Doctorow: Collected Stories

Best known as a novelist, the late Doctorow (Ragtime; The March) was also a master of the short form. These 15 tales, selected and arranged by the writer himself shortly before his death in 2015, are a dazzling display of the author's masterly command of language, characterization, and good old-fashioned engaging plotlines. These stories soar, even the quiet ones, and the readers, especially actor John Rubinstein, do the collection full justice. Both Joshua Swanson and Jesse Bernstein offer empathetic and engaging readings, but it is Rubinstein who best captures the beauty and power of Doctorow's words. From the tale of a runaway teen ("Jolene: A Life") to the chronicle of an Episcopal priest who may be losing his faith ("Heist," which was expanded into the novel City of God), this work showcases one of America's finest contemporary storytellers at his best.