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mschlat's review against another edition
4.0
As I settled into this read, I marvelled at how good Russo is at something so critical: the expository paragraph. There's plenty of dialogue and action in the book, but so much of the writing is Russo describing the mental states of his many, many characters. It's hard for me to find another example of an author who so clearly explains why his creations think and act the way they do AND does it so entertainingly. (There were multiple times I wanted to read my wife a great sentence, except I got caught up in the next sentence and the sentence after that and the sentence after that...)
The book covers a few winter months in Bath, New York with a major focus on Sully, a sixty-year-old man who usually takes odd jobs and construction work and is starting to face 1) some of the limitations of his life and 2) the beginning of one of his "silly seasons", where his contrarian nature and lack of specific regret for anything leads to more and more trouble. But it's also a story of his landlady Miss Beryl and his best friend Rub and his frenemy Carl and about a dozen other people in the small town. And overall, the story is more about the journey through each of their lives than any one precipitating event (although there's more than a few of them). It's a time capsule of sorts, with Russo preserving everyone's state of mind as they each face some crisis (major or minor) that forces them to examine the web of relationships around them.
A few notes on the negative side. One, there is some use of the n-word (which I wasn't expecting) which jarred me out of the story. Two, there's a focus on male sexuality that runs throughout the book that a time or two went over the edge for me, especially with one female character near the end of the book who seems to be just a vehicle for male sexual satisfaction. There's a juvenile approach to sex on the part of many of the male characters, and while it's clearly knowingly juvenile on Russo's part, the repetition was too much by the end of the read.
Still, with the above, this was a very good reading experience for me, and I will probably search out some more Russo.
The book covers a few winter months in Bath, New York with a major focus on Sully, a sixty-year-old man who usually takes odd jobs and construction work and is starting to face 1) some of the limitations of his life and 2) the beginning of one of his "silly seasons", where his contrarian nature and lack of specific regret for anything leads to more and more trouble. But it's also a story of his landlady Miss Beryl and his best friend Rub and his frenemy Carl and about a dozen other people in the small town. And overall, the story is more about the journey through each of their lives than any one precipitating event (although there's more than a few of them). It's a time capsule of sorts, with Russo preserving everyone's state of mind as they each face some crisis (major or minor) that forces them to examine the web of relationships around them.
A few notes on the negative side. One, there is some use of the n-word (which I wasn't expecting) which jarred me out of the story. Two, there's a focus on male sexuality that runs throughout the book that a time or two went over the edge for me, especially with one female character near the end of the book who seems to be just a vehicle for male sexual satisfaction. There's a juvenile approach to sex on the part of many of the male characters, and while it's clearly knowingly juvenile on Russo's part, the repetition was too much by the end of the read.
Still, with the above, this was a very good reading experience for me, and I will probably search out some more Russo.
sde's review against another edition
2.0
I have really liked the other books I have read by Russo, but just couldn't get into this one. His skill at writing is as good as ever, and I enjoyed the setting near where I live in Albany. But it seemed to stretch on too long without much happening.
I read this right in the middle of the #metoo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal, so maybe the time was not right. Many of the male characters seemed to look down on women. The women held their own, so I don't think it was what we would call abuse, but the frequent comments about various women's bodies were tiresome.
I read this right in the middle of the #metoo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal, so maybe the time was not right. Many of the male characters seemed to look down on women. The women held their own, so I don't think it was what we would call abuse, but the frequent comments about various women's bodies were tiresome.
mmchampion's review against another edition
2.0
It is so hard to have sympathy for a guy who just can't get it together. I loved EMPIRE FALLS... in fact, I couldn't put it down. I had a hard time wanting to pick this one up!
dwhite1174's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookhawk's review against another edition
4.0
Nobody’s fool is an extremely long character driven novel. The writing is excellent and filled with nuanced nuggets of wisdom and unique yet universal perspectives. I can’t imagine the work that went into writing and editing this literary opus. 4.5 stars.
jimbritt75's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
jtlars7's review against another edition
5.0
Really good. Maybe even 5 stars, but I’m stingy with those. Sometimes sad, sometimes gritty, often laugh-out-loud funny. I’m looking forward to the sequel.
myrdyr's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m mixed in my feelings for most of the characters in this book. People are complicated, and Russo’s characters do an excellent job of illustrating this.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Russo's Empire Falls many years ago and Nobody's Fool is not much different.
It really gets into that small town feel - part home, part jail for some.
The persistent and unbelievable foolishness/stubbornness of some of the characters perhaps made me keep off the last star, but still a good read.
It really gets into that small town feel - part home, part jail for some.
The persistent and unbelievable foolishness/stubbornness of some of the characters perhaps made me keep off the last star, but still a good read.