Ragtime
by Doctorow, E L
Ragtime, E. L. Doctorow’s best-known novel, highlights the American melting pot and how the nation came to be what it is today. Set in the early 1900s, the story namely focuses on a wealthy family living in New Rochelle, New York, simply named Father, Mother, Mother's Younger Brother, Grandfather, and the boy. The boy, Father and Mother's young son, perhaps narrates the novel from a reminiscent adult perspective, but the omniscient narrator is never decidedly identified. The family’s turn-of-the-century journey of adaption addresses the tensions between reacting to the evolution of the era and executing revolution.
Yet Ragtime is far more than the family’s narrative. In a beautiful execution of historical fiction, the novel weaves together biographical subplots of prominent figures of the day, including J.P. Morgan, Harry Houdini, Henry Ford, Sigmund Freud, and Emma Goldman. The result: Ragtime focuses not on just the nameless or the famous, but how the two groups create history together.
Written when Vietnam was drawing to a close, Ragtime addresses issues that were affecting America at the time—from the abuse of power to racism to using sex to sell just about anything—but it also includes classic and enduring themes of morality, repression and injustice, change, and time.
Ragtime was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction in 1975. It also won the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award the following year. The novel was adapted for a 1981 movie and a 1998 Tony award-winning Broadway musical. Ragtime is included in TIME’s “100 Best Novels” (since 1923) and ranked 86th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century.
First Edition Identification and Notes
Random House first published Ragtime in New York in 1975. The 276-page first editions are bound in brown cloth. First edition dust jackets state the original price of 8.95. From the first printing, 150 copies were specially bound as rare Presentation Copies, which are numbered and signed by the author. Presentation Copies have sold for up to $400.
Other Collectible or Notable Editions
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Ian Thompson
- Published
- 1976
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition.
- ISBN
- 9780333187623
- Item Price
-
£407.69
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- mclinhavenbooks
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
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£327.83
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RAGTIME.
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Waverley Books
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- Item Price
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£315.23
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- MDS Books
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition 1st Printing
- Item Price
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£294.21
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Ragtime
by DOCTOROW, E.L.
- Seller
- Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Item Price
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£294.21
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- The First Edition Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near fine
- Edition
- Uncorrected Proof
- Item Price
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£252.18
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Ragtime.
by Doctorow, E.L
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1975
- Item Price
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£252.18
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RAGTIME
by DOCTOROW, E. L
- Seller
- Charles Agvent
- Published
- (1975)
- Condition
- Fine in a Very Good glassine dustwrapper with a few closed tears
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
£210.15
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L. (SIGNED)
- Seller
- Lower Beverley Better Books
- Published
- 1997
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition First Printing
- ISBN
- 9780679602972
- Item Price
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£176.53
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Ragtime
by DOCTOROW, E.L.
- Seller
- Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. ABAA
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine
- Item Price
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£168.12
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- Postliterate
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
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£168.12
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Ragtime (Spanish Edition)
by E.l. Doctorow
- Seller
- ThriftBooks
- Published
- 2009
- Condition
- Acceptable
- ISBN
- 9788493662875
- Item Price
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£167.41
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- E M Stern
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Temple X– Lib, Fine.
- Edition
- 1st Ed. 3rd Prtg
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£159.71
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Ragtime - 1st Edition/1st Printing
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Books Tell You Why, Inc.
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine in Fine dust jacket
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£150.47
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Ragtime
by DOCTOROW, E.L.
- Seller
- Ken Lopez Bookseller, ABAA
- Published
- (1975)
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
£147.11
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Ragtime (uncorrected first proof)
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Eureka Books
- Published
- 1975
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
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£131.34
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Ragtime (uncorrected first proof)
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Eureka Books
- Published
- 1975
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
£131.34
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RAGTIME
by E. L. Doctorow
- Seller
- Rare Book Cellar
- Published
- 1975
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- Item Price
-
£130.25
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![cover of RAGTIME [INSCRIBED]](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/206/956/1427956206.0.m.jpg)
RAGTIME [INSCRIBED]
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Second Story Books
- Published
- 1975
- Edition
- First Edition, Second Printing
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£126.09
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- AARDWOLF Fine Books
- Published
- 1975
- Item Price
-
£126.09
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- mclinhavenbooks
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- 1st Edition.
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£125.25
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9780898981148
- Item Price
-
£125.11
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- J. Mercurio Books, Maps, & Prints
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£117.68
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RAGTIME.
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Waverley Books
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£105.08
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- The Edmonton Book Store
- Published
- pp.2 270.Full leather, AEG,silk
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
£105.08
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- MDS Books
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition 3rd Printing
- Item Price
-
£105.08
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- Schwabe Books
- Published
- 2001
- Condition
- Very Good
- Item Price
-
£100.87
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- mclinhavenbooks
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£100.87
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Timothy Norlen Bookseller
- Published
- 2001
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- Signed Collector's Edition
- Item Price
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£94.57
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SALMONIA: or Days Of Fly Fishing, in a series of coversations with some accounts of the habits of fishes ... of genus Salmo
by An Angler (Sir Humphrey Davy)
- Seller
- Quiet Friends
- Published
- 1828
- Condition
- FAIR covers. with 3 FINE plates of 11 flies, one a fold out.
- Edition
- 1st edition
- Item Price
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£84.06
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RAGTIME.
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Waverley Books
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine in Fine dust jacket
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£84.06
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![cover of Ragtime [With Signed Bookplate Laid In]](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/191/809/1443809191.0.m.jpg)
Ragtime [With Signed Bookplate Laid In]
by DOCTOROW, E.L.
- Seller
- Lorne Bair Rare Books
- Published
- 1976
- Edition
- First U.K. Edition
- Item Price
-
£84.06
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1991-09-03
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780679736264
- Item Price
-
£82.48
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1996-03-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780452275706
- Item Price
-
£80.61
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Ragtime (Signed 1st Printing)
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Classic First Editions
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition 1st Printing
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£79.86
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Ragtime
by E.L.Doctorow
- Seller
- VM Life Resources
- Published
- 1974 1975
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st
- Item Price
-
£75.65
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Pat Cramer, Bookseller
- Published
- 2001
- Condition
- Fine
- Item Price
-
£75.23
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1975-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780394499376
- Item Price
-
£75.12
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E. L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1980-07-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780553146431
- Item Price
-
£73.80
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1985-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780330288491
- Item Price
-
£73.22
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Ragtime
by E.L. Doctorow
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1980-01-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780553141283
- Item Price
-
£70.65
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Vikram Jain Books
- Published
- 1997
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780679602972
- Item Price
-
£70.61
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Sanctum Books
- Published
- 1997
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780679602972
- Item Price
-
£70.61
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- BookVistas
- Published
- 1997
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780679602972
- Item Price
-
£70.61
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- A - Z Books
- Published
- 1997
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780679602972
- Item Price
-
£70.61
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1987-07-12
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780449214282
- Item Price
-
£70.22
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Ragtime (Spanish Edition)
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Bonita
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN
- 9788489746398
- Item Price
-
£69.94
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Ragtime: A Novel
by Doctorow, E.L
- Seller
- GridFreed LLC
- Published
- 1994-02-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780679600886
- Item Price
-
£64.52
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Ragtime
by Doctorow, E.L.
- Seller
- Bookbid Rare Books
- Published
- 1981
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- ISBN
- 9780394469010
- Item Price
-
£63.05
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RAGTIME
by Doctorow, E. L.
- Seller
- Dearly Departed Books
- Published
- 1975
- Condition
- F
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
£63.05