Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Ragtime
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time Published in 1975, Ragtime changed our very concept of what a novel could be. An extraordinary tapestry, 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, 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. And 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.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
OriginalCyn620
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image
Panpan

This is on the Modern Library list of 100 best novels, but I‘ll be damned if I can figure out why. I guess it‘s one of those books that I just didn‘t get?

#bookspinbingo
#pop24 - book that‘s been turned into a musical

JamieArc I remember having a hard time with the book, but the musical is one of my favorites! 6mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 6mo
RamsFan1963 I saw the movie back in the 80s, I fell asleep in the theater. The only good thing about it was Jimmy Cagney, in his last film role. 6mo
Ruthiella I loved this book but I read it in the last century. I don‘t know how I‘d feel about it if I read-read it. 🤔 6mo
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 6mo
29 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
HeatherBookNerd
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

1. Ragtime - musical
2. Proof - play
3. Doubt - play

@dabbe

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 How have I missed these 3? Gotta watch! Thanks for sharing! 🩷💜❤️ 9mo
19 likes1 comment
review
KCofKaysville
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
Bailedbailed

I quit this one because it got way too explicit for me. It is a clever novel though. Will start something else soon. Enjoyed my visit, first time, to San Francisco. Took Amtrak train back to SLC from Emeryville near Oakland. Long ride back but great views of Sierras and Donner Lake, etc.

blurb
KCofKaysville
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Altho‘ slow reading the other books, I am starting this one. Need something small for a trip I am taking.

jlhammar Great cover! I have yet to read the novel, but got to see the musical many years ago (1997) and it was amazing. 1y
KCofKaysville @jlhammar I have only seen the movie years ago. I think I did see a play also but not a musical. Book has much more detail I think! 1y
27 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Leftcoastzen
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

I love the book , love the movie. Another wild Saturday night!

Ruthiella Simmer down there now! 😂 I‘ve not seen the film but I did love the book. 2y
50 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
swynn
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

(1974) This was the bestselling novel in the US in 1975. It's a historical novel following events connected to a New York fireworks family in the early (prewar) twentieth century. Its loose plot covers the E. Nesbit sex-and-murder scandal and an invented scandal about the racist humiliation of a ragtime pianist and his revenge.

This kind of loose plot usually annoys me, but Doctorow's direct prose and layered narrative won me over. I loved it

Leftcoastzen I‘m glad you liked it ! A favorite of mine. 3y
DrexEdit I have never read the book, but I've seen the movie three or four times. 3y
swynn @Leftcoastzen It deserves a place among favorites! And I must read more Doctorow .... 3y
See All 13 Comments
swynn @DrexEdit I hadn't been aware of the movie, and now must find it. 3y
swynn Also: this was my #DoubleSpin read for April. @TheAromaofBooks 3y
Suet624 I like his writing a lot. 3y
Leftcoastzen The film is wonderful, it‘s fun to see Norman Mailer as Stanford White, James Cagney in his last role I believe as the police commissioner.Elizabeth McGovern plays Nesbit so well. Beautiful soundtrack.I‘ll be quiet now!😃 3y
swynn @Suet624 I need to read more of it! What are your favorites besides Ragtime? 3y
swynn @Leftcoastzen Now I really must see it. 3y
Suet624 Well, Ragtime was the best in my opinion, but the one that had the most impact on me was The Book of Daniel. It was told from the perspective of the son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. I have always been fascinated by that case and the two sons of the couple, so it carried extra weight for me. I thought he did a great job with the book. 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 3y
swynn @Suet624 The Book of Daniel is (I think) also ELD's first book, so the one I was inclined to read next. That confirms my choice. Thanks for the rec! 3y
Suet624 Crossing my fingers the book still holds up. I read it years ago. 💕 3y
32 likes13 comments
blurb
swynn
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Here's my next #Bookspin #DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo list. Come on April!

