Empire Falls by Richard Russo
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.85 You Save: $12.15 (81%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Empire Falls
Book Review: Laughter and Tears on Every Page
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those books, like Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, that I recommend to everybody. Russo is one of the best writers out there (he's definitely up there with some of the other great domestic novelists I've read-Wallace Stegner, Anne Tyler, Wendell Berry, John Updike). Here, he takes his cast of pretty normal characters, a fortyish man who considers himself a failure, his teenage daughter, his ex-wife, and several other family members and friends trying to survive the turmoil of their normal lives in a small town, and he somehow manages to present them in all their humanness. He presents these unbelievably sympathetic characters with an extraordinary compassion that somehow never becomes sentimental. All of the sadness and disappointment inherent in human life is here, and so is a redemptive humor. This is both one of the funniest and saddest books I ever read, and often, both the hilarious and the poignant moments come on the same page. After I got through the first chapter, I couldn't let this book down, and I read the five hundred pages in a little over a day. This book also contains the single most shocking moment I have ever read anywhere. The moment's not shocking in any disgusting sort of way; it just has one moment that seems utterly devastating at the time. And I think it's the strange workings of grace in the aftermath of this devastating moment that are perhaps the things I love the most about the novel. Anyway, it's a great book, one of the best I've ever read, and I'd recommend it to anybody.Book Review: Amazing story, unforgettable characters
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a finely wrought, intricately woven book of small town life in modern times. Russo's ability to develop characters who come to life with each passing phrase is astounding. This man can write. I envy anyone who has been fortuitous enough to study under him, as surely he has mastered the art of writing. The protagonist of this story, Miles, will stay with me for years, as will his daughter, father, and many of the other inhabitants of the blue collar town of Empire Falls. So many plots and sub-plots weaved throughout this amazing tale of ordinary life in a Maine town that at some times it was overwhelming. I found myself re-reading several chapters, not because I didn't understand, but more so because I didn't want to miss anything.
This is not a quick read, it is too complex to be. Russo takes something that on the surface, sounds simplistic, and turns it into a delicate and intense profile of the hearts, minds, complexities and lives of many unique people.
When you open this book you are truly leaving the world you inhabit, and entering the world of Empire Falls. A place that might otherwise be somewhere you'd drop in on your way to somewhere else will become your home. At least until you complete the book. And then you will feel a touch of sadness for the lives that touched yours for a while, and then were gone.
I recommend this book to anyone who cherishes fantastic writing, complex themes and plots, and a moving story line. I will not soon forget this book, or its people.
Book Review: A Great Work
Summary: 5 Stars
This book gives you everything without being over the top about it. It is essentially the story of a man, Miles Roby, who never meant to return to his hometown of Empire Falls, Maine, but as a result of his mother's illness and death 20 years ago, he had to come back, and then, he never left. Is Miles a weak man? Why can't he get away from Empire Falls? I think Mr. Russo teaches us that strength comes in all forms, and despite what everyone thinks of a likeable but seemingly spineless character like Miles, he is a strong man.Mr. Russo does a fantastic job of weaving the gradual decay of the town into the story. Whether it's the abandoned textile mill, the manner in which Miles's old neighborhood has fallen apart, or the struggle Miles endures on a daily basis to keep his place of employment, the Empire Grill, afloat, Mr. Russo describes it vividly, with a sense of detail that works naturally and most importantly, effortlessly. This book is about Empire Falls and it's people. By the time you get to the end of the book, you know Empire Falls as well as your own hometown.
This book is a page turner. Mr. Russo uses flashbacks (pointed out in italicized writing) to provide the reader with a seamless story. He develops each and every character with a perfect combination of breadth and depth. Whether you like any, all, or none of the characters, you will want to know what happens to them.
By the end, when Mr. Russo wraps up the story, you wish he could write for another 500 pages.
Book Review: Great Character and Setting Development
Summary: 5 Stars
A Terrific Book
This was my first book that I have read from Richard Russo. It was a terrific book with great character development along with a great development of setting.
Without giving this book away I will say that the author paints a picture of a small town in Maine that can easily be transferred to any small town throughout America that has seen a decline due to industry leaving over the last number of decades. The reader will be able to make connections to the setting especially if you live in a small and depressed town in America.
The characters are very diverse and well developed. You feel like you know each one of the characters through the many stories within the book that are occurring. All the stories end up coming together as often times things in small communities do.
I will have to say that I did not know how this book was going to end or reach a conclusion. I had no clue when I reached the last 50 pages. I was thinking how is the author going to put an end to this book. He does put an end to the book and he does effectively close all of the stories within the book without leaving any questions.
I do not want to give away any of the book but I will say that you should read the book and that it did not win the Pulitzer Prize for nothing.
If you like a story with a great sense of character and setting development this story is for you.
Book Review: Bringing A Small Town To Life
Summary: 5 Stars
I suppose I should try and write some kind of review of Richard Russo's Empire Falls. But honestly, it's hard to describe such a wonderful peace of fiction in a way that wouldn't understate just how wonderful it is.
The first thing I have to mention is the characters. They are what this book is about. It is about people and their internal conflicts, and that is essentially what any good work of fiction should be about. Miles Roby desperately needs a change in his life, one for the better anyway. Running the Empire Grill has taken a toll on him, and so has Francine Whiting, the evil widow who runs the small New England town. He has a teen daughter named Tick, a wife who is divorcing him for a health club owner named Walt, a father who is about the laziest, uncaring-est drunk one could ever meet. Plus an added dash of weird and hilarious characters who bring this small town to life.
I could say that the book is lacking in plot, but that's just after reading a few books with insane twisting and turning action and suspense. No, this book has plot. Russo shows what life in a small town is like. It's about everybody knowing everybody. It's about secrets. It's about love. It's about loss. It's about wanting something out of life more than flipping burgers.
And I'm going to leave it at that. Empire Falls is a must-read. Now, I'm off to see if the HBO version of it is anywhere near as good as the book.