Contemporary Literary Criticism | Doctorow, E. L. - Michelle M. Tokarczyk (essay date Fall 1987)

Michelle M. Tokarczyk (essay date Fall 1987)

SOURCE: "From the Lion's Den: Survivors in E. L. Doctorow's The Book of Daniel," in Critique, Vol. 29, No. 1, Fall, 1987, pp. 3-15.

[In the following essay, Tokarczyk offers a psychological analysis of the characters in The Book of Daniel.]

Upon its publication, The Book of Daniel was praised by reviewers for its stylistic excellence and imaginative treatment of a daring theme. Although the novel has received relatively little critical attention in subsequent years, it continues to be regarded as outstanding and insightful. In her article on The Book of Daniel, Barbara Estrin rightfully states the book is "… a description of the hysteria of McCarthyism as it surfaced during the trials of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Moreover, it shows the devastating effect of the mentality of the period on subsequent decades." Critics have likewise noted that the novel cannot be facilely...

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