When, a few weeks later, a news bulletin came over the radio that Vincent had been shot while dining in an East Side restaurant, it was a weird pride I felt -- the sense of being a privileged insider, an I-knew-him-when feeling that was quite insensitive to the extremity of his situation. After all, I was a fellow who sat most of the day in his house, living without the normal compliment of friends and associates, and with no practical enterprise to occupy his days, a man with nothing to show for his life but an overworked consciousness of it -- who can blame me for acting like a fool?-- Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow
That pretty much sums up this book about two brothers who live as recluses in their family home. Their tragic story is interspersed with anecdotes about their brushes with major events of the 20th Century. In this case, the shooting of a New York mafioso.
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.
Wow, this sounds amazing. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
ReplyDeleteI loved that book -- and to think it was based on a true story!
ReplyDeleteHere's mine and look on my latest post, as well, -- I have a giveaway
http://blog.readinggroupchoices.com/content/blog/barbara/10/february/teaser-tuesday-29-daughters-witching-hill
Once again, you're tempting me to go out and buy a book.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm
This sounds most intriguing. I hope you emjoyed it. My teaser is here
ReplyDeleteConnie -- The book is amazingly well-written. But the story is so sad that it is hard to read.
ReplyDeleteBarbara -- It's the story being true that makes it so difficult. Thanks for the link. I'll be right over.
Sun Slinger -- It is a tempting teaser, because it pretty much sums up the book.
Kaye -- Thanks for your link. I'll go visit. I enjoyed the book until I finished it this morning. I hated the end.
Oh, I absolutely loved this book, but it did hurt my heart. So beautiful, though.
ReplyDeleteIs it premature of me to ask what you think of Doctorow's book overall? I like Doctorow but did not think "The March" was up to par with his earlier books.
ReplyDeleteTweezle -- Thanks for visiting! And for the link.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin -- Your review of this books was wonderful. I didn't like it as much as you did because it was too horribly sad for me. I felt manipulated by the end. Like he tried to come up with the most horrible end he could just to make me feel bad and it worked.
CS -- I finished this book this morning, so it is not premature. I haven't read a lot of Doctorow's books, so I am not a good judge. But both that I read (this one and Ragtime) had the same thing that I don't like -- a parade of history as the plot outline, with ordinary people tangentially connected with the historic events. That is just not something that appeals to me. It feels gimmicky to me.
I'm so eager to see this book turn up in South Korea.
ReplyDeleteBybee -- I finished it yesterday and my final vote is that I wish I had not read it. It is too depressing for me. It certainly has me riled up, so I give it credit for that.
ReplyDeleteI read this one recently too.. I thought it was incredibly sad and I wasn't sure I liked it, but the story has really stayed with me, and to me that's a sign of a good book.
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