November book review: 'Ragtime', by E.L. Doctorow

 Image credit: modernlibrarylist.blogspot.co.uk

Book: Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow 

Publication date: 1975 

WCRG meeting: 18 November, 2015 

Group rating: 7.4 


The Reading Group met on Wednesday evening where E.L. Dortorow’s deceptively slim volume generated some of the most passionate debate ever witnessed at a meeting. Ragtime, Doctorow’s novel set in early twentieth-century America, has been hailed by critics as one of the great American novels of the 1900s, and there were certainly many at this month’s meeting who agreed. One reader described her enjoyment of reading Ragtime as akin to that of reading Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby; while another reader was of the opinion that Doctorow’s novel surpassed Fitzgerald’s in literary skill and in capturing the mood of a nation.

Most agreed that the novel felt ‘very modern’ and that Doctorow’s unique blending of fact with fiction was skilful and effective. One member queried whether Doctorow had really captured the zeitgeist of early twentieth-century America; while others admitted to finding the movement between scenes too rapid to allow for development of ideas. However, the majority found it to be an absorbing and exciting read, an experience fostered by Doctorow’s unorthodox writing style. A few members confessed to finding the ‘parade’ of characters, real and imaginary, a bit confusing and felt that one needed a good grounding in American history and culture in order to fully appreciate Doctorow’s characterisations and determine where he was blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction.

Among the small number who disliked the novel, it was remarked that there was ‘no kah-ching moment’: it was just a string of random people being mentioned, without any character or plot development. Those who did not enjoy the novel felt that it lacked heart and was too superficially constructed to allow for emotional engagement on the part of the reader. For these readers, the novel was admirable as an intellectual exercise, but failed as a piece of creative writing. It was felt by a minority that Doctorow prioritised his kaleidoscopic landscape of names and historical moments over the development of a single compelling focus and, while many at the meeting admired his deft handling of potentially divergent themes, some were disappointed by Doctorow’s decision not to flesh out any of the characters.

However, the novel’s admirers were passionate in their appreciation for the novel and they largely agreed that the fictional storyline of Coalhouse Walker was particularly affecting and was the most coherent and heartfelt element of the book. Tateh’s rise from obscurity was also felt to be an accurate depiction of American ambition. Proponents of the book found it ‘absorbing from the first page’; with one reader remarking that she ‘loved it and that surprised [her].’ Another reader commented that he found the book educational, as he learned a lot about American cultural history through reading it, while a new member explained how Doctorow’s work had inspired him to research the period further and branch out into reading other American fiction.

The majority were of the opinion that Doctorow captured the essence of American life and the American dream in this novel – particularly in his depictions of Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan, two giants of American industry, who appear together in some of the novel’s most electric scenes, and symbolise the dichotomy in American culture of the pragmatist and the dreamer. Although writing this work in the 1970s, Doctorow chose to set it in the early 1900s, a time when the American cultural landscape was changing irrevocably. For this reason, Ragtime was described as presenting the ideology of America and revealing ‘how nations are built’. One reader commented that all of the individual strands of the novel ‘related beautifully’ to one another, while another described it as a ‘patchwork of Americana’ and a ‘melting-pot’ of American social history. One member in particular spoke passionately about the extraordinary ‘layering and mirroring’, which Doctorow achieved and those who loved the story admired Doctorow’s efficient and intelligent manner of storytelling.

Divisiveness was certainly the theme of the evening, with one reader admiring the cleanliness of Doctorow’s narratorial style, in which he did not allow the disparate threads to clutter the narrative, while another found this aspect of the novel to be very ‘untidy’. There was also much discussion about whether Ragtime could be categorised as a novel! One member, who enjoyed the book enormously, strongly believed that it lacked the elements necessary for it to be called a ‘novel’, while another member described it as a ‘dramatised sociological history.’

It was noted by a number of members that Doctorow’s more intimate and sexual scenes were uncomfortably graphic, but this was felt to be a nod to the huge influence of Freud on American views on sexuality and desire. Indeed, the chapter where Freud tours the three major theme parks on his visit to America was felt to be just one of a number of very funny scenes in the book. Those who liked the book felt that Doctorow demonstrated particular skill in scene-setting and in capturing the spirit of a moment through a sparing use of words.

On Doctorow’s writing style, members were once again divided. The majority enjoyed his ‘staccato’ style, while others likened it to ‘spraying bullets’ and found it led to a jarring reading experience. There was much speculation about the title of the novel too and Doctorow’s prefatory quotation from Scott Joplin on Ragtime music: “Do not play this piece fast. It is never right to play Ragtime fast…” It was felt that this was the ideal way in which to read Doctorow’s work – to linger over the details and decipher the cleverly concealed social commentary beneath the seemingly improvisational style of writing.

When it came to scoring the novel out of ten, opposing attitudes to the work were even more apparent – scores ranged from a high of 10 right down to the lowest of 4, with many giving it high scores of between 8 and 9.5. Despite the strong endorsement of the majority who read the book, the novel scored just 7.4. The level of enjoyment had by all in discussing the book, however, was certainly much higher than this.

