Award-winning American author E.L. Doctorow, known for fictional historical works such as ‘Ragtime,’ ‘Billy Bathgate’ and ‘The March,’ and an experimental narrative style has died at age 84.
The cause of death was complications from lung cancer, the novelist’s son, Richard Doctorow, told the ‘The New York Times’.
The Bronx-born son of second-generation Jewish immigrants wielded a writing style that was bold and unusual, reports AFP.
‘Ragtime’ and ‘Billy Bathgate’ were translated into Farsi in 1990s by prominent Iranian translator Najaf Daryabandari who has been awarded the Thornton Wilder Award by Columbia University for his translations of American works.
In 2007, a book reading followed by a seminar on the two popular works was held at Book City of Tehran attended by Daryabandi, and distinguished literary experts Ahmad Samiei Gilani, Zia Movahed and Safdar Taghizadeh. Noted author, theoretician, and translator Amir Ali Nojoumian presented a talk on Doctorow and the two books at the seminar, Khabaronline reports.
“E.L. Doctorow was one of America’s greatest novelists. His books taught me much, and he will be missed,” US President Barack Obama said in a message posted on Twitter.
His narrative style was unpredictable and unconventional, giving him the reputation of a creative experimenter.
After working in publishing, Doctorow’s first book, 1960’s “Welcome to Hard Times” was a western. He followed up with 1966’s “Big as Life,” inspired by science fiction.
“The Book of Daniel,” published in 1971, intertwines personality with history.
Obama has called Doctorow’s “Ragtime” a personal favorite.
Last year, Doctorow, a New Yorker, won the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction.
The honor followed his being bestowed with a National Humanities Medal, a National Book Award, three National Book Critics Circle Awards and two PEN/Faulkner Awards.
