#21 - "Ragtime" by E.L. Doctorow

I had meant to write a summary of the first twenty books I'd read from The List, but haven't had a chance to finish it yet.  In the meantime, however, I was able to read Ragtime, my 21st book.  I'll post the twenty book review as soon as possible, but for now, let's talk about my most recent novel.

I suppose this novel is supposed to read like the music of it's namesake.  Musically, ragtime is described as having a syncopated rhythm, which means stressing the normally unaccented beats by the way (don't worry, I had to look it up too).  Centering around an unnamed family in New Rochelle around the turn of the century, the story passes through nearly two decades as this family encounters a series of historically famous and significant people.  Such luminaries include, Harry Houdini, JP Morgan, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, Robert Peary, Sigmund Freud and Theodore Dreiser.  The way this family seems to continuously run into famous people, and the way Doctorow tells each story in a short, yet exciting series of vignettes, reminds me a lot of "Quantum Leap."  Each chapter of this book was a new story, with new non-fiction characters, and the family seemingly inserted into a scenario where the their lives will cross.

At the beginning, each chapter introduces a new non-fictional character, in what is almost a series of short stories.  However, slowly, the family's plot lines begin to unfold, culminating in many of the short stories coming together in the end, as the book reaches its tragic climax.  Throughout the novel, Doctorow explores many themes and topics, almost as a way of foreshadowing, that would come to dominate the United States in the 20th century, including racism, industrialism, the growth of the military, and even the motion picture industry, which made millionaires out of nobodies.

After a slow start, Ragtime really got a hold of me, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.  Like, I, Claudius, it combined non-fiction with fiction; something I'm always going to like.  As well, despite continuously being referred to as 'Mother', 'Father', 'Son' and 'Mother's Younger Brother', I found myself having a really good picture of the family in my mind and really understanding who they were and why they acted as they did. The story did tend to drift to the, for lack of a better word, sadder side of things, and I always found myself hoping everything worked out for them, much like I tend to do with most 'good' books.  Yet another reason the books from The List are there I suppose.


You can read Time's original review of Ragtime from July 14th, 1975, right here.

Notes:

One of the 'famous' people from the novel, was Theodore Dreiser, author of An American Tragedy, which is one of the books from The List.  That makes for three references so far of The List in The List.

I currently have six books out from the library, and had brought Portney's Complaint with me to Toronto to read next.  However, the small town Inn we were staying at featured a small common area with an even smaller library.  Scanning the shelves, I found one book on The List, Falconer by John Cheever.  I decided to 'borrow' it, as I've tried to get it in Calgary from the Library and they only have one copy and it always seems to be out.  I'll read it as quickly as possible and mail it back to them with a Thank You note.  Meanwhile, I'll continue renewing the other books until I can get to them.

#4 - "Light in August" by William Faulkner

I've finished my fourth book from the list; finally. I'm currently in my hotel room in Cairo and the city is alive following what seems to be a pretty big win for the Egyptian soccer team over rival Algeria. The game was the semi-final of the Africa Cup, and is taken quite seriously by the locals. Walking the streets earlier this evening, every shop with a TV had a small crown of men around watching the game on the edge of their seats; or I guess the edge of their...feet.

Near the end of the first half, Egypt scored the game's first goal, sending the people in the streets into a frenzy. There was screaming, hugging, honking, and flashing lights. When I would stop at a shop and watch some of the game, I'd receive a series of confused looks, and then get asked who I was pulling for. Not caring one way or another, I'd of course answer Egypt, and then receive a pat on the back and invitation to get closer to the TV.

I suppose the atmosphere is much the same as during a hockey game in Canada, except without alcohol. Seems a little weird. People in Canada don't usually get so wound up about a sporting event without the help of a few drinks! Now that the game is over, and Egypt prevailed 4-0, the honking and cheering can be heard throughout the city.


Back to the book, I did finish Light in August earlier in the day, fulfilling my vow to do so before I returned to Canada, which I do tomorrow. I'm still not sure what I t

hink about this book. On the one hand the story is interesting, and the themes Faulkner explores are relevant even today, but I still found it so confusing and slow at times, that I don't know what to think.

The story takes place in the racially divided South in the 1920's and follows a couple of different story lines which naturally become intertwined in the end. Lena Grove is a

poor white girl, searching for the father of her soon to be born child. Joe Christmas is man of uncertain heritage (he's of mixed blood), searching for his place in the world; a world that doesn't look kindly upon people who are different. Neither one of them fit into the Southern society, and both are in a way, outcasts. As the story evolves, the deeply ingrained prejudice of the South rears its ugly head, leading to the destruction of several people within the small town that serves as the setting for the story.

Now that I've finished the book, I do find the constant time shifts used throughout less confusing, as I can piece together the entire story and put it into a more linear context. But the jumping from different times and different places, what Time magazine describes as "outside the zone of normal chronology," was just too confusing for me, and often distracted from the excellent story. I wonder if I am alone in this thought, and am simply "not getting it." Faulkner is considered to be one of the great American writers of the last century and his books are critically acclaimed, but maybe I prefer the fluffier reads like The Da Vinci Code. Hopefully reading through this list allows me to expand my literary understanding, and through time I will learn to love a book like this, having a greater appreciation for it's brilliance.


You can read Time Magazine's original review from October 17, 1932, here:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744655-1,00.html

Leaving for Canada tomorrow morning, I'm going to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Hopefully I'm able to finish it on the plane. It's pretty short and I'm familiar with the story, so it shouldn't be a problem.