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Creationists: Selected Essays, 1993-2006 Audiobook
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(3.03) - 91 listener ratings
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E. L. Doctorow is acclaimed internationally for such novels as Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, and The March. Here now are his rich, revelatory essays on the nature of imaginative thought. In Creationists, Doctorow considers creativity in its many forms, from the literary to the comic to the cosmic. As he wrestles with the subjects that have teased and fired his own imagination, Doctorow affirms that “we know by what we create.” Just what is Melville doing in Moby-Dick? How did The Adventures of Tom Sawyer impel Mark Twain to the radical rewrite that we know as Huckleberry Finn? Can we ever trust what novelists say about their own work? How could Franz Kafka have written a book called Amerika without ever leaving Europe? In posing such questions, Doctorow grapples with literary creation not as a critic or as a scholar–but as one working writer frankly contemplating the work of another. It’s a perspective that affords him both protean grace and profound insight. Among the essays collected here are Doctorow’s musings on the very different Spanish Civil War novels of Ernest Hemingway and André Malraux; a candid assessment of Edgar Allan Poe as our “greatest bad writer”; and a bracing analysis of the story of Genesis, in which God figures as the most complex and riveting character. In examining the creative works of different times and disciplines, Doctorow also reveals the source and nature of his own artistry. Rich in aphorism and anecdote, steeped in history and psychology, informed by a lifetime of reading and writing, Creationists opens a magnificent window into one of the great creative minds of our time.
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"This collection of essays discusses the story, the narrative, and the genius of a variety of writers with precision, insight, and affection (or disillusionment) by Doctorow, a writer of genius himself. The essays reveal D's great intelligence, wide reading, and brilliant analysis. "
— Apa3117 (5 out of 5 stars)
Creationists Listener Reviews
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" happily, it's not about fundamentalists - it's a collection of essays analyzing specific authors & works of literature. i just wasn't in the mood for a formal scholarly tone, nor for literary analysis i guess, so i didn't finish the book. "
— Joslyn, 12/7/2013 -
" Fell in love after reading the intro. The intro had more depth and insight than most full length novels. I hope the rest of the book follows suit. "
— Fletcher, 5/3/2013 -
" A great resource for those studying literature. "
— SueAnn, 4/30/2013 -
" Several great chapters in there. Favorites are the essays on Poe, Fitzgerald and Einstein. Doctorow's belief in "communal the ature of creativity," whether in the creation of a great novel or in a paradigm-altering scientific discovery, are beautifully argued. "
— Andrew, 10/6/2012 -
" This collection of essays discusses the story, the narrative, and the genius of a variety of writers with precision, insight, and affection (or disillusionment) by Doctorow, a writer of genius himself. The essays reveal D's great intelligence, wide reading, and brilliant analysis. "
— Apa3117, 8/29/2012 -
" i really love this man and not just because he attended my alma mater. i found his comments on literature, writers, and what artists give of themselves to be thought provoking and quite meaningful. no i didn't love every essay, but overall i thought outstanding. "
— Amanda, 6/23/2011 -
" Some of the essays are very good and have new and interesting insights. Others, not so much. Some folks might be interested to read Doctorow slamming D. H. Lawrence for not getting Poe and Moby Dick right, but I'm not that into lit crit. It did make me want to read Moby Dick, though. "
— Ethan, 2/1/2011 -
" Fell in love after reading the intro. The intro had more depth and insight than most full length novels. I hope the rest of the book follows suit. "
— Fletcher, 12/31/2010 -
" A great resource for those studying literature. "
— SueAnn, 5/17/2010 -
" This one got me by the title and book cover. Oh plus I love this writer. So far it is a really cool look at how writers write and a great play on words with the bible. <br/>Made me want to do more analytical writing. "
— Shannon, 3/6/2010 -
" i really love this man and not just because he attended my alma mater. i found his comments on literature, writers, and what artists give of themselves to be thought provoking and quite meaningful. no i didn't love every essay, but overall i thought outstanding. "
— Amanda, 3/21/2008 -
" Some of the essays are very good and have new and interesting insights. Others, not so much. Some folks might be interested to read Doctorow slamming D. H. Lawrence for not getting Poe and Moby Dick right, but I'm not that into lit crit. It did make me want to read Moby Dick, though. "
— Ethan, 12/15/2007 -
" happily, it's not about fundamentalists - it's a collection of essays analyzing specific authors & works of literature. i just wasn't in the mood for a formal scholarly tone, nor for literary analysis i guess, so i didn't finish the book. "
— Joslyn, 10/2/2007
About E. L. Doctorow
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.