Ragtime in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Nov 18, 2008 Jamie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, literature, audible-plus

Like the music it's named after, Ragtime progresses with a syncopated rhythm.
It begins by being narrated by a young boy in New York circa 1906 and eventually incorporates tales of some of the movers and shakers of the times and it made for an unusual and interesting tale told in a unique way. Once I became accustomed to the style of the piece I found myself enjoying the tale more. Especially the vignettes of domestic life for this family during a time of great change in both the political and so ...more

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Nov 05, 2013 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

This was a strange piece of historical fiction but brilliantly done. Many vignettes from turn-of-the-century New York that all were woven together by the end. Diverse and many-layered characters including some real life personalities, intersting political and social intracacies of the times, and settings beautifully drawn--I feel like I got a real snapshot of the era. Amazing. I did have to spend a good amount of time online learning more about the life and times of the characters, which to me i ...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Sunflower rated it really liked it

Shelves: library, historical-fiction, fiction-read-2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. At first reading this book is like watching a movie by Fellini-where apparently random things happen. However, like those pictures that you stare at with your eyes crossed that suddenly come into 3-D focus, this book falls into place. The families intertwine, the historical figures come and go, and a kind of justice prevails.

The use of real historical figures who interact with mostly nameless fictional characters from three families is a clever idea. Houdini plays the biggest part, and Mother's ...more

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