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librarygurl's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to give this 3.5 stars, but that's not an option. I don't love Russo's style, but I often need to read academic fiction. That is, fiction set in academia. Why? Because I work in academia and it's always a nice reminder about how nonsensical academia is.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
"Straight Man" is a novel about Hank, a middle-aged college professor who is the temporary chair of the English department at a `second-rate' university in Pennsylvania. The novel is told in first person so we get to see things from Hank's point of view and get his take on everything going on around him. He wonders how he got stuck at West Central Pennsylvania University and why he never moved on to something/someplace greater and more esteemed. Hank treats everything in his life as a joke: from the academic politics at his university, to his relationships with family and friends; from his painful, inability to urinate, to his lackluster students. As the novel proceeds, Hank quickly becomes buried under a pile of bizarre & amusing (for the reader at least!) problems.
The story was entertaining and funny. "Straight Man" is the first Richard Russo novel that I have read and I was very impressed. The writing in this book was excellent and I look forward to reading Russo's "Empire Falls" soon.
"Straight Man" reminded me of Chabon's "Wonder Boys", since they are both humorous books about English professors having a midlife crisis. If you enjoy "Straight Man", I would also recommend that you read "Wonder Boys".
The story was entertaining and funny. "Straight Man" is the first Richard Russo novel that I have read and I was very impressed. The writing in this book was excellent and I look forward to reading Russo's "Empire Falls" soon.
"Straight Man" reminded me of Chabon's "Wonder Boys", since they are both humorous books about English professors having a midlife crisis. If you enjoy "Straight Man", I would also recommend that you read "Wonder Boys".
marad29's review against another edition
2.0
This book took me a while to get into. Hank is a very sarcastic and overly aloof character and getting to know him was a bit frustrating. After 50% of the book, his life became more eventful and he seemed easier to bear, if not likeable. Overall this was an interesting read full of university politics and the thoughts and the thoughts and world view of Hank, a middle aged, straight man.
aaaidaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
deanna_rigney's review against another edition
4.0
The protagonist, William Henry Devereaux, Jr., is a witty English professor at a state college in central Pennsylvania. He doesn't take himself or anything too seriously, but as with many academics I've met his colleagues take themselves and the goings-on of their university way too seriously. This sounded all too familiar since I live with an English professor. Amusing tale of academia.
esk913's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nonlocalflow's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book has stayed with me from when I read it as a teenager and through my adult life. Nostalgia may play into it my fondness for it. I remember the characters and their antics clearly today, and the lessons it taught me on my way into adulthood about the rabbit hole of crisis, self-imposed or not, and how to relinquish to the absurdity and laugh when possible. It is a lighthearted and even silly take on the sudden buildup of a life crisis, how its tendrils strangle the satisfaction from nearly every aspect of life, and I credit the book for keeping me from slipping into existential anxiety more often than I am already predisposed to. It's a colorful, living book and still my favorite from Russo.