Literature Library author

E. L. Doctorow

A concise guide to E. L. Doctorow's body of work, major titles, and recurring themes.

AP-referenced author
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Forms
Novel
Indexed works
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Author overview

E. L. Doctorow (1931–2015) was a novelist, playwright, and essayist whose body of work spans novels. This writing is associated with United States. Major works and useful reading starting points include Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, Homer & Langley, and The Book of Daniel. Key themes include History as a made narrative, Movement and unequal freedom, Justice, property, and political violence, and Technology and the American future.

Reading pathway

Begin with Ragtime.

Representative starting points

Ragtime

Three families and a crowd of historical celebrities cross an accelerating early-twentieth-century America where invention promises freedom while race, class, and power decide whose motion is allowed.

All published guides by this author

Biography, authority, and bibliography sources

This independent author guide supports reading and discussion. Curriculum badges show useful AP or IB connections without making this an official AP or IB publication.