I don't like Doctorow much

This post was inspired by Ryland's post. I don't like the book much so far regardless the time period it's to be read in - even if it was bringing up hot topics of discussion back when it was written, I quite dislike Doctorow and his writing style, and his book gives off such "holier than thou" vibes to me. 

He sure makes fun of a white revolutionary a whole lot for being a white guy writing a book in which the main conflict is a very morally ambiguous black character. He can't write a very opinionated book and then, just because he's not satirizing the black character harshly, have readers agree with him satirizing the white character in a black movement. Which is not at all to say that white people can't ever write black characters, but he seems to be very close to the line of what he's so readily picking apart in his book. 

He's not bringing much new to the table, he's just there to make fun of people, not even in a constructive way. I think this might mean I'm not going to like postmodernism much overall if this is the style, because honestly the over-the-top descriptions of child factories and racism have not taught me anything nor entertained me. Maybe other postmodern novelists come off less self-important? The book has some interesting moments but so often, it's just grating to read.

There are ways to write about your opinions and difficult topics while still making it a good read - not to say books should be all sunshine and roses, I'd say the most significant ones deal with difficult topics - but if Doctorow is putting the effort in of writing a book, why not make it something people want to read, that doesn't feel like talking to someone incredibly mean who's shoving their opinions down your throat in a conversation you didn't really want to have? 

Of course, I understand that outside of school plenty of people read this book for entertainment, find it humorous, get something out of it, etc. I just don't like the pushy tone and making fun of clearly established bad things, that suddenly starts dealing with a more current, delicate issue. I'm sure plenty of people in the class are enjoying the book so if you do have strong thoughts let me know, maybe I'm missing stuff.