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A review by ardaigle
Straight Man by Richard Russo
4.0
I'm still confused as to how I felt about this book. This is my third of Russo's: I've read "Empire Falls" and did "That Old Cape Magic" on audio.
First of all, if you don't like looooong character expositions, then Russo is not for you. There's plot, but the plot is almost an after thought to the depth of character development.
I liked the setting of the book as I haven't read anything in a while that was in academia. I've never read anything with the protagonist as faculty and I liked the point of view. I'd recommend this to faculty members or graduate students because the insight into the intrigue/ridiculousness of the politics of higher education is funny.
I'm still not sure whether I liked the protagonist, or even the novel. The characters are complicated but I know that I enjoyed the journey that this book took me on. By only revealing pieces at a time, Russo is an expert at reeling you in and capturing your attention.
First of all, if you don't like looooong character expositions, then Russo is not for you. There's plot, but the plot is almost an after thought to the depth of character development.
I liked the setting of the book as I haven't read anything in a while that was in academia. I've never read anything with the protagonist as faculty and I liked the point of view. I'd recommend this to faculty members or graduate students because the insight into the intrigue/ridiculousness of the politics of higher education is funny.
I'm still not sure whether I liked the protagonist, or even the novel. The characters are complicated but I know that I enjoyed the journey that this book took me on. By only revealing pieces at a time, Russo is an expert at reeling you in and capturing your attention.