Doctorow: Collected Stories

Doctorow: Collected Stories from E.L. Doctorow (1931-2015) is a collection that he had pulled together shortly before he died in 2015. Doctorow penned famous works like Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, Daniel, and the contained story “Jolene: A Life” that were made into movies. Some of these films were very successful and helped make Doctorow a household name. He also was an award winner and professor who was inducted into the NY Writer’s Hall of Fame (2012). Doctorow wrote historic fiction blending story with actual occurrences. At times he could give his characters historical significance and some observed cadence.

The collection includes fifteen stories and novellas presented in chronological order. There is a Billy Bathgate story as well as a few others that inspired movies and novels. Doctorow does not have the same voice in all these stories–some have internal monologue while in others you are along for the journey. Some of these are about self discovery, others about happenings and situations. Doctorow can be a challenging read, but there are rewards. One also finds an interest here not only in the commonplace but also in current issues. There is trauma, anger, crime, current affairs, profundity, and even, on one occasion, a ghost.