E. L. Doctorow Summary

Doctorow, E. L. (1931—) As Matthew Henry noted in Critique, "E.L. Doctorow has made a career out of historical fiction, and he is renowned for both examining and rewriting the American p... Read more

Biography EssayOne of the most celebrated and controversial novelists of the past two decades, E. L. Doctorow has an uncanny ability to reach both the general audience (The Book of Daniel, Welcome to ... Read more

"It was juggling that had got me where I was . . . . I practiced my juggling. I juggled anything, Spaldeens, stones, oranges, empty green Coca-Cola bottles, I juggled rolls we stole hot from the bins ... Read more

One of the most celebrated and controversial novelists of the past two decades, E. L. Doctorow has an uncanny ability to reach both the general audience (The Book of Daniel , Welcome to Hard Times, a... Read more

In the following review, Williams outlines the conflict and theme of Welcome to Hard Times. "Once again, the legend of the Old West has been rescued for a serious literary purpose," s... Read more

In the following essay, Cooper examines the political concerns of Doctorow's work. The experimental, "postmodern" elements in E. L. Doctorow's novels are remarked upon b... Read more

In the following review, Fender considers points raised in essays in Poets and Presidents and discusses the thematic and aesthetic aspects of The Waterworks in relation to Doctorow's previous f... Read more

In the following review, Franzen discusses the setting, character and plot of The Waterworks and compares the book to Ragtime, Billy Bathgate and The Book of Daniel. The imaginative universe of E. ... Read more

In the following review of The Waterworks, Shechner takes account of the novel's strengths and failings. The germ of The Waterworks is a four-page vignette of the same title that appeared in... Read more

In the following review, Brooks provides a sketch of the plot, characters and ideas in Big as Life. One day a gigantic, nude man and woman arrive in New York. They lean against the horizon. They ar... Read more

In the following interview, Doctorow discusses his views of The Waterworks and elaborates some ideas on writing fiction. The author of nine novels—Welcome to Hard Times, Big as Life, The Boo... Read more

In the following excerpt, Parrinder discusses Doctorow's narration in the tales that make up Lives of the Poets. 'Here's something out of the quaint past, a man reading a book,... Read more

The following review provides a brief report of the contents and concerns of World's Fair. Novels that are truly evocative of childhood are rare. It takes a special kind of talent to remembe... Read more

Critical Essay by Joseph Moses Time defeats us in two ways: it bullies us by pursuit, and it mocks us with evasion. We grow older; we are consumed. Yet, at the same time, the events that practice on ... Read more

Critical Essay by David Emblidge Surely the best-known work by E. L. Doctorow is Ragtime (1974)…. But Doctorow's other two novels, Welcome to Hard Times (1960) and The Book of Daniel (1... Read more

Critical Essay by Michael Feingold Let us be fair to E. L. Doctorow. In Drinks Before Dinner, he has tried to do something incomparably more ambitious than any new American play has done in years... Read more

Critical Essay by John Coleby Come back, Dorothy Parker, nothing is forgiven. Not by Mr. Doctorow anyway, and he himself seems badly in need of shriving if not of absolution, himself. When intellectu... Read more

Critical Essay by Robert Towers [In] "Loon Lake," Mr. Doctorow has fashioned a world of mirrors, a fascinating, tantalizing novel in which nearly every image or episode has its counterp... Read more

Critical Essay by Daniel J. Cahill Generally, the reviews of E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime have all been superlative, praising the novel as a rare evocation of American history and imagined life du... Read more

Critical Essay by Josie P. Campbell [Ragtime] is distinguished from most other music by its use of rhythm, its syncopation. As the pianist opposes syncopations in his right hand against a precise and... Read more

Critical Essay by Anthony Burgess Rereading Ragtime, I find that most of the initial impact has been blunted: Literary shocks are subject to the law of diminishing returns. I find, too, a certain vac... Read more

Critical Essay by George Stade Doctorow's treatment of [the scenes and characters in Loon Lake] is at once traditional, odd and dissonantly beautiful, like a chorus of the blues played by Dizz... Read more

In the following essay, Stark explores the relationship between E. L. Doctorow's Book of Daniel and the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. E. L. Doctorow's The Book of Daniel, a fin... Read more