scottishpirate

I feel like if I read Ragtime when I was 16, it would have blown my mind. It's a pretty impressive example of historical fiction, in that it manages to weave Harry Houdini, Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Emma Goldman and many other historical figures into a single fictitious story. The thing that made me not love the book was how fragmentary it felt. The characters were so vivid and intriguing, yet I felt like I barely got a glimpse at each one. There were also way too many themes for a book that's only 320 pages with 12-point font. It was just a little too choppy and rushed for my taste. Emma Goldman was my favorite "character" by far, and I wished more pages were devoted to her. Of course, I'm not an anarchist, but she had some of the best quotes in the book. For example: "I am often asked the question How can the masses permit themselves to be exploited by the few. The answer is By being persuaded to identify with them." Or this awesome insight on broken hearts and the dangers of hasty marriage: "You think you are special, losing your lover. It happens every day. Suppose she consented to live with you after all. You're a bourgeois, you would want to marry her. You would destroy each other inside of a year. You would see her begin to turn old and bored under your very eyes. You would sit across the dinner table from each other in bondage, in terrible bondage to what you thought was love. The both of you. Believe me, you are better off this way... This way you can feel sorry for yourself. And what a delicious emotion that is. I'll tell you something. In this room tonight you saw my present lover but also two of my former lovers. We are all good friends. Friendship is what endures. Shared ideals, respect for the whole character of a human being. Why can't you accept your own freedom? Why do you have to cling to someone in order to live?"

2022-11-14 17:56