A review by mamalemma
Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo

5.0

Nobody's Fool tells the tale of Sully, a ne'er do well who never once makes a good choice, and yet skates through life in a small town somehow both loathed and beloved. Russo's great gift is in the richness of character and setting, and it is on fine display in this Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Sully is such a jerk, and makes bad decision after bad decision, and half the time you want to punch him square in the snout, but you can't help but root for him throughout the book. The secondary and tertiary characters are complex and sad, hopeful and worn down, and so fully human that you might see them walking down your street. North Bath, the down-on-its-luck town is so vividly written that I'm certain I could draw a map and illustrate each location, and is a strong character in itself. In short, Russo is a master at this sort of work, and this is a masterpiece of a novel.