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lisagray68's review against another edition
4.0
Classic Richard Russo, who I always enjoy. Always a dying upstate New York town, always wonderfully drawn and colorful characters. Also nothing EVER happens in a Richard Russo book, you don't read it for the plotline or great twist. It's just the hilarious and richly drawn out characters that do it.
micki1961's review
3.0
Interesting story about a young man growing up in Mohawk NY post WWII and his relationship w/his split parents and his father's collections of friends
pollyannamum's review against another edition
2.0
Okay--I didn't actually make it all the way through this one. I just couldn't stomach anymore of the ick. But that's me--mean people in mean books aren't my style anymore. I love Russo and will try to read anything he writes--but there are times that the subject matter just makes me squee!
acton's review against another edition
5.0
Richard Russo's stories are so rich and thought provoking, his characters so interesting. I might be biased, but I can't resist rating his books 5's:)
mdsnyderjr's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book, so well written, character development was phenomenal, enjoyable story, loved all of the characters. I'll be reading more by this author.
middleditch's review against another edition
4.0
What can I say? It's Russo. I am a big fan of his books, and this one did not disappoint. Quirky, very human characters who stay true to themselves throughout the novel. Spot-on dialogue. Funny, sad, and always entertaining.
birdmanseven's review against another edition
2.0
I like Richard Russo's writing, his characterizations, his dialogue, etc. This had its moments, but once I had the characters and setting down I realized there wasn't much plot to carry me through. At nearly 500 pages, this was just too long to work as a slice-of-life kind of story.
stevendedalus's review against another edition
4.0
A very effective stab at the Great American Novel: dying rustbelt town, wastrel father, delicate, crazed mother, plenty of local characters and ruminations on the American Dream, success, and masculinity.
It follows the standard semi-autobiographical route, with a perfect tone of wry humour and nostalgia, while only occasionally dipping a toe in the traps of long lost loves and Gothic before admirably escaping.
Absolutely nothing will surprise you, but its charm is like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket of Americana on a cold New England day.
It follows the standard semi-autobiographical route, with a perfect tone of wry humour and nostalgia, while only occasionally dipping a toe in the traps of long lost loves and Gothic before admirably escaping.
Absolutely nothing will surprise you, but its charm is like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket of Americana on a cold New England day.
ceeceerose's review
5.0
A fabulously written story of a young boy who watches the downfall of his mother and the recklessness of his father as he grows up in a small upstate New York town. As a child, Sam Hall admired his father and saw him as a strong, tough man who is afraid of nothing and no one. But after his parents split up and his mother’s mental health spirals out of control, he lives alone with his dad and finds out what kind of man he really is. Russo usually writes about middle-aged men who are at crossroads in their lives but this novel focuses mostly on a young boy’s formative years.
timsa9cd0's review
3.0
I saw it through to the end cuz Russo sure knows how to set a scene and paint a portrait of a town. But, man, I got tired of all the drunk fuck-ups going round and round. Some with good hearts, some not … like every universe of humans. And “Sam's kid”, our guide, never got me anywhere that seemed to matter. I understand that this is an early Russo novel, one that got him on the map to fame and fortune. Good for him, but I think I'll pass on the rest.