@TheAromaofBooks

Leftcoastzen 💗Ragtime , book & movie! 3y
swynn @Leftcoastzen I'm looking forward to it! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
36 likes3 comments
blurb
OriginalCyn620
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

This is on the Modern Library‘s 100 Best Novels list. I have it on my Kindle but haven‘t read it yet. 🇺🇸
#flag #boundtogetherjune

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙 4y
CMB I taught US History for many years and when the play was in Chicago, our teaching team did an interdisciplinary unit that revolved around the story. Part of that experience was hauling the kids 2+ hrs away to actually see the play in Chicago. What a memorable experience!! The music/the acting was top notch. I believe the kids who participated in this will still remember it. To me, that‘s what teaching is about, not standardized tests. 4y
OriginalCyn620 @CMB don‘t get me started on standardized tests...🙄 4y
42 likes3 comments
review
MicrobeMom
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image
Mehso-so

I would say 3 🌟. The merging of three different stories was very interesting and I feel that I preferred the fictional characters to the real life ones. The real life characters were sprinkled in somewhat randomly but to give a historical context. I just don‘t think it worked well. They could have been left out and the other characters could have been developed more. So this was just ok for me.

36 likes2 stack adds
blurb
MicrobeMom
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Cuddling with my pups in this cold Sunday and trying to finish this one today!! #dogsoflitsy

DGRachel Nothing better than puppy heaters! 5y
42 likes1 comment
blurb
Eggs
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

This was the first fictionalized #history I ever read.
#history
#redroseseptember

@Cinfhen @arlenefinnigan

Cinfhen I only remember the film 🎞 and it was really fantastic 5y
arlenefinnigan Sounds really interesting! 5y
Leftcoastzen I love the book and the film. 5y
gradcat Great book...loved it! ♥️ 5y
Eggs Thanks all-didn‘t know there was a film 5y
63 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
Pedrocamacho
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

This book really grew on me with each page. Honestly, at first, I wasn‘t into the intertwined stories thing, but I swung by 180 before the end. Viva Coalhouse! 😊

Pedrocamacho Is it me or is Coalhouse Walker Jr the original John Wick? 5y
Leftcoastzen 😂I love this book! Movie was pretty good too. 5y
9 likes2 comments
blurb
Leftcoastzen
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

#Orange #ColorMePretty Some orange books from the stash . And a double hibiscus from my yard that I brought in before it wilts in the heat.🌞🧡

blurb
Emu
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

It took an explosion for Houdini to lose hos audience‘s attention. #ragtime #1001books #tbr1001

review
andrew61
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

New York in the years before the first world war is a period of dramatic change and through the story of an affluent middle class family the author explores the life of city by introducing famous characters ( Emma goldman -what a life, houdini, jp Morgan, ford) and looks a race, anarchism, immigration, and individual lives at the turn of the century. Loved it and a read that finished 'winter' in #booked2019

BarbaraTheBibliophage Hi - belated question: Which prompt did you count this for? Thanks! 6y
andrew61 @BarbaraTheBibliophage hi Barbara, ive had 2 holidays in NY, for wifes 40th birthday and as a family we did the east coast tour including all the usual tourist sites so we have lots of happy memories of the big Apple. So i chose it tenuously as my happy place for the winter prompt. 6y
andrew61 @BarbaraTheBibliophage it was also an excuse to read a book that i had always wanted to pick up. ☺ 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Awesome—thanks! 6y
33 likes4 comments
blurb
andrew61
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

Sorry i just had to post this as i nearly splurted my coffee over the page.
Apologies to my friends across the pond.

saresmoore Ha! 💨 6y
Ericalambbrown I feel like that description is rather kind to us given our current display of buffoonery. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 6y
andrew61 @Ericalambbrown yes it did cross my mind 😂 6y
andrew61 @saresmoore like the emoji 😂 6y
31 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
andrew61
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

My final winter book in #booked2019 challenge relates to reminds me of a happy place.
Ive been to new York twice once for my wifes 40th and then all 5 of us on a trip along the east coast so it has lots of great memories.
Anyway this Saturday morning im sat in my car waiting for my daughter - the music is of course totally random but there is no one like The proclaimers to lift a dull day.
@Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft

Cinfhen Wonderful choice 🗽🚧🚖 6y
andrew61 @Cinfhen thanks, love the emojis ☺ 6y
42 likes2 comments
blurb
Emu
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Starting this today. #reading1001 #tbrtakedown #1001books

blurb
HeatherBookNerd
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Day 26 of the #RiotGrams Challenge: Backlist/Old Books that Rock

Here are some awesome older books on our shelves.

