From Ragtime and Billy Bathgate to World’s Fair, The March, and Homer & Langley, the fiction of E. L. Doctorow comprises a towering achievement in modern American letters. Now Doctorow returns with an enthralling collection of brilliant, startling short fiction about people who, as the author notes in his Preface, are somehow “distinct from their surroundings—people in some sort of contest with the prevailing world”. A man at the end of an ordinary workday, extracts himself from his upper-middle-class life and turns to foraging in the same affluent suburb where he once lived with his family. A college graduate takes a dishwasher’s job on a whim, and becomes entangled in a criminal enterprise after agreeing to marry a beautiful immigrant for money. A husband and wife’s tense relationship is exacerbated when a stranger enters their home and claims to have grown up there. An urbanite out on his morning run suspects that the city in which he’s lived all his life has transmogrified into another city altogether. These are among the wide-ranging creations in this stunning collection, resonant with the mystery, tension, and moral investigation that distinguish the fiction of E. L. Doctorow. Containing six unforgettable stories that have never appeared in book form, and a selection of previous Doctorow classics, All the Time in the World affords us another opportunity to savor the genius of this American master.
Download and start listening now!
"I like Doctorow's fiction, and these stores I find particularly engaging in part because we see the author's range: from historical fiction to experimentalism (particularly the title story with its unhinged narrator and chronic repetition) Doctorow excels. These aren't all perfect stories, but they show us an underrated American master at work." — Gerry (4 out of 5 stars)
"I like Doctorow's fiction, and these stores I find particularly engaging in part because we see the author's range: from historical fiction to experimentalism (particularly the title story with its unhinged narrator and chronic repetition) Doctorow excels. These aren't all perfect stories, but they show us an underrated American master at work."
" This book represents what I don't like about short story collections. Some of them are great and others far from it. So, it's not a uniform 3 rating, but an average. It's also frustrating that the ones that grab you are over so soon! The writing is certainly elegant. "
" I only read two of these stories. They were good, but I've heard his novels are better. I might have to try one. "
" SUMMER READING REVIEW: "Some beautiful stories that are quite memorable. Others are not at all. A very variable collection- quite like his novels." -Alice Kintisch "
" E.L. Doctorow is a brilliant wordsmith. He deftly depicts mans fears, foibiles and failures with empathy and humor. "
" I'm giving this one mixed reviews as some of the stories were wonderful and some...not so much. The ones I didn't care for were so esoteric as to be simply words stung together. "
" I usually never put down a book. I liked the first story but the next handful I read I really did not like, so i stopped reading halfway though. I just didn't find them interesting. "
" I enjoyed the stories Wakefield, A House on the Plains, Jolene, and Walter John Harmon. Regarding the other stories, I felt like I missed the point of the story. Wakefield was by far my favorite story. "
" Loved the first few stories, then had to return to the library. Will definitely finish it one of these days. "
" A collection of short stories: Heist, Jolene: A Life, The Writer in the Family, and Linear Notes all get 4 stars. The rest only one or two stars, so 3 stars is really an average for the overall collection. "
" Wow us all I can say about these stories. Odd, twisted, but compelling. "
" Quite a variable collection. Some of these are quite memorable; others I found inscrutable or forgettable. "
" Doctorow displays his wide range of styles and voices in this collection, whose stories ranged from sublime to unreadable in my opinion. Notables included "Wakefield," "Assimilation," "Jolene," and "The Hunter." "
" I'm not sure what Doctorow is trying to say in most of these stories but I enjoyed his writing (if that makes any sense) "
E. L. Doctorow (1931–2015) was known internationally for his works of historical fiction, including Ragtime, World’s Fair, and Billy Bathgate. He was honored with the National Book Award, three National Book Critics Circle awards, two PEN/Faulkner awards, the William Dean Howells Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the presidentially conferred National Humanities Medal.
John Rubinstein is an actor, composer, and director who won a Tony Award for his starring role in Broadway’s Children of a Lesser God. He has narrated dozens of audiobooks, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards and being named a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2013.
Joshua Swanson is an actor and voiceover talent. He’s worked in major motion pictures and television and as a voice talent has worked in all facets of the business. An award-winning audiobook narrator with over sixty titles to his name, Swanson has won five AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Jesse Bernstein is an audiobook narrator and winner of seven AudioFile Earphones Awards. His many works include The Battle of the Labyrinth, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Girls, Chasing Windmills, and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson Series.
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.