I knew nothing of the infamous Collyer brothers before reading this book; after diving into it a bit, I looked them up on Wikipedia. Knowing what was "coming" in terms of their outrageous hoarding didn't detract from reading about how they descended into filth and madness. The only other Doctorow book I have read is Ragtime, and it is a favorite of mine. This book confirms for me that he is a great writer, even in a very different style, and I look forward to reading more of his works. Thursday, August 7, 2014 EL Doctorow spoke in the Hall of Philosophy at the Chautauqua. He was introduced to the large crowd by the president of the institution who read a passage from Doctorow’s Homer and Langley that described an unnamed religious resort on a lake in upstate New York where every day began with a prayer breakfast, the afternoons featured sing-along’s with banjo players and in the evenings heard consorts and lectures on worthy subjects. What a hootThis fictionalized story of the real lives of Homer and Langley Collyer describes the life of two damaged brothers, (Homer by blindness, Langley by mustard gas in the Great War) as they struggle to survive changing times and circumstances.
What do You think about Homer Y Langley (2010)?
Listened to this on audio book -- well written. An interesting interpretation of this story.
—julietteaislinn
One of the top ten best last lines in a book ever!
—mariela
Love Doctorow and H&L was a quick and fun read.
—7mms55712