@bookriot #riotgramsday26 #oldbooksthatrock

MeganAnn Ender‘s Game and Where the Red Fern Grows are two favorites of mine from childhood. ❤️😭 Never heard of Ragtime but I‘m stacking it now! 6y
Lcsmcat I ❤️ Ragtime! 6y
HeatherBookNerd @MeganAnn Ragtime is wonderful but is not a children‘s book. One of my favorite musicals is based on this book. @Lcsmcat I love it too! 6y
GingerAntics Oh I love Ender's Game!!! 6y
34 likes2 stack adds4 comments
review
Melkyl
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

This book has been on my radar for a very long time, and I finally got to read it. It was really interesting. I admit that I had a difficult time getting into it at first. The beginning was a little vague for me. Once the family took in the baby and the servant girl and Coalhouse Walker entered the picture, I became much more interested. From there on I devoured the book. The characters became more real and interesting to me then.

50 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Julsmarshall
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Library sale haul! All 7 for $3.50. If you aren‘t shopping your library, why not?

Leniverse My library never seems to have a sale. 6y
Julsmarshall Really, @Leniverse ? I‘m sorry, you should suggest they start one! Or come visit Austin TX and we‘ll hook you up! 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I often shop my local libraries! 6y
Soubhiville Nice! 6y
RebelReader Mine has 4 per year! Children‘s sale this weekend! The fall and spring ones are my favorite ones though cuz they‘re huge! 6y
75 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
Leftcoastzen
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

It‘s E.L.Doctorows‘ Birthday (1931-2015)I have not read all his books , I respect his huge talent. To write fictional characters interwoven into real historical events is a tricky thing and he was good at it.To see Ragtime come to life in movie form was pretty awesome too.

ValerieAndBooks Yes! There are bits and pieces from both the book and movie that I still remember and it‘s been about 30 years!! I keep meaning to re-read. Also have picked up some of his others over time, still TBR. 7y
laytonwoman3rd "I read music so well white folks think I'm fakin' it!" 7y
29 likes1 stack add2 comments
quote
PagesOfKate
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

Reading Ragtime and loving this quote. #Quotsy #CurrentRead

14 likes1 stack add
review
AdaChivers
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

What an amazing book, a blend of fiction and real history!
I've never whatched the movie, and I didn't know what It was about, and I am really pleasantly surprised.

Jas16 Gorgeous edition! 7y
AdaChivers @Jas16 right? It is exclusive from a brazilian blind box signers! 7y
35 likes2 comments
blurb
Centique
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

#rocktober #timeslikethese

Ragtime takes place in turn of the century America. The blurb on Litsy calls it a mosaic, and that‘s what I remember from reading it twenty years ago - jumping between points of view in three different families, seeing personal revelations with a backdrop of the political and social events of the time. I thought it was a masterpiece and I need to reread it soon!

