Ragtime by e.l. doctorow

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

"Ragtime" is truly one of the most extraordinary novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

It is a fragmented and hectic portrayal of the lives of early twentieth-century individuals, a mix of the famous and the fictional, that burst onto the page with unapologetic abandon. Houdini, for instance, is determined to rise above the advancements in technology. Morgan is on a quest to discover the essence of genius. Emma Goldman desires a world in chaos, advocating for anarchy and the freedom of all humans outside the confines of institutions. Evelyn Nesbit dreams of eternal beauty and being cared for by wealthy men.

And then there are the fictional characters who intersect with the lives of these famous figures: a family of an explorer, a black man fighting for the justice of his people, and a young man swept up in the romantic allure of revolution.

Amidst all these chaotic tales, a profound truth emerges about the early 20th-century in this country: the search for one's place. In Doctorow's concise and powerful phrases, we can almost hear the faint echoes of the infamous rag "The Entertainer," capturing the swanky, hip, and innocent ambition before its inevitable downfall.

The most captivating part of the novel is dedicated to Doctorow's fictional character, Coalhouse Walker. A well-educated black man, his Ford is destroyed by white men. Outraged, he demands justice and compensation to restore his car. When the white men refuse and the police do nothing, Coalhouse's frustration leads him to tell his fiance that he cannot marry her without justice. In her despair, she appeals to the President of the United States, but her black hand is mistaken for a gun, and she is brutally beaten to death. Beyond despair, Coalhouse unleashes a reign of terror over the city until his car is repaired. The police force finally agrees to his terms, but only if he surrenders. He does, and is ultimately gunned down in the street. This is an astonishing story, and I can't help but wish Doctorow had centered his entire novel around this remarkable tale.

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HigaZ

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Ragtime is a very enjoyable semi-historical novel that is set in America at the turn of the 20th century.

The story revolves around the fortunes of three families. There is a white family, unnamed and simply referred to as father, mother, and mother's younger brother. Then there is a Jewish family and a black family. Their lives intersect in both happy and tragic ways.

Interspersed throughout the novel are real life characters such as Houdini, Peary, Ford, Morgan (JP), and Emma Goldman. Part of the fun is spotting these real life figures amongst the fictional ones.

There is an undercurrent of radicalism in the novel and a strong sense of the injustice of society. The character of Coalhouse Walker and his fight for his rights against an obvious injustice really stands out. He has a fanatical pursuit of justice at absolutely any cost, which comes at a great cost to himself and also to those he loves. His approach to race is contrasted with that of a real life figure, Booker T Washington. There are similar counterpoints in the Jewish and white families, which gives the novel real strength.

Ragtime is full of life and energy. You get a palpable sense of everything moving in almost double time, like an old black and white film of the time. It truly brings the era to life and makes for a captivating read.

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Dandy-Furnace

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Love, in some hearts, is a kind of wound, a sort of physical weakness, like the softness of bones, like the lungs of a consumptive.

Those who have paid the price of their spiritual life with blood and tears reject marriage as a burdensome thing, a title, a superficial farce, and an empty shell.

Ragtime is a book that travels to distant times. It begins in 1900, when there are no black immigrants in America and nativism is considered one of the main human emotions, and it ends in 1917 with the United States' entry into World War I, presenting a picture of that era to its readers.

The American society of that time - except for its main people - was divided into two parts: immigrants and blacks. Tateh and Coalhouse Walker are characters in the novel Ragtime, representatives of those very strata; two important and evolving characters in the story through whose eyes and ears we see and hear the story of immigration to the land of dreams.

In this novel, the main, prominent, and central character as seen in other novels is not present. The characters and their knots take shape and move forward beside and with each other.

In the first book, Evelyn and her story are considered the main framework of the events in the book. In the second book, in chapter 23, the character Coalhouse Walker Jr. and his entanglements come into focus and claim the narrative suspension for himself. Perhaps it can be said that since the majority of the book is dedicated to Coalhouse Walker Jr. and in the end, with a personal transformation, his death is desired by the reader, it can be said that the main character is Coalhouse Walker Jr.

