Richard Russo is one of my favorite authors. His ability to take you on a meandering tale, and keep you engaged, is unparalleled. He is a true master storyteller and one of a kind. I read his later novels first but this, his second book, holds up against all the rest.
Though I was never a real fan of the series Russo’s writing always reminds me of Seinfeld, the show about nothing. There are never any grand plot twists: his novels are about the simplicity of humans and the complications of trying to make your way.
This is a story about the stagnancy of living in a blue collar town, and the chance, or lack thereof, to break out of the mold and shadow of your parents. Ned Hall is the protagonist who is coming of age as he is raised by his neurotic and troubled mother and his father, the ne’er do well husband she is estranged from. We see Ned throughout his fathers entire life and watch as he navigates through life like an unmoored and unmanned ship: lethargically without any real direction.
As with all of Russo’s novels, this one is filled with a rich tapestry of characters. It is funny, poignant, and a true joy to read.
I love Richard Russo for the exact same reasons. Straight Man was based on my English dept chair (minus the philandering), they were good friends and he managed to get him to come to our podunk school…it was life altering. He’s a great man.
I meant I love him for the reasons that you didn’t…
That is great that you got to meet Russo!!
(Also, what I was trying to say was that I like him, and the fact that his stories are “about nothing” though I didn’t like the same concept in Seinfeld. That might not have been clear.)
No! It did…my second response was cryptic.
The Risk Pool is one of my favorite books of all time; glad you loved it too!