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A review by reidob
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
3.0
Never having written a novel, I can only speculate that there are several ways in which one might go about the task. Two that come to mind right away both have the potential to be quite effective, but both also have traps inherent in them.
The first would be to determine the characters who will people your story, then allow them to guide the action as they will, developing the plot as they reveal themselves. The trap here, one would think, is that these characters might lead you into blind alleys and leave behind something that does not even come close to being a publishable work.
The second method one might employ is to determine the arc of the story in advance, then write characters who will fit into it, carrying the burden of the plot successfully (one would hope) from beginning to end. In this case, the trap would be that the characters don't cooperate; no matter how hard you attempt to force them into the roles you have defined for them, they will have taken on a life of their own and not all the shoehorning in the world can make them believably go through with what you had in mind. It seems to me that Richard Russo has, in Empire Falls, fallen into this trap and finds it impossible to extricate himself.
Miles Roby is the protagonist of this tale, a likeable nebbish of a guy, a lumbering lummox, loving, intelligent, kind and vague. Everyone likes Miles, even his soon-to-be ex-wife, Janine. She can't stand the way he is in the world and in their marriage, but she genuinely likes him. Miles runs the Empire Grill, an institution in the little town of Empire Falls, a failing little Maine town that used to be a textile center, the factories having moved to Georgia and Mexico years ago.
Most of the other characters in this pleasant book are similarly drawn: vividly, believably and mostly likeable. Even the mysterious and largely silent John Voss, the imperious Mrs. Whiting and the arrogant Jimmy Minty are people worth knowing. For the first two thirds of the book, we are pleased to be in their company.
But then the problems set in. It seems fairly clear that Russo had determined what the plot would be long before he began building these characters, and they simply cannot be forced into the postures he has set out for them. The Big Tragedy that happens toward the end of the book (no spoilers here) just doesn't ring true. Miles' confrontation with Jimmy doesn't either, not really. And the failure of the dastardly offset by the success of the pure is just a little too neat.
It's a shame, really, because this is actually a very likeable book. I wish Russo had seen fit to follow his characters where they lead him rather than the other way around. Still, I intend to seek out the best of his novels and give it a try (perhaps [b:Nobody's Fool|659388|Nobody's Fool|Richard Russo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328189082s/659388.jpg|645468]? I remember liking the movie), because if one thing is clear, it's that Mr. Russo can write.
The first would be to determine the characters who will people your story, then allow them to guide the action as they will, developing the plot as they reveal themselves. The trap here, one would think, is that these characters might lead you into blind alleys and leave behind something that does not even come close to being a publishable work.
The second method one might employ is to determine the arc of the story in advance, then write characters who will fit into it, carrying the burden of the plot successfully (one would hope) from beginning to end. In this case, the trap would be that the characters don't cooperate; no matter how hard you attempt to force them into the roles you have defined for them, they will have taken on a life of their own and not all the shoehorning in the world can make them believably go through with what you had in mind. It seems to me that Richard Russo has, in Empire Falls, fallen into this trap and finds it impossible to extricate himself.
Miles Roby is the protagonist of this tale, a likeable nebbish of a guy, a lumbering lummox, loving, intelligent, kind and vague. Everyone likes Miles, even his soon-to-be ex-wife, Janine. She can't stand the way he is in the world and in their marriage, but she genuinely likes him. Miles runs the Empire Grill, an institution in the little town of Empire Falls, a failing little Maine town that used to be a textile center, the factories having moved to Georgia and Mexico years ago.
Most of the other characters in this pleasant book are similarly drawn: vividly, believably and mostly likeable. Even the mysterious and largely silent John Voss, the imperious Mrs. Whiting and the arrogant Jimmy Minty are people worth knowing. For the first two thirds of the book, we are pleased to be in their company.
But then the problems set in. It seems fairly clear that Russo had determined what the plot would be long before he began building these characters, and they simply cannot be forced into the postures he has set out for them. The Big Tragedy that happens toward the end of the book (no spoilers here) just doesn't ring true. Miles' confrontation with Jimmy doesn't either, not really. And the failure of the dastardly offset by the success of the pure is just a little too neat.
It's a shame, really, because this is actually a very likeable book. I wish Russo had seen fit to follow his characters where they lead him rather than the other way around. Still, I intend to seek out the best of his novels and give it a try (perhaps [b:Nobody's Fool|659388|Nobody's Fool|Richard Russo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328189082s/659388.jpg|645468]? I remember liking the movie), because if one thing is clear, it's that Mr. Russo can write.