Their names are simply: mother, child, and little brother. There is also a black man with his fiancée and several famous American historical figures of that period; people like Henry Ford - the one who invented a certain type of automobile - but also Goldman, Theodore Dreiser, and Harry Houdini. How the lives of people who have come out of Doctorow's mind have collided with the things these historical characters have done is what makes Ragtime a unique work.

The play between history and imagination - which Doctorow is very good at - is all the charm of the novel; how these two become one, sometimes move away from each other, sometimes negate each other, and sometimes transform into each other.

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Proto57

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

A captivating and thought-provoking story unfolds within the pages of this novel. It masterfully weaves together the lives of famous people and real events, delving deep into the complex issues of racial injustice, gender injustice, religious injustice, and class struggle. The narrative takes readers on a journey that explores the grey areas between right and wrong, challenging their perspectives and making them question the very fabric of society.

What makes this book truly remarkable is its ability to present these serious themes in a way that is both engaging and accessible. It's a fun read that doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the world, but rather uses them as a backdrop to tell a story of ultimate justice that exists outside the confines of the legal system. The author's skillful writing and keen insights make it easy to understand why this book has made it onto so many lists and is widely read by people from all walks of life.

Whether you're looking for a page-turner that will keep you entertained or a book that will make you think deeply about the world we live in, this novel has something for everyone. It's a must-read for anyone who is interested in exploring the human condition and the fight for justice in all its forms.

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Ssabin14

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

This is an absolutely fantastic work of historical fiction.

My definition of historical fiction, which is perhaps a bit stricter than that of others, is a novel where historical figures not only have a role to play but also interact with the fictional characters within the story. And this novel truly delivered on that front in spades!

I didn't possess a great deal of background knowledge regarding the historical figures in the novel. However, after doing a bit of reading about them, it became abundantly clear to me just how masterfully Doctorow had integrated his fictional characters into their lives.

None of what he wrote seemed beyond the realm of possibility, although of course, none of it was documented to have actually happened.

The early 1900s is also a time period in which I am not overly well-versed. Nevertheless, the descriptions of the political and social climate provided an excellent sense of the setting.

In short, I am truly impressed with Doctorow's writing style and his choice of subject matter. I eagerly look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

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DreamerofDreams1

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

How can one best describe this book to enable prospective readers to know if they will like it or not? Consider the opening lines of the book description: "An extraordinary tapestry, Ragtime captures the spirit of America in the era between the turn of the century & the First World War. The story opens in 1906 in New Rochelle, NY."

The word "tapestry" is the one to focus on. When looking at a tapestry, one sees numerous small details, but doesn't gain much in-depth understanding. It's like being presented with a snapshot. Or think of a Brueghel painting - full of people, each busily engaged in their own activities. Do you really expect to understand their inner thoughts? No! This is the ideal way to describe the writing style of this book. There are countless interesting details that will prompt you to look things up on Wikipedia. I was unaware of the existence of "Belgian marble" or "Norwegian maples", and learning about them was fascinating. However, these are just surface details描绘了书中的一个地方. No further information is provided; for that, you need to turn to Wiki. The scattering of assorted facts intrigues a curious reader.

What I didn't enjoy was the complete lack of empathy for any of the characters. You are given a snapshot of a time and place. There is a plot involving a fictional family. We aren't meant to be drawn into character analysis. This family consists of a mother, father, son, younger brother (who is the mother's brother), and a grandfather. No names are given. There are a few other fictional characters, but intertwined with them are historical figures that all readers will recognize. J. P. Morgan piqued my interest. The historical details are said to be impeccably presented. Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, Robert Peary, Sigmund Freud, and Emma Goldman - they're all here too. Don't expect a thorough biography or in-depth analysis of any of these characters, though. The fictional story also presents a snapshot - of New York at the beginning of the 20th Century. Tammany Hall politics, women's rights, racial inequalities, and the growing pains of rapid industrialization and the growth of unions.

