Amazon.com: J. Cameron-Smith "Exp...'s review of Homer & Langley: A Novel
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5.0 out of 5 stars `Oh but this is a sad tale I have wandered into.', November 7, 2009
Homer and Langley Collyer are brothers - the one blind and deeply intuitiuve, the other damaged into either madness or greatness by mustard gas in the Great War. They live as recluses in their once grand Fifth Avenue mansion, scavenging the city streets for things they think they can use, hoarding the daily newspapers as research for Langley's proposed dateless newspaper whose reportage will be prophecy.

Despite their withdrawal from the world, the brothers are still part of it and at times involved in it. This story, told by Homer (the blind brother in this story), is his account of their world from the inside. Much of it, when read from his perspective makes its own kind of sense. Langley's impulsive and compulsive collecting is fuelled by his belief that each item has a purpose which will one day become clear. Homer's acceptance of this is both comforting and unsettling. Because of Homer's blindness, his perceptions of his surroundings are different.

The Collyer brothers, as I discovered as a consequence of this novel, were real brothers who lived as recluses and died in 1947. Mr Doctorow has incorporated some aspects of their real lives into this novel but has chosen to write his novel from the brothers' perspective rather than as an outsider observing their lives. I found this novel deeply moving. While I may read more about the real Collyer brothers, I am pleased that I read this novel first. There is more freedom in thinking about the lives and situation of the fictionalised Collyer brothers.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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3.8 out of 5 stars (80 customer reviews)
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Location: ACT, Australia

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Showing 1-5 of 5 posts in this discussion
Initial post: Nov 11, 2009 2:16 PM PST
 bobbewig says:
Excellent review, Jenn.
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Posted on Nov 14, 2009 4:38 AM PST
 R. Nicholson says:
Jen, you've a way with words; touching, moving review.
Ray
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Posted on Nov 16, 2009 12:38 AM PST
 H. Schneider says:
you are more unrestrictedly positive than other reviews I have seen on Doctorow's latest. I may give it a try, thanks to you!
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Posted on Nov 17, 2009 12:47 AM PST
 J. Cameron-Smith says:
Thanks, Bobbewig, Ray and Helmut. I enjoyed this novel because of the particular perspective. I think it helped, too, that I was not familiar with the lives of the Collyer brothers.
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Posted on Dec 18, 2009 3:27 AM PST
 Olivier Comte says:
I still have some resentful memories of Doctorow but your review makes that one appear as excellent.
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