Andrew65 Sounds very interesting. 7y
Leftcoastzen Love the book,love the movie .James Cagney‘s last role as NYC police commissioner Rhinelander Waldo. 7y
Lcsmcat And the musical is amazing too! 7y
See All 12 Comments
Centique @Leftcoastzen I haven‘t see it. I will have to remedy that! 7y
Centique @Lcsmcat I bet it is great as a musical. Fingers crossed someone does it in Auckland for me 🤞 7y
Centique @Andrew65 it is! 😊 7y
OrangeMooseReads I had to read this for lit theory in college (we had to apply all the theories to the one book) and I thought it was great. 7y
Centique @OrangeMooseReads I‘m kind of envious! I bet you got a lot more out of it. 😊 7y
Cinfhen Saw the movie, years ago! It was brilliant- I would love to read this book someday!!!! 7y
Centique @Cinfhen I really must see this movie! 7y
Cinfhen The music is soooo good! Hope you get to see it 7y
BarbaraBB I haven‘t read this one by Doctorow but I‘ll make sure I will now! 7y
56 likes2 stack adds12 comments
blurb
AdaChivers
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

That's the beautiful Ragtime edition I got in the blind book box I sign here in in Brazil! It comes with a box and a magazine and Also a little gift that is not pictured.

Cinfhen Pretty pretty 7y
45 likes1 comment
blurb
smccallum
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

I need to get back into these photo challenges so I'll hop on the end of #jubilantjuly and hopefully manage August! For #publishedinthe1970s my pick is 1975's Ragtime which is a gorgeous sprawling novel set in early 20th century America, this is also a pride of my book collection as it's one of the few first editions I have that dates back to before I was born 🙂

Libby1 You've convinced me! Into Mount TBR it goes. 7y
smccallum @Libby1 I hope you enjoy it 👍 7y
JazzFeathers Never read Doctorow, but l'd be curious too 7y
59 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
Andrea313
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

I thought this book was only OK but it inspired one of my favorite musicals of all time, so I owe it a debt of gratitude. #PublishedInThe1970s #JubilantJuly #theatrekid

review
HedgeWhitney
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. I love the time period of 1900-1920, and the mix of historical figures and fictional characters was amazing. The descriptions of settings, objects, etc. were very vivid. Read it! E.L. Doctorow is legit.👌🏻

6 likes1 stack add
blurb
HedgeWhitney
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

This one has been on my #tbrlist for awhile! 😍

EvieBee Mine too. Just saw there's a movie based on the book. 7y
HedgeWhitney @EvieBee84 Ooh I might have to check that out! It's an excellent book so far! 7y
4 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
HedgeWhitney
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Library #bookhaul. 👍🏻

blurb
Jas16
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image
Lcsmcat I thought about using Ragtime for this prompt too. Great book. 8y
44 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Yossarian
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

"Other than that, the play was excellent."

-- Mary Todd Lincoln

BibliOphelia 😂 8y
LeahBergen I guffawed. 8y
113 likes7 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Yossarian
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

At Ford's Theater, Washington D.C. to see Ragtime: The Musical and watch out for John Wilkes Booth.

104 likes4 stack adds
quote
NazamSandhu
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

Writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

5 likes1 stack add
blurb
limada
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Recently discovered this was the most bestselling book od my birth year. So a friend gave it to me for my Christmas/birthday present. #bookgifts #asgoodatimeasany

blurb
OrangeMooseReads
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

#17boollove #redbooks
I did not think I had this many books with at least a red spine and these are from just the downstairs bookshelves.

slhbooks If you sorted your books by color, you'd have a whole shelf😉 8y
OrangeMooseReads @slhbooks that's true lol but then all the same author wouldn't be together lol 8y
slhbooks @OrangeMooseReads I know!! I could never sort by color😂 8y
29 likes3 comments
review
BritishLass929
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
Pickpick

Perfect. Seamlessly interwoven. Keep Google at the ready. (What would I have done had I read this before Google?) and every bit as relevant now as in 1975.

blurb
OrangeMooseReads
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Here are the #oneworstitles I found on the living room bookcase

32 likes1 stack add
blurb
Beccabeanss
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

homesick for my sweet usa

blurb
Hilarymak
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

Saw this as a musical tonight- excellent production, loved the storytelling but haven't read the book- adding to TBR list right now!

blurb
paradise_found92
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
post image

This week's homework for my Am Lit Sem! So far so good! #americanliterature #ragtime #graduateschool #homework #historicalfiction

MrBook Want to read this!!! 8y
paradise_found92 You won't be disappointed! 8y
6 likes3 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Cortg
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow

Came across this article today...Ragtime was the most popular book the year I was born, so naturally I added it to my TBR list 😃 you can go to the link to see what book was popular the year you were born! http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/g3656/most-popular-book-year-...

