Ragtime

By: E. L. Doctorow

Narrated by: E. L. Doctorow

Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Ragtime, a classic work of historical fiction first published in 1975, details the lives of three families in early 20th-century New York. The novel interweaves fictional characters with actual historic events and figures.

The story opens in 1906 in New Rochelle, New York, at the home of an affluent American family. One lazy Sunday afternoon, the famous escape artist Harry Houdini swerves his car into a telephone pole outside their house. Almost magically, the line between fantasy and historical fact, between real and imaginary characters, disappears. Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J. P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Sigmund Freud, and Emiliano Zapata slip in and out of the tale, crossing paths with Doctorow's imagined family and other fictional characters, including an immigrant peddler and a ragtime musician from Harlem whose insistence on a point of justice drives him to revolutionary violence.

A rich tapestry, Ragtime captures the spirit of America in a unique historic context.

Time magazine included the novel in its Time 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923-2005.

©1997 E. L. Doctorow (P)1997 E. L. Doctorow

Critic reviews

"Doctorow does a fairly nice job reading his justly celebrated portrait of 1906 America. He has a sandy, pleasant, lightly accented voice and a fine sense of the dramatic." ( AudioFile)

Funny, moving, profound

A great novel read with passion by the author. This is the first novel I've finished on audible, and if there are others like it I will be a listener for life.

I am surprised that so few people mention how funny Ragtime is. In addition to sharp irony (a pervading quality of the book) there are scenes in Ragtime that are genuinely hilarious. Doctorow wrote with deft humor and stinging satire. A true five star recommendation.

A masterpiece

Doctorow is at his finest in the short novel. the research is excellent, the history questionable, but the story moves forth in an excellent manner. he narrates this himself, and while that would not work with many of his novels, with this one it is exactly right. this has my highest recommendation as one of the most enjoyable audiobooks I have ever heard.

Kinda of a random story set during the beginning of the 20th century

Yeah this is book is kinda of a bunch of random stories ranging from Emma Goldman, Harry Houdini, and a wealthy eastern state family that interacts with a single black mother whose story grows into national concern.
I saw the movie this was made into Milos Forman’s 1975 film version which I enjoyed very much and suggest people watch that instead of listening/reading the book. The book is too jumpy between characters and random at times. Also the narrator isn’t that great of a narrator voice wise, especially when he drops N bombs

As good as I remembered

Read this when it was published in the mid-1970s. It was a creative and unusual novel that stands the test of time. I liked hearing the author read.

My favorite Doctorow

Historical fiction in a way that is well written and entertaining. Sometimes race relations and their ongoing difficulties become clearer historical context. It is present here, as is America entering the world stage in full force.

a classic rediscovered

Fiction with real life historical persons appearing throughout the story makes this a captivating book.

Ragtime and Doctorow are compelling

What made the experience of listening to Ragtime the most enjoyable?

I already love the musical so I had wanted to read the book for a while. As usual the book is even better. The perfect combination of history and fiction. I did not want to

What other book might you compare Ragtime to and why?

I also just listened to Caleb's Crossing on Audible. Another good mix of fact and fiction.

What about E. L. Doctorow’s performance did you like?

Doctorow's reading is excellent. Fast-paced when the story needed, more tender when needed. Not all authors make good readers, but Doctorow was perfect.

If you could take any character from Ragtime out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Mother. She was a modern woman at the turn of the century, realizing her life did not have to depend on a man. And that her compassion for Sarah, Coalhouse, and the baby were what drove her decisions.

Any additional comments?

Some of the audio books I have purchased on Audible seem to have a very muffled audio quality, including Ragtime.

No cheap thrills

The story is not possible to summarize easily as it is woven together from the stories of many people from the early twentieth centuries. It is almost as though the world of this time is the primary character. The fictionalized stories of J.P. Morgan, Houdini, and Emma Goldman and others are woven in. Briefly, the story revolves around a family (and their connections, known and unknown to them). The family includes the father, who owns a flag and gunpowder factory, his wife who moved from the Midwest to marry him, her younger brother whom she raised as her own child after the death of their parents, and the couple's child, who is the nominal narrator of the story although other points of view are also utilized (e.g. the woman the younger brother loves, JP Morgan).

Younger brother falls in love with a renowned beauty, wife of the man who murdered her former lover. Through her, he meets Emma Goldman and we later see that he is radicalized by this experience. His sister rescues a dying baby and through this their lives become entangled in the lives of an accomplished black man, a tragic character whose persistence probably led to both his success and his downfall. This is only one story line of many. It is the one at the center of the "action" though not necessarily the most important story, as you will hear. (Apologies to Mr. Doctorow for this totally inadequate summary).

Doctorow's writing style conveys the sense of the early 20th century. There were times in listening to this where I was frightened for the character, or sad, or experiencing so many other feelings. For those who are interested in writing or in the study of literature, this book will prove a revelation as he uses techniques and styles that are unique and which could incorporated by others into their writing. It is also clear that he did a great deal of research into the facts of this time. There are times when the research became intrusive, but not often and, in the end, it was necessary to understand this to truly experience the time. At the end of the book, I felt that I had lived in that time. It reminded me of so many stories I had heard from grandparents and great aunts.

Doctorow reads the book. There is some thought that authors should not read their own books but leave this to professional actors. The advantage of professional actors is that they can utilize a fuller range of voices, emotions, etc. The advantage of having the book read by the author is that the emphasis is right. It is common for me to be brought up short by an actor's interpretation thinking, the author could not possibly have meant that. When the author reads, this does not happen, therefore I tend to prefer authors as readers.

This is my first Doctorow book but it won't be the last. That said, as in many of my other reviews, this is a book that will challenge the listener. It requires patience, and attention. There are thrills, but no cheap thrills.

Brilliant story, boring telling

The story on its face is brilliant and amazing and relevant even today. But Mr. Doctorow is a terrible narrator. I can’t believe how a man can say his words in this monotone, droning, boring manner.

CONTEXT TO HISTORY

Novels add value to history when they offer context. Published in 1975, Ragtime is a historical novel about the turn of the century. (Ragtime became a Broadway musical in 1998.) Written and narrated by E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime captures time with real and manufactured characters. Credibility, notoriety, and continuity make Ragtime an informative and interesting historical novel.

Doctorow uses famous people in the history of the time for which he writes. These famous people are set in scenes to illustrate the tenor of a historical time. They are players, like actors on the stage of history. Every Doctorow’ character, real or imagined, contributes to reader’ understanding of what is happening in America at the turn of the century. Industrialization, wealth, poverty, changing morality, child labor, discrimination, women’s liberation; all are exposed in Doctorow’s historical novel, Ragtime.

There are the famous (1), the real (2), and the imagined (3) that give context to history–all players on the stage of life; in the mind of Doctorow’s imagination.

(1) Harry Houdini, Sigmund Freud, Robert Peary, Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Howard Taft, J. P. Morgan, Booker T. Washington, Emma Goldman) (2) Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, and Harry Thaw. (3) Mother, Father, Mother’s Younger Brother, Coalhouse Walker, Sarah, and Willie Conklin