Books
by Richard Russo
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Empire Falls |
An intertwined group of lives in a Maine town which is in long term decline. Sometimes grim things underlie the lives and befall the characters. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun? Actually it is rich in humour, sometimes laugh out loud, and the characters and their setting are compelling. You feel that you can see them across the street. Not sure about the ending but getting there was absorbing and plugs you into the American experience.
(Tony Pratt - bwl 76 Spring 2015) |
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Nobody's Fool |
Set in Russo's territory of small town America, the story features an entertaining group of the nation's losers, an endearing, if often feckless, bunch. None more so than the main character, Sully, his own worst enemy but a fertile source of very funny dialogue. Other characters - a retired schoolteacher; her irritating friend and unscrupulous son; the town Don Juan; ineffectual husbands and disgruntled wives - add to the fun. Drawn with compassion and a clear sense of America as a two speed society.
(Tony Pratt - bwl 84 Spring 2017) |
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The Whore's Child |
These short stories are like wonderful small novels. Each time you don't want the story to stop as you do want to know more about his characters' lives. It's the kind of book you want to have with you all the time and read it and re-read it as often as you can.
(Laurence Martin Euler - bwl 15 October 2002) |
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