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zhzhang's review against another edition
5.0
“For fairness and loyalty, however important to the head, were issues that could seldom be squared in the human heart, at the deepest depths of which lay the mystery of affection, of love, which you either felt or you didn't, pure as instinct, which seized you, not the other way around, making a mockery of words like "should" and "ought". The human heart, where compromise could not be struck, not ever. Where transgressions exacted a terrible price. Where tangled black limbs fell. Where the boom got lowered.”
I got into this book slowly as the beginning of the book has not connected to me immediately. Yet I love the book by the time I finish it. Great characters building and witty thoughts here and there sprinkled throughout the book. The narrator of the audiobook did a fantastic job.
I got into this book slowly as the beginning of the book has not connected to me immediately. Yet I love the book by the time I finish it. Great characters building and witty thoughts here and there sprinkled throughout the book. The narrator of the audiobook did a fantastic job.
angelikareadsavariciously's review against another edition
2.0
I was really looking forward to this author after watching an interview with him on PBS. The book came nowhere near my expectations, however. Most of the characters annoyed me to the point of blocking them out (Audible). The only one I liked was the old 8th grade English teacher, who also provided the one highlight of the book for me (a grammar correction). Maybe growing up in a small town makes me immune to this particular one's quirks? I don't know...Regrettably, I won't be touching another of his books again.
teachingkids1982's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 just a little too dry and i felt i couldn't connect with the characters. there were a ton of them too.
ekcje's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
greensalbet's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Donald Sutherland, aka Sully, is the most cantankerous, lovable, self-destructive protagonist in American fiction.
Thank goodness Richard Russo's written three books about him, so I can read over 1,500 pages about him and his cohorts.
From his smug son Peter to his tender grandson Will to his sagacious landlady, Beryl Peoples, to his best friend and work buddy, Rub (whom he teases relentlessly) and all the other working-class characters with whom he has ongoing encounters, Sully is reviled, hated, tolerated, endured, and loved.
I could easily read ten books about Sully and his small town crop of characters in North Bath, New York.
Thank goodness Richard Russo's written three books about him, so I can read over 1,500 pages about him and his cohorts.
From his smug son Peter to his tender grandson Will to his sagacious landlady, Beryl Peoples, to his best friend and work buddy, Rub (whom he teases relentlessly) and all the other working-class characters with whom he has ongoing encounters, Sully is reviled, hated, tolerated, endured, and loved.
I could easily read ten books about Sully and his small town crop of characters in North Bath, New York.
jcarsrud's review against another edition
4.0
I love Sully! What a likeable curmudgeon! If you like Eleanor Oliphant, or A Man Called Ove, this is your book. I always think that I won’t like character driven stories, but this is another great one! I need to see the movie now with Paul Newman and I hope that he is Sully.
awelsh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-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
3.0
maggiemarbles's review against another edition
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
4.5
Sully is on a stupid streak, and it's a wonder to behold. As we follow him on his (mis)adventures, we meet the people of his run-down small town and watch as many of them pin their hopes for the future on plans to build an amusement park called The Ultimate Escape. Sully is a skeptic with more immediate problems, and the book revolves around his quest to deal with those problems and create some new ones. If he's a fool, he's an interesting fool to watch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Racial slurs