are at once so thought provoking and accesible that the whole makes an enriching experience.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple, 25 Apr 1999
Ragtime is a clever, well-written, easy read. It contains a wee bit of controversy, a tincture of novelty, but none of the didactic truths upon which depends the immediacy of art.

Based on this book, readers believe that E.L. Doctorow is one of America's finest living authors? Poor, poor America.

Another Doctorow winner!, 20 Jun 2007
This is a fabulous book, completely absorbing, rich in detail, strong on history and completely unputdownable. I missed my tube stop more than once. I have gone back to Doctorow's earlier books. I had forgotten how good a writer he is. .

A good but uneven read, 19 Apr 2007
The March is a fine book, large in scope and perhaps at times to large. The characters are many and so are the storylines. It is a story that maintains interest all the way through but is somewhat uneven. All but the best of epics have ups and downs. With The March the greatest ups frequently involve Will and Arly, two down on their luck confederate soldiers trying to survive in an ugly and brutal war. Their episodes tend to be funny and dramatic. Sometimes but not always both at once. I have not read a book by E.L. Doctorow before, The March left me interested in reading more of his books but hasn't gotten me rushing out to by them. The book might merit somewhat more than three stars but as I only give four stars to very good books it doesn't make that grade.


Very good historical novel, 04 Dec 2006
In Europe most people know little about the Civil War in the USA, except maybe that there was and issue about freedom for slaves and Abraham Lincoln was murdered. Even though I am a bit of a history buff, I have to admit that I also did not know much about this war. So how appropriate that I started reading this book while I was in Atlanta. The book follows a number of characters, both from the Confederate side and the Union side and from slave to general during the March that General Sherman undertook through George, South and North Carolina at the end of the Civil War. The book gives a disillusioning view of war: the dirt, the stench, the chaos, the atrocities, and the total futility of war. But also of love, comeradeship and gallantry. It is amazing how many parallels one can draw with the war in Iraq: a population of which one half is not happy with the liberation and the other half is in the end considered as a hindrance for the conquering army.

My main problem with the book was that there were so many characters involved that the book never really goes in depth: by using many characters the author can describe a large variety of aspects of war, but if one follows only one or a few characters (like in Kaputt from Malaparte, that I read last winter) the total disarray that is caused by war becomes much more apparent.


The march into an unknown future, 03 Sep 2006
I had to read the first page twice to grasp its meaning. It is such a gush of words that my brain felt overwhelmed, inundated, suffocated - as people must feel who just learn that war is about to engulf them and shatter their lifes. There could not be a better match of style and content.
The American Civil War is a subject which has already been tackled by many, but Doctorow still manages to tell a fresh story. He does not take sides - Union and Confederate soldiers commit attrocities, show compassion and sometimes even something resembling greatness.
There are three categories of people:
the old ones who either die or disappear from the story, presumably to die off-scene;
the middle-aged ones who will go on living but without illusions, hopes or expectations; they might as well be dead, becaue their lifes are really over;
and there are the (very) young ones who will build a new life for themselves and maybe even a new country, although the "Land of hope and glory" seems very far away at the end of this war.
Doctorow beautifully catches the hapharzardness of the last months of the Civil War; it is more or less a question of accident whether people survive or die and if fate exists it is definitely blind. But this is not a book without hope, because Coalhouse and Wilma, Stephen and Pearl, and the child David will start a new life - and maybe even a better one than before.

conventional, or unusual?, 16 Mar 2006
I have read all of Doctorow's books and have loved his extraordinary literary experiments with American history - often making me interested in times i'd otherwise not have known anything about.

But to start with, I found this book verging on the Oprah-ish - the fact that the two American reviews posted on co.uk here, can be so - matter of fact about reviewing it, making it sound like an epic movie... shows that.

I really felt disappointed - I expect so much more from this writer than a beautiful freed slave girl and a cantankerous general - just felt these were cliches out of a tv miniseries.

But in fact the book does have its own strangeness - and the incredibly layered story does help to add to that. I'm still not sure, on finishing the book, whether this wasn't a very conventional book from a usually-more-unusual writer. But I stayed up late to finish it. It really did involve me.

And the book is still so much more worth reading than a lot of other things. I'm still not sure what i think about Pearl - whether i believed in her. But to read this book and to think about the march through Iraq, happening at the same time Doctorow was writing the book - I found very interesting.

