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A review by alanffm
The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow
4.0
A powerful book that unfortunately did not quite resonate well with me. There is no doubt that the placement of The Book of Daniel as a great work of Postwar American literature is spot on, but there is something offputting about Doctorow's novel which takes a lot away from it. Danny's psychotic Marxism and Marxist analyses (of everything) can be a bit too much, Doctorow's never ending vulgarity often takes away from the book instead of giving to it, and whole sections of the book could have easily been cut out. This is not to say Doctorow's writing is bad - far from it- it is the mediocre parts that ruin great passages (like the Disneyland section among several other powerful moments).
The Book of Daniel shows that historical fiction need not be bland, yet it says little about historical accuracy. While the political spirit in the novel reflects the mindset of 1960's counterculture and what preceded it with (what I am told) astounding accuracy, the actual story of the Isaacson's (or in real life the Rosenberg's) was in reality very different then in this retelling of history.
The Book of Daniel shows that historical fiction need not be bland, yet it says little about historical accuracy. While the political spirit in the novel reflects the mindset of 1960's counterculture and what preceded it with (what I am told) astounding accuracy, the actual story of the Isaacson's (or in real life the Rosenberg's) was in reality very different then in this retelling of history.