The author reads the audiobook in a level tone that easily lulls the reader to sleep! There is no dialog.

What I liked were the assorted facts and the author's unique way of blending fact with fiction.

It may be interesting to note that there is some debate as to whether the author "reinvented" Heinrich von Kleist's German novella Michael Kohlhaas, published in 1811, or should be considered guilty of plagiarism.

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Chomusuke07

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

" Ragtime" is a fictional and very enjoyable novel to read. I read both its Persian and English versions simultaneously. The reason was that I had both the printed versions in my library and saw it as the best opportunity to compare the two. The most important advantage of this was that attention was drawn to the translation method of Najaf Daryabandari, and if I didn't understand the style in a certain place, I would refer to the English text. However, its drawback was that a large part of the pleasure of reading was taken away from me. I'm not a fast reader, and the process of finishing both books was very long and sometimes tiring.

Regarding Najaf Daryabandari's translation, there are several important points. One is that in the absence of the Internet, it can probably be imagined why the translator translated "loot" (which is said to all the looters that their group is turned back, like a sheep) as "three-string". The second point, which is less noticeable, is that in the movie, the spelling of "Siberian" is incorrect, or in chapter thirty-five of the book, the correct number is not written (instead of Sixty-sixth Street, in the translation, Sixty-seventh Street has come). But overall, the translation of this book is excellent. How Daryabandari has come up with the translation of rare words and sentences that have a gender, how he has brought in the voice and style of the blacks (if my political friends will forgive me, even Doctorow has written Negro), or how he has turned the dialogues into a more personal style, all of these are interesting. Of course, as I said, he has not been successful everywhere (like the cases I mentioned above or, for example, that he has translated obscenities like
up yours
as "yourself", which I think is not appropriate). But in most places, the reader will be amazed by the arrangement that is in Najaf Daryabandari's writing and the correct and precise choice of words and expressions. One place that I really liked was related to a scene where the grandfather of the family wields a cane and pushes people aside with the help of the cane. The original text is:

... he lifted the cane and prodded women and men alike

And now the translation:

He beats men and women with a stick.

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Nami955

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Tasti neri, tasti bianchi...

The story unfolds with a man standing between two train cars, contemplating suicide. He listens to the rhythm of the wheels, which is like the left hand of a rag, and the clanging of the metal at the joint of the two cars, which is like the syncopated right hand. This is a vivid description that sets the tone for the exploration of ragtime music.

Ragtime emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a music with two rhythms that express two different souls in unison: the repetitive and pounding one, and the varied and syncopated one. This unique combination of two distinct characters is an evident metaphor for an era that experiences the upsurge of rampant progress and, at the same time, the stubborn conservatism of pathetic defenders of the white race.

The rhythm of ragtime seems to spread even in the narrative itself. Doctorow skillfully maneuvers among the keys of writing with sudden changes of perspective and an admirable ability to fuse the real and the invented. The imagined protagonists don't need names but are generically distinguished by their roles, and they assume an exemplary value of an era and its changes. Magically, their destinies intersect with those of real people.

These are small stories of daily life that enter history, sometimes just touching it, and other times becoming an integral part of it until they merge so much that one can no longer distinguish the beginning from the end.

”Chi può dire quali sono i fini e i mezzi. Chi di noi sia causa, e viva per causare negli altri, e chi di noi tragga da questi la sua causa.”

Maple Leaf Rag Played by Scott Joplin

https://youtu.be/pMAtL7n_-rc

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Ragtime

e.l. doctorow

This edition

Emma Goldman

Evelyn Nesbit

Coalhouse Walker

J.p. Morgan

Henry Ford

Harry Houdini

More editions

About the author

e.l. doctorow

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