Doctorow brings U.S history to life, 23 May 2008
E.L Doctorow's most prevalent skill as a writer, apparent in most, if not all of his novels, is to heave American History, breathing, writhing and alive, directly onto the printed page. `The Book of Daniel' demonstrates the way in which the writer achieves this remarkable feat.

Doctorow's novel is a fictionalised account of the trial and execution of the Rosenbergs, an American communist couple who were found guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S government by disclosing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The fictional counterparts to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are Paul and Rochelle Isaacson. Apart from some minor differences, the events of the novel largely reflect those of the Rosenberg case. The Isaacsons, like the Rosenbergs, are put to death at the end of the novel, by means of electric chair.

Like the inevitable eruption of Vesuvius in Robert Harris's 'Pompeii', the impending doom of the Isaacsons is inevitable, and the tension is slowly elevated as the plot slowly unravels to this grisly denouement. Although we know throughout that the Isaacsons can not and will not be saved, the importance of the novel rests in how the novel's protagonist Daniel, the son of Paul and Rochelle, attempts to come to terms with the events of a case which becomes one of the most important political events of the 20th Century. The Isaacsons becomes objects in a political tug-of-war; to those on the right they are traitors to their nation, to the communists they become martyrs. Doctorow constantly reminds of this conflict between the human and the political; that the Rosenbergs were not just political symbols; they were human beings, and most importantly, parents.

Do not allow the explicitly political themes of the novel to put you off; the novel is accessible and the prose is exciting, witty, and concise. The dialogue is acceptable although not remarkable throughout, discounting occasional moments of truly superb dialogue, as shown in the eccentric hippie Artie Steinlicht's politically charged diatribes against Daniel's parents, who he believes `played the game' with the government by `wearing ties' and acquiescing. Doctorow brilliantly contrasts the ideals of the Old Left, represented by Daniel's parents, with Daniel and Steinlicht's disillusioned, disaffected generation of rebels.

While the novel does explore political issues, it is chiefly concerned with Daniel's humanity; he is a fragmented, disconnected individual, unable to love those close to him, and sometimes bordering on the sociopathic. Doctorow's characterisation is so subtlety effective, in the way the reader encounters Daniel in both his formative childhood years, and his adult years as a member of the `hippie' New Left movement, that the reader comes to feel profound concern for Daniel during his lowest moments, in the same way a parent would react to their child being sent to rehab.

The `Book of Daniel' should certainly not be limited to enthusiasts of American History; it is a vibrant, lively novel, worthy of a read by anyone with an appreciation for striking, visceral prose and excellent characterisation. The novel's political themes are particularly relevant today, as like the Cold War and the Vietnam Wars as shown in the novel, George W Bush's `War on Terror' has once more set the political Left in direct opposition to the agenda of a right-wing regime.


A powerful read, 15 Jun 2006
Whilst reading The Book of Daniel by E.L Doctorow with interest, I was so absorbed, gripped and emotionally touched. The novel concerns a boy (Daniel) and mentally unstable sister Susan. The events surrounding their young lives is not a phleasant picture at all. The mental trauma and pain of witnessing their parents being trialled and executed for committing treason adds the shocking experience. Treason is defined as a nationalist disclosing information to other nations for harmful and unlawful purposes. In context of the novel, Daniel parents acted as spies by disclosing information to Russians during the cold war for creating an atom bomb that is capable of causing immense disasters, which I do not want to even want to comprehend in words.

The key issues underlying the novel is firstly old political regimes gain continued support by extremist and left wing communist parties. Daniel's parents are registered as members of the party. Their sole aim is to overthrow the socialist party and seek to promote equality in society which includes a classless society and equal distribution of income and wealth. Another issue tackled is capital punishment. Do you think people should be sentenced to death for committing serious crimes, in which it is you as an individual to judge and have the desire to live in a stable society? The purpose of the review is to offer my opinion and views on the novel, but not to discuss issues in details, just to identify. This is the general background of the novel.

The turning point of the novel is when Daniel's parents are arrested by the FBI for their involvement in a conspiracy to commit treason. Daniel's life dramatically changes. He has to accept life without parents, which is very hard and take responsibility at such a young age for taking care of his mentally unstable sister. The novel is set in 1960's America, which runs in parallel with the past and present. It is about the American society and the political extremist who want to voice their opinions and views.

