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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Full disclosure: I listened to discs one and two, then put 3-6 in my cd player and accidentally listened to CD 6. The good news: I didn't even realize it until I was halfway through. The bad news: I didn't even realize it until I was halfway through. Entertaining, educational, well-written...but I'm not going back to listen to CDs 3,4,5.
An interesting character study with real historical events tied into the Collyer brothers gradual fall into isolation and dementia. I would recommend E. L. Doctorow's book Ragtime over this hands down.
Very interesting overview of the 20th century (in its entirety) from a blind character's perspective. Loved the parallel between the progression of time/chaos of the world and the progression of disability in the character. Overall a compelling read.
I give this book 4.5 stars...read it in one day....amazing. True story of a set of brothers living in NY who, as the years went by, became more and more reclusive. This story takes the brothers, and from the viewpoint of Homer "the blind brother", weaves a tale of how it all came to be. A case study in ecentric behavior and how two seemingly "normal" young men could find themselves so cut off from society. We should all see so well as Homer...
Admittedly, I have a bizarre interest in hoarders. So, when I read the New York Times Book Review on E.L. Doctorow's new novel, Homer & Langley, which is based on the true story of New York City's most notorious hoarders ("the stuff of urban legend," says Liesl Schillinger in the book review), Homer and Langley Collyer, I decided to read it.
I made that decision knowing that I didn't really like E.L. Doctorow's The March, which I read back in 2006. But, I knew that I would be drawn in by the subject matter, and Homer & Langley didn't disappoint. Of course, the novel is changed a bit from the true story - the real Collyer brothers died in the 1940's, but the novel takes them all the way through the Vietnam War and into the 1980's.
I really liked Homer & Langley. Doctorow paints the brothers as eccentric, but interesting and sympathetic - not scary and crazy. In the novel they are painted as archivers of the century - Langley, in particular, saves tons and tons of newspapers in an academic quest to create the "ultimate newspaper." He believes - he calls his theory the "Theory of Replacements" - that everything repeats itself, and so the news can be captured in one American edition, encompassing murders of innocents, political corruption, natural disasters, etc. in one master newspaper, because these things happen again and again. Homer, who is blind (and later deaf) is dependent on Langley so he is not so much critical of his brother as concerned and accepting (does he have a choice?). He excuses Langley's hoarding and blames his brother's troubles on public pressure from the press, bill collectors, and neighborhood hostilities.
I would recommend this one to anyone interested in New York urban mythology or fascinated, like I am, by hoarders.
I made that decision knowing that I didn't really like E.L. Doctorow's The March, which I read back in 2006. But, I knew that I would be drawn in by the subject matter, and Homer & Langley didn't disappoint. Of course, the novel is changed a bit from the true story - the real Collyer brothers died in the 1940's, but the novel takes them all the way through the Vietnam War and into the 1980's.
I really liked Homer & Langley. Doctorow paints the brothers as eccentric, but interesting and sympathetic - not scary and crazy. In the novel they are painted as archivers of the century - Langley, in particular, saves tons and tons of newspapers in an academic quest to create the "ultimate newspaper." He believes - he calls his theory the "Theory of Replacements" - that everything repeats itself, and so the news can be captured in one American edition, encompassing murders of innocents, political corruption, natural disasters, etc. in one master newspaper, because these things happen again and again. Homer, who is blind (and later deaf) is dependent on Langley so he is not so much critical of his brother as concerned and accepting (does he have a choice?). He excuses Langley's hoarding and blames his brother's troubles on public pressure from the press, bill collectors, and neighborhood hostilities.
I would recommend this one to anyone interested in New York urban mythology or fascinated, like I am, by hoarders.
The feelings this novel left me with were both dark and depressing. Just the thought of being surrounded by piles of junk and filth makes me cringe, and Doctorow supplies enough description to keep me on the edge of repulsion.
The premise of this compact novel centers around an old blind man as he types out the story of the life that he and his brother created in their Fifth Avenue brownstone. Both pack rats in different ways, their home is bursting at the seams with the physical memories of their existence. It was only after I finished this work that I realized that Doctorow had produced a fictional re-telling of the real lives of two New York City recluses. For me, it was better to read the story for the work of fiction that it is instead of knowing the biographies of the real Collyer brothers. After doing some research, I found out that a lot of liberties were taken by the author.
Ultimately, the success of the story lies upon the character of Homer. Given that he is blind, I worried that the story would be pushed aside by lengthy descriptions of person, place or thing to make up for the lack of sight, but, luckily, that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters. Maybe it was intentional, but I felt like Doctorow left a certain emotional distance, making them feel more like strangers. Even though the characters lack in likability, Doctorow manages to create a narrator whose story is a concise, thoughtful and self-aware examination of the human condition and one's existence within a larger society.
It is through Homer's metaphorical eyes that we see the passage of time and come to understand the ultimate idea that "everything alive is at war," especially with oneself. Over time, the brothers slowly withdraw from society, and instead of participating they become outsiders. The ironic part is that, even though they refuse to leave their home, the brothers, especially Homer, become more educated and aware of events happening in the world via newspapers and eventually the television than many other citizens.
Homer and Langley was an interesting trip into the past and into the mind that left me quite anxious and uncomfortable. I will probably still be contemplating this story for a while. Since I did enjoy the writing style, I will be looking into Doctorow's other books in the hopes of finding another well-written journey, but hopefully with more engaging characters. For now, I will leave you with some images, courtesy of the New York Times, of the real Collyer brother's brownstone when they were finally forced to leave. Quite cringe-worthy if you ask me.
The premise of this compact novel centers around an old blind man as he types out the story of the life that he and his brother created in their Fifth Avenue brownstone. Both pack rats in different ways, their home is bursting at the seams with the physical memories of their existence. It was only after I finished this work that I realized that Doctorow had produced a fictional re-telling of the real lives of two New York City recluses. For me, it was better to read the story for the work of fiction that it is instead of knowing the biographies of the real Collyer brothers. After doing some research, I found out that a lot of liberties were taken by the author.
Ultimately, the success of the story lies upon the character of Homer. Given that he is blind, I worried that the story would be pushed aside by lengthy descriptions of person, place or thing to make up for the lack of sight, but, luckily, that wasn't the case. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters. Maybe it was intentional, but I felt like Doctorow left a certain emotional distance, making them feel more like strangers. Even though the characters lack in likability, Doctorow manages to create a narrator whose story is a concise, thoughtful and self-aware examination of the human condition and one's existence within a larger society.
It is through Homer's metaphorical eyes that we see the passage of time and come to understand the ultimate idea that "everything alive is at war," especially with oneself. Over time, the brothers slowly withdraw from society, and instead of participating they become outsiders. The ironic part is that, even though they refuse to leave their home, the brothers, especially Homer, become more educated and aware of events happening in the world via newspapers and eventually the television than many other citizens.
Homer and Langley was an interesting trip into the past and into the mind that left me quite anxious and uncomfortable. I will probably still be contemplating this story for a while. Since I did enjoy the writing style, I will be looking into Doctorow's other books in the hopes of finding another well-written journey, but hopefully with more engaging characters. For now, I will leave you with some images, courtesy of the New York Times, of the real Collyer brother's brownstone when they were finally forced to leave. Quite cringe-worthy if you ask me.
Meh. I waited for a while for this book, and really was excited to read it. I tried. Really, I did. But just never got into it.
I didn't realize until I was done how vividly I was living in their world while I was reading this book. Definitely thought-provoking and interesting.