World's Fair

By: E.L. Doctorow

Narrated by: John Rubinstein

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

The astonishing novel of a young boy's life in the New York City of the 1930s, a stunning recreation of the sights, sounds, aromas and emotions of a time when the streets were safe, families stuck together through thick and thin, and all the promises of a generation culminate in a single great World's Fair...

©2014 E.L. Doctorow (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“Marvelous... You get lost in World’s Fair as if it were an exotic adventure. You devour it with the avidity usually provoked by a suspense thriller.” (The New York Times)

“World’s Fair is better than a time capsule; it’s an actual slice of a long-ago world, and we emerge from it as dazed as those visitors standing on the corner of the future.” (Anne Tyler)

“Doctorow has managed to regain the awed perspective of a child in this novel of rare warmth and intimacy.... Stony indeed in the heart that cannot be moved by this book.” (People)

interesting all through, but then a let down

A coming of age book that starts with the rise of Hitler after WW1 and culminates in the World's Fair sometime in the 30's, this tells of a young boy of Russian Jewish heritage, his much older brother, his two volatile parents and their difficult relationship. There is too much focus on pre-pubescent thoughts about women's bodies. The book does present a very good picture of life in the Bronx at that time, and is mildly interesting all the way through, although the title barely comes into play except at the end, and is important-ish to the struggling family, but not worth all those hours to get there. I guess I missed something since this won the National Book Award, but I wouldn't really recommend it.

Great narration!

A Wonderful Trip To Another Time & Place

The text version came out in 1985 but I somehow missed even hearing about it. I'm glad I did because this presentation was fantastic. As a maniacal student of the decade of the 1930's and the NYWF of 39/40 I know the era and fair very well. Doctorow's novel was spot on accurate in his descriptions, events, the fair, everything. It truely is more like an autobiographical set of essays about a lot of everyday events in the life of child growing up in NYC in the 1930's. It ends with a very accurate and real account of the World's Fair and a boy moving forward to a new chapter. It's really metaphorical for the end of the an era in America and the start of a new one.

I will admit the book was a bit drawn out to start with but once you get the idea of what the author is doing, it's great! I really enjjoyed this book as if it were a good movie or play. I want to hear it again.

The narrator, John Rubinstein, did an excellent job. He sounds the part, reads the part as if he really is Edgar and makes you believe the story. It reminded me of Woody Allen in Radio Days. So believable, as if you were right there "in" the book.

I will definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy similar subjects.