A review by nonlocalflow
Straight Man by Richard Russo

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

This book has stayed with me from when I read it as a teenager and through my adult life. Nostalgia may play into it my fondness for it. I remember the characters and their antics clearly today, and the lessons it taught me on my way into adulthood about the rabbit hole of crisis, self-imposed or not, and how to relinquish to the absurdity and laugh when possible. It is a lighthearted and even silly take on the sudden buildup of a life crisis, how its tendrils strangle the satisfaction from nearly every aspect of life, and I credit the book for keeping me from slipping into existential anxiety more often than I am already predisposed to. It's a colorful, living book and still my favorite from Russo.