Reviews

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

podil's review against another edition

reflective relaxing slow-paced

3.5

sarahmareacarr's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Look, I love Richard Russo but this book has a major flaw. The first three quarters of it are incredibly slow and full of bloat that an editor should have been more ruthless with. And then after that painfully slow ascent you hurtle down towards the shocking ending.

That being said, I love the characters Russo creates snd enjoy being in his world.

maribartoo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

pam2375's review against another edition

2.0

I am about to start this one. I will say more as I go along...

book_concierge's review against another edition

3.0

Pulitzer winner

While I appreciated the writing and the treatment of the subject, I am conflicted about this book. It is clearly well-written and I was drawn into the story. The characters are believable. But I just didn't really like this book - it was just too bleak for my tastes, or maybe it was just my mood. I thought that Russo was trying too hard. There were too many side stories, too much was happening at the end. All the "bad guys" got theirs but I still felt disatisfied.

I've since met Richard Russo and he couldn't be more charming and generous of his time. I'm thinking I'll give him another try.

chelseadarling's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

rpt_47's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.25

casspro's review against another edition

4.0

Empire Falls reads like John Irving but with less poetry. I love Irving, but his writing style tends to romanticize, while Richard Russo's cuts a slice out of life and plops it down still steaming onto the page. There aren't many frills and the descriptions can be a bit droning, but it's a highly realistic portrayal of blue collar life and what it means when you can't put your finger on why you don't belong. It's a lengthy read, but well worth the wait if you're willing to put time and effort into it.

carie's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

catherine392's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25