November 2015: Our next book

 

Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, 18 November in Plommer A, when we will discuss E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime. First published in 1975, Doctorow’s works have received renewed attention following his death earlier this year. Described as ‘an extraordinary tapestry’ of American cultural life, Ragtime captures the spirit of America in the era between the turn of the century and the First World War. 

The story opens in 1906 in New Rochelle, NY, at the home of a wealthy American family. One 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.

The book is available in paperback and Kindle edition from Amazon* and other book sellers.

Refreshments will be provided at the meeting and we hope to see you there, but if you are unable to attend, please email your comments and your score to be shared with the Group.

*Please remember to use the link on the Wolfson Alumni & Development website if you choose to buy from Amazon, as College will benefit from the sale: http://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/alumni/amazon/

October book review: 'The Shadow of the Wind', by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

 Image credit: Subterranean Press

Book: The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Publication date: 2001

WCRG meeting:  28 October, 2015

Group rating: 8.6

The Wolfson Contemporary Reading Group convened in Plommer A for its October meeting, where all enjoyed a lively discussion of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s 2001 bestselling novel, The Shadow of the Wind.

High praise was given for Zafón’s evocation of Barcelona and his ability to distil the essence of the city and the volatile period in history. Those among our number who are familiar with the city were very impressed by Zafón’s attention to detail, and felt that he skilfully captures the sights, sounds and smells of the Spanish capital. For those to whom Spain is less well-known, Zafón’s lavish descriptions brought the city to life. Zafón’s Barcelona is a city of blood and dust, of bitterness and despair, rather than a picture-perfect representation of the city sold to tourists. Two of our number read the book in its original Spanish and appreciated the richness of Zafón’s prose and his injections of humour into the narrative. One member, who had also read the book in its English translation, remarked on the quality of the translation, although some felt that the colloquialisms did not always translate well, and that there were one or two instances where modern terminology was used incorrectly given the mid-twentieth century setting of the novel (a fault of the translator rather than the author, however).

A reader familiar with Spanish literature noted that Zafón’s novel pays homage to many of the Spanish literary greats; with Zafón alluding to characters and themes which a Spanish reader would recognise and appreciate. In particular, Galdós’ Fortunata y Jacinta was felt to be an inspiration for the novel’s focus on revenge and illicit love affairs. Zafón began his writing career in children’s fiction, and this clearly informs his writing style. As with Paver’s Dark Matter (a book previously read by the Reading Group), where the author had also written children’s stories, Zafón’s clear and engaging manner of storytelling owed a lot to his previous writing projects, which many appreciated.

All agreed that the book was a ‘page turner’, which built up the anticipation and excitement of the reader throughout. Zafón’s strong characterisation was also remarked upon - some felt it was Dickensian in its abundance of detail and commitment to fleshing out all of the characters, even the minor ones. Every character was vivid and authentic, although some disappointment was expressed at the under-usage of Daniel’s father. Fermín proved a particular favourite as a tragi-comic character, and all were moved by his relationship with Daniel and the willingness of Daniel’s father to take in a fellow Republican sympathiser, who had been beaten for his beliefs. One member in particular commented on the character of Clara, who is not the stereotypical character of the gentle, angelic blind girl. Daniel strove to create an ethereal facade for Clara, but his discovery of her relationship with the music teacher revealed that she is a flesh and blood woman, with the same human desires and flaws as everyone else.

History and memory were felt to be very strong themes in the novel. Although some were of the opinion that the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War was oversold in promotional blurbs for the book, most agreed that the effects of the war were used subtly throughout the story. The parallel stories of Daniel and Julián highlighted the mirroring of events through time, the dangers of history being repeated, and the opportunities for change. Lessons were learned from a war in which brother fought brother, and a character like Bea’s father exemplified why it could be better to compromise one’s principles in order to keep one’s family, rather than slavishly following those principles into ruin. However, the power of the past could be seen in Daniel’s dead mother’s ghostly presence in the story and in Fumero’s obsessive quest for destruction fuelled by past grievances. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books was largely dispensed with early on in the story, but its allusions to memory and lost generations was powerfully felt throughout the novel.

Some of the group found Zafón’s style of writing a little too verbose and florid, and one member memorably remarked that Zafón ‘missed using the delete button’. The painstakingly drawn-out conclusion and the repetition of details, especially in the device of Nuria’s letter, was felt to be rather tiresome by some members. Some were also disappointed with the ending, feeling that everything was concluded too neatly. One member also expressed disappointment at the fact that Julián Carax’s famous novel was never described in detail - what was so great about it to make it inspire so many people?

Great enthusiasm was expressed for this novel by first-time readers and most of those who were reading it for a second (or third) time expressed their continued fondness and admiration. ‘The Shadow in the Wind’ scored a very impressive 8.6, not simply in response to Zafón’s writing style, but as a result of the sheer enjoyment experienced while reading it.