The Waterworks is a strong effort in a genre familiar to readers of Doctorow. Set in New York, in the post-Civil War era of "robber barrons", the story is a thriller that leads readers through the piecing together of a bizarre set of circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a freelance jounalist and the mysterious "resurrrection" of a dead captain of industry. The story is almost Hawthorne-like in its gothic qualities and in the narrator's language style; "The Birthmark" comes to mind as sharing the theme. The two most interesting aspects of the novel are the narration and the setting. The story is narrated as a retrospective tale told by a retired, hard-edged New York journalist with an interesting personality including a believable set of flaws. The 1870s New York setting is vividly portrayed, but it is not a pretty sight. The reader has the feeling that the city, and particularly, the era, is a major character in the story. For those who like Doctorow's style of historical fiction, done so beautifully in novels such as World's Fair, Loon Lake or Ragtime, Waterworks will not disappoint.
For a review of the book by NY Times, click here: http://www.symbaloo.com/?sethomepage=1&t=1372381700562#
For a review of the book by NY Times, click here: http://www.symbaloo.com/?sethomepage=1&t=1372381700562#
