Welcome to Welcome to Hard Times: E. L. Doctorow's First and Greatest Novel

In all the eulogies mourning the loss of E. L. Doctorow, you’ll read a lot about Ragtime , Billy Bathgate , World's Fair and The Book of Daniel —all justly-lauded novels by one of the great craftsmen of our time. But the passing of Doctorow at 84 on Tuesday, immediately sends me to my favorite of his works: his first and arguably greatest book, Welcome to Hard Times .

Here’s the setup: A cowboy rides into town. He enters the saloon; the swinging doors bang in his wake. He orders a drink, guzzles...