If you have a passion for American history and politics, read The Book of Daniel. It is a good read, but you may find it a little heavy and disturbing.

a stunning fictionalised account of the Rosenberg trial, 13 May 1999
This book does not set out to be a history of the Rosenberg executions, and by changing the names of the couple on trial, Doctorow is free to explore the climate of Cold War and McCarthyism that killed the Rosenbergs. The novel is written from the perspective of their son, who is growing up amid the Vietnam War protests, and facing his own crisis of civil unrest. The contrast of the two periods of left wing activism, so often ignored in the USA, is masterful, but the novel neither preaches or steers clear of the issues it raises. Worth buying alone for the glorious deconstruction of Disneyland at the end.

Deeply moving - and intellectually rewarding too., 03 May 2008
Doctorow digs into the unlovely truths behind our cosy received notions of the past - and blows them up in our faces. A salutary historical lesson, but told with such human warmth and meticulously imagined scenarios that, rather than despair, the reader feels a strange optimism: that we must, and can, do better next time. And Doctorow makes sure that we know there will be a next time; the intricate links between our past and our present are his great theme. Doctorow loves humanity and hates oppression - and portrays both with such immediacy that you laugh and cry along with him. A lovely man with a deep passion for humanity. Read this book!

Ragtime- a students review , 18 Mar 2007
Ragtime is a cleverly formed masterpeice of interwoven narrative threads that interact and weave in and away from each other with fluency and unprediction. The main authorial concerns found in the book are the numerous subtle steps that form into a leap of change found in the historical, cultural and social elements of the time. Things such as discrimination, sexual attitude and the contrast between three seemingly contradictory families and the battles they each face, paints this major idea of change within the book. Without any major signs of the authors posonal viwes, values and contexts of the time, leaves the essence of the book largely untainted and relatively unbias. An excellent read.

Doctorow's Best, 01 Dec 2002
This is the modern day eqivalent of John Dos Passos' USA Trilogy. The vignettes Doctorow draws for us have a great deal in common, with Dos Passos' "I am a camera" snapshots. Doctorow depicts an era that is generally regarded in the American historical consciousness as being primarily bucolic and carefree. The nation, relatively innocent, having shaken off the aftereffects of the civil war, has recently won the spurious Spanish-American war, and is generally revelling in a sense of purpose and civility.

What Doctorow is suggesting is that this serene surface was already infected, with a host of social ills festering beneath it. A shift was occuring that would lead to labor riots, race riots, change in mores (sexual attitudes), loss of faith in institutions, etc. that would define the 20th century. If this were all of Doctorow's plan however, it would have been interesting Sociology, but a pretty boring novel.

Doctorow is above all an interesting storyteller. He knows how to keep a plot moving and how to invest it with enough intellectual hardware to make the reader feel that his/her time has been worth the effort. He can bring a scene to life with a few fresh (never shopworn) details. He doesn't spend a great deal of time elabortaing over these details, as James or Wolfe do, but he makes the reader just as cognizant of them. A few brushstrokes and we are there. His writing is cinematic, in that we can "see" the scene he is depicting, without burdening us with excess verbiage. This is the hallmark of a really good author. Ragtime is a primary example of this kind of shorthand acumen. The novel flashes by as seen in a kinescope. I, for one, was delighted I had inserted my nickle.

Breath taking in its scope. An American classic., 23 Jan 2001
The first time I read Ragtime I was pregnant and so my over zealous enthusiasm for this book was put down to hormonial overload by everyone who knew me. I have since given birth, regained hormonal stability and re-read the book. It's even better second time around. It's a true "can't put it down" classic, leaping from chapter to chapter, pulling you through the Ragtime era of American history. The characters, all famously fimilar, ranging from Henry Ford to Harry Houndi, are alive and accesable. Each character, almost juicy with the richness of the writing, interlink with each other in a (visualise here!) family tree of a story. Each branch touching another. The plot, dark, heartbreaking, original, and massive - involves a typical family, or so they think. As the story evolves you catch your breath, and find youself shouting plaintive "noooooo"'s as each chapter ends. The subject matter on the surface seems heavy, and to a less skilled writer than Doctorow, taboo (racisim, child abandonment,terrorism); but don't be put off if it's just a good read you're after.Trust me, if I could buy this book for you I would. Yes, it's been made into a film. Yes, it's been made into a musical and a very good job they did too, but the detail and the real story's in the book. Enjoy.

Simple