Reviews

Welcome to Hard Times by E.L. Doctorow

franchescanado's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mlind20's review against another edition

2.0

I do not think this is a poorly written book, but every character sucks with no redeeming qualities except a kid who gets ruined by the adults.

Blue sucks, Molly sucks, Zar sucks, Jenks sucks, the Scotsman suck, Isaac, Bert, Man from Bodie, the hunchback, and Mae all the same. In a book that opens and tells you the characters are bad I don’t know why I ever though differently throughout.

tasharobinson's review against another edition

4.0

I've never read Doctorow, but I picked this one up because Stephen King's latest book heavily praises Doctorow and JD MacDonald — and reading this book, I feel like I understand more about where King's voice comes from. This is more of a Western than a horror story, but much like King's work, it bleeds across genres, and there certainly is a strong horror element in the descriptions of death and destruction in a small town, and the privation and madness that follows, and the heavy sense of inevitability after that. This is a lean, simple book, but it's descriptive and "voice-y" for all that, with a strong sense of place and character. Reminded me of Daniel Woodrell a fair bit.

joann_l's review

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

derrickmitchell's review

5.0

After the devastating first chapter, I wasn’t sure I would continue reading as it was pretty bleak. It didn’t get any less bleak but the violence took a back seat. I felt like this was similar to a dystopian future book, one with zombies and showing how hard it is to struggle to survive, except it all takes place rooted in the reality of life in the early 1900s.

deborama's review against another edition

3.0

I would have given it more, for realism, but it was too depressing.

kabukiboy's review against another edition

5.0

Damn, the struggles these people went through! and for what!? Weirdly, this book made me appreciate why Americans think and behave the way they do (to a certain degree). Well written and easy to read.

yeahtobi's review against another edition

3.0

Thematically great although Doctorow could have done a lot more with it. After reading The Book of Daniel last year I had higher expectations for this and it felt a little bit too light.
Still, it is a good story with interesting character developments and psychological aspects.

milchbaer's review against another edition

2.0

First and third ledger were nice to read but the second was just ... boring?
Didn't know if I liked this or if it was just OK.
So 2,5

saaramyrene's review against another edition

4.0

This (his first novel?) is a more straightforward read than Book of Daniel, but I was still totally into it. Doctorow knows how to work some words.