Graciouswarriorprincess Mine is "You only live twice". 8y
7 likes1 comment
review
LizKay
Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow
Pickpick

This book is for me a reminder of how much depends on my frame of mind. The first time I started it, I couldn't get into it. A year later, couldn't put it down. It's such a rich, full novel.

LeahBergen It's funny how that works. I'm the same way. 8y
Lcsmcat Listen to the soundtrack from the musical inspired by the novel for s multi-sensory experience. 8y
LizKay Great tip @Lcsmcat! 8y
51 likes7 stack adds3 comments
review
Hugoreads
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

This is my 2nd reading of this book...the first was 1975 when it was first published. I loved it then and loved it even more now as I have either lived in or spent significant time in the major cities in the book. Doctorow expertly blends history with fiction and I found myself constantly Googling to learn more about the people and events portrayed. A fascinating and enjoyable book that tells a great story. Highly recommended!!

SusanInTiburon Cutie!! 8y
EliseWhitmore This had been on my shelf for a couple yes now. Must get to it soon 8y
Hugoreads Yes @EliseWhitmore , it is a great tale full of fascinating characters...both historical and fictional. 8y
Hugoreads Thanks @SusanInTiburon , he is my best little buddy. 8y
14 likes4 comments
blurb
Hugoreads
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

Why people will vote against their best interests.

Floresj Timely quote! That question has been my mind for the past few weeks! 8y
Hugoreads Exactly. I should have highlighted the next sentence too. Describes our perverse culture of celebrity. 8y
14 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Kensalikof
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

The perfect novel to read on the Fourth of July.

blurb
KatyAliceReads
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image

Every year over the first four days of July, I reread Ragtime... I love this book.

13 likes2 stack adds
review
Yossarian
Ragtime | E. L. Doctorow
post image
Pickpick

And thinking of Teddy Roosevelt as a character in The Alienist made me think about real people who appear in fiction that is not "Historical Fiction." Ragtime is by far my favorite, and the Broadway Show is one of my favorites, too. What's your favorite real person in fiction?

brendanmleonard TR in the Alienist is up there. Tom Cruise in American Psycho. 8y
BookishFeminist Richard Nixon in 8y
Yossarian @brendanmleonard @BookishFeminist Good ones! I'm also partial to J.D. Salinger and the ball players in Shoeless Joe, but they relaxed Salinger with a fictional James Earl Jones in the movie Field of Dreams. 8y
See All 15 Comments
Yossarian Relaxed = replaced 8y
KarenUK Richard Burton in Beautiful Ruins... 8y
KVanRead Joey Smallwood in The 8y
CherylDeFranceschi I enjoyed all the people who showed up in Queen of the Night. I thought that was great fun. But Ragtime is my favorite, too. 8y
BookThia This improbable but oh-so-fun novel by Jonas Jonasson has lots of 19th century historical figures from across the globe. Loved 8y
Yossarian Oh! And if we're including plays, Stoppard's Travesties, with James Joyce, Vladimir Lenin, Tristan Tzara! 8y
HeatherBookNerd Me too! 8y
Abailliekaras Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader: Queen Elizabeth II ?. Favourite line, queen to librarian: "One is a pensioner." 8y
shawnmooney Margaret Thatcher in Alan Hollinghurst's 'The Line of Beauty' 8y
LizGotauco The musical is amazing! I recently enjoyed The Seventh Most Important Thing which fictionalized the artist James Hampton creating his life's work. 8y
Procrastireader I have to laugh at myself--the first person who popped into my head was Sherlock Holmes😜 8y
Yossarian A lot of good choices here! 8y
71 likes22 stack adds15 comments