Ragtime Audiobook By E. L. Doctorow cover art

Ragtime

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Ragtime

By: E. L. Doctorow
Narrated by: E. L. Doctorow
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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

Accolades & Awards

National Book Critics Circle Award
1975
Historical Fiction Jewish Heritage National Book Critics Circle Award Literary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction Psychological Funny
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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)
Historical Richness • Interweaving Storylines • Clear Voice • Well-developed Characters • Lyrical Prose • Calm Delivery

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The story may have been much more interesting if the reader was easier to listen to. Read in somewhat of a monotone, I had trouble listening for over five or 10 minutes before becoming sleepy. I know this is not a very good review but it was my experience with this book in the form in which it is presented.

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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.

Funny, moving, profound

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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.

A masterpiece

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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

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

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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.

As good as I remembered

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