There are three reasons I am excited about buying and reading E.L. Doctorow’s latest book Homer and Langley.
The first is that of course, he is a famous writer and the book is already a best seller. I say he is a great writer, yet the only work of his I have read is Ragtime, the classic written in 1975. The book was later made into a movie (well done) and a Broadway musical (fabulous). Therefore it’s easy for me to say that everything I ever read by E.L. Doctorow was good.
The second reason is that the Homer and Langley he writes about are the Collyer brothers. In 1947, these siblings were found in their Manhattan home surrounded (literally buried) by tons of rubbish they had collected and hoarded. These famous recluses became the poster boys for obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoia. I was a child when their bizarre life style was discovered, but in 1955 I read My Brother’s Keeper, a novel by Marcia Davenport, based on the Collyer brothers’ lives. The story is fascinating and I can’t wait to read another take on it.
The last reason is E. L. Doctorow is 78 years old! Go Edgar! At the time when lots of folks are kicking back and watching Game Show Network, he’s turning out a best seller. So, I will applaud that in a way that every writer will understand. I’m going to buy and read his book.
Ever since I saw the article (review?)about this book, I also want to read it. I read Ragtime many years ago, so many I’ve forgotten it, but the thought of hoarding stuff and stuff and more larger stuff is intriquing. I may need to read My Brother’s Keeper first. You think so?