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jmcook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
mzokiegolfer's review against another edition
Just could not get into it, maybe later.
leonidasm's review against another edition
5.0
5αρι καθαρό. Και να φανταστείς ότι το βρήκα στις προσφορές και λόγω ολοκληρωτικής άγνοιας μου για την ύπαρξη του συγγραφέα, δεν ήταν και προτεραιότητα μου να το διαβάσω σύντομα. Το βιβλίο βασίζεται σε δύο πραγματικές θρυλικές φιγούρες της Νέας Υόρκης, μόνο όμως ο σκελετός της ιστορίας είναι αληθινός. Ο Doctorow στήριξε στην ιστορία του Χόμερ και του Λάνγκλεϋ ένα μικρό αριστούργημα. Μέσα από το σπίτι τους περνάει η ιστορία της Αμερικής του 20ου αιώνα , αρκετοί αξιομνημονευτοι χαρακτήρες που μαζί με τα αδέρφια παρατείνουν τη διάρκεια ζωής τους και μετά το 1947 που στην πραγματικότητα τους βρήκαν νεκρούς, θαμμένους κυριολεκτικά κάτω από τα αμέτρητα αντικείμενα και εφημερίδες που είχαν στοιβαξει σε κάθε δωμάτιο.
Κλείνοντας το βιβλίο ένιωσα πραγματικά την ευτυχία της ανάγνωσης ενός σπουδαίου συγγραφέα.
Κλείνοντας το βιβλίο ένιωσα πραγματικά την ευτυχία της ανάγνωσης ενός σπουδαίου συγγραφέα.
theseventhl's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted at Dangerously Cold Tea
From E. L. Doctorow, you expect to see history in all its different forms and viewpoints, from the common man on the street to the richest man on Wall Street. You expect the main character to walk you through different events, seeing the world unfold from his unique point of view. You don't expect said character to be a practical reclusive, or a blind man.
I’m Homer, the blind brother, and this starts Doctorow's latest novel, Homer and Langley, the tale of two brothers who live together in an old house on Fifth Avenue for most of their lives, rarely leaving the abode but living startlingly vibrant lives all the same. Homer's brother, Langley, has returned home from World War One, a veteran with a mustard gas-addled brain that only makes him more eccentric than before. They live their lives as social recluses, gathering junk and oddities in their house as the years go by, and yet become very active participants in the ongoing crawl of history.
At one point, Langley actually builds a somewhat-working Model T in one of the main rooms, to the amusement of his brother (and the agitation of the long-suffering help). It is a rather symbolic point in the story; how they are able to bring in parts of the current world into their house which is still stuck in the past. But car parts and such things aren't the only things running through their house; during the course of the novel, the brothers host dance parties, host hippies, provide refuge to a Japanese married couple, and eventually battle the ever-persistent efforts of bureacracy and the media.
Do not start this novel expecting something like, say, Ragtime. It encompasses a great deal of events without moving POVs or even settings, and that's what sets it apart from much of the historical fiction released lately. Doctorow takes a true story --- the lives of the hermit-esque Collyer brothers --- and breathes life into their story. He himself says they are "two brothers who opted out of civilization and pulled the world in after them"; there is not a more apt description for this wonderful story.
From E. L. Doctorow, you expect to see history in all its different forms and viewpoints, from the common man on the street to the richest man on Wall Street. You expect the main character to walk you through different events, seeing the world unfold from his unique point of view. You don't expect said character to be a practical reclusive, or a blind man.
I’m Homer, the blind brother, and this starts Doctorow's latest novel, Homer and Langley, the tale of two brothers who live together in an old house on Fifth Avenue for most of their lives, rarely leaving the abode but living startlingly vibrant lives all the same. Homer's brother, Langley, has returned home from World War One, a veteran with a mustard gas-addled brain that only makes him more eccentric than before. They live their lives as social recluses, gathering junk and oddities in their house as the years go by, and yet become very active participants in the ongoing crawl of history.
At one point, Langley actually builds a somewhat-working Model T in one of the main rooms, to the amusement of his brother (and the agitation of the long-suffering help). It is a rather symbolic point in the story; how they are able to bring in parts of the current world into their house which is still stuck in the past. But car parts and such things aren't the only things running through their house; during the course of the novel, the brothers host dance parties, host hippies, provide refuge to a Japanese married couple, and eventually battle the ever-persistent efforts of bureacracy and the media.
Do not start this novel expecting something like, say, Ragtime. It encompasses a great deal of events without moving POVs or even settings, and that's what sets it apart from much of the historical fiction released lately. Doctorow takes a true story --- the lives of the hermit-esque Collyer brothers --- and breathes life into their story. He himself says they are "two brothers who opted out of civilization and pulled the world in after them"; there is not a more apt description for this wonderful story.
chicokc's review against another edition
5.0
E.L. Doctorow noveliza la vida de los hermanos Collyer, un par de personas que vivieron en Nueva York, sobre la quinta avenida y se dedicaron a guardar tiliches. Y no al nivel "guardo las revistas de Reader's Digest". No señor. Estos hermanos se tomaron las cosas en serio.
kingarooski's review against another edition
4.0
This book reminded me so much of A Gentleman in Moscow with it similar pace and style. This book pre-dates A Gentleman in Moscow by some time, but the character's outlook on life and philosophy is quite similar. It does take the historical grain of the Collyer brothers and is quite liberal in its treatment of the facts, but it does make for an enjoyable read.
rebcamuse's review against another edition
3.0
After reading up a bit on the Collyer brothers, I changed my assessment of this novel. I don't take issue with the liberties of timeline and birth order, but I don't understand why Doctorow did it. Sure, the journey through the 50s-70s was interesting and the Collier brothers would no doubt have been an interesting lens for such times, but why make Homer the pianist and the younger brother? Admittedly, I knew little about the Collyer brothers before reading the novel and I think that added to my enjoyment. What struck me is that it is a story about stories in some sense. For much of the world, there were mysteries behind those doors of that brownstone that were sensationalized, yet fantastically truthful. What Doctorow does, however, is digs through the labels of "disorders" and reveals a relationship between two people. Two secluded brothers in history are perfect fodder for fictionalization and maybe that is their legacy--to generate stories. There's a safety in fiction, especially now that they are gone. But Doctorow asks us--with this story--to look beyond all in our present that is eccentric and "unknown" to find the touchstones. Maybe I'm giving him more credit than I should, but that was my takeaway from the book.
thelucyfan's review against another edition
3.0
I would like to give this three and a half stars. The story is very loosely based on the actual brothers that lived a reclusive life in a mansion in Harlem. I found it interesting and I love Doctorow's style, but the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.
littletaiko's review against another edition
3.0
Homer & Langley ended up being different than what I expected. I knew it was based on the true story of two reclusive brothers in New York who were hoarders. For some reason I was expecting more about the hoarding and the aftermath of after they died. Instead, it was an interesting story told from the perspective of Homer, the blind brother. This isn't told in general story format with chapters, but instead reads more like diary entries. It is interesting to get an idea of what type of person could become a hoarder and how it all seems so natural to them.