A review by kimabill
Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow

3.0

I had a hard time deciding what rating to give this book. It wasn't really the same as my other three star books, but a two star rating didn't seem right either. So, it is what it is... This book is based on two real brothers who were from a wealthy family but ended up dying in their home surrounded by piles and piles and piles of stuff they had hoarded over the years. The book is narrated by Homer, who, as he says in the opening sentence, is "the blind brother". Doctorow does a good job showing the slippery slope from being a collector to a compulsive hoarder. It is actually pretty depressing. The two brothers spiral downward so gradually, by the time they realize what is happening (if they ever do), things are pretty much hopeless. The book made me want to learn more about the real-life brothers it was based on. I'm not sure what I think about Doctorow's writing style. It seems like nothing happens for a long time, then all the sudden it gets really interesting, then nothing happens again. I seem to remember having the same thought when I read his book Ragtime in college.