Midwest Book Review
The novels of E. L. Doctorow emerged in a literary world of early postmodernism, and the history of their reception spans the era that saw traditional formalist criticism decline in favor of poststructural theories of language and culture. After a career of 35 years, Doctorow's own canon of ten major works has elicited seven books and hundreds of articles of commentary. Now a member-in-good-standing of the literary establishment, he has survived the controversy over his overtly political novels and the theoretical wars of the 1980s to become recognized as an artist whose place in the American tradition has been earned by his extension of it. Still unsettled, however, are questions raised by poststructuralism. As Doctorow criticism leaves its infancy, it must debate the value of his literature in a world that questions all values. Fiction As False Document is a critically important contribution to just such a critical literary debate.

Review
"(Williams's) unusual and useful approach. . .reveals how the critics themselves. . .created the combustible mixture of literary, social, and political theories called postmodernism at the very moment they were preparing their commentary on Doctorow for print." CHOICE

Book Description
E.L. Doctorow, now a major member of the American literary establishment, has survived the controversy over his overtly political novels to become recognised as an artist whose place in the American tradition has been earned by his extension of it. This book surveys the reception of his novels, which span the era that saw traditionalist formalist criticism decline in favour of post-structural theories of language and culture. When Welcome to Hard Times (1960) was published, the scant notice it received praised its well-formed structure; by the time of Doctorow's major success, Ragtime (1975), the issues of politics, culture, and history loomed large on the critical landscape, and by the early 1980s, his work was seen overwhelmingly in terms of its postmodern style and scepticism, to such an extent that the theory of criticism drew attention away from his works themselves. Now, with current critical trends moving away from pure theory, his fiction has again become the main focus, with his later work as well as Ragtime/ receiving attention.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

E.L. Doctorow, now a major member of the American literary establishment, has survived the controversy over his overtly political novels to become recognised as an artist whose place in the American tradition has been earned by his extension of it. This book surveys the reception of his novels, which span the era that saw traditionalist formalist criticism decline in favour of post-structural theories of language and culture. When Welcome to Hard Times (1960) was published, the scant notice it received praised its well-formed structure; by the time of Doctorow's major success, Ragtime (1975), the issues of politics, culture, and history loomed large on the critical landscape, and by the early 1980s, his work was seen overwhelmingly in terms of its postmodern style and scepticism, to such an extent that the theory of criticism drew attention away from his works themselves. Now, with current critical trends moving away from pure theory, his fiction has again become the main focus, with his later work as well as Ragtime receiving attention.

SYNOPSIS

Survey of the reception history of E.L. Doctorow, the controversial American author.

FROM THE CRITICS

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