I read this book several years ago. However, I wanted to re-read it in anticipation of Russo's publishing a follow-up.

I also suspected that my memories of the book were getting mixed up with the memories of the movie adaptation. And, as expected, it was truly fantastic.

I have a deep love for the way Russo writes. His prose has a unique charm that speaks directly to me. It is not only smart and funny but also extremely real.

Russo has an amazing talent for bringing his characters to life on the page. They seem so vivid and believable.

Moreover, he tells the stories of small towns with such remarkable realism. It makes me feel as if I am actually there, experiencing everything along with the characters.

In conclusion, I absolutely love this book and cannot wait to see what Russo has in store for us next.

Another excellent Russo study delves into a dying town in the northeastern corner of America. It presents the cranky, yet somewhat likable, individuals who inhabit this place. Even though the book was penned 20 years ago, its essence feels timeless. Don't we all recognize a Sully? He's that 60-year-old wise-cracking fellow with a bad knee, always meddling in everything yet never truly taking responsibility. And there's his retired school teacher/landlady, whose son has dollar signs in his eyes, eagerly dreaming of the day he can sell her house for a handsome profit. Middle-class people trapped in the past or stuck in loveless marriages? Of course. Russo's meticulous characterizations enable us to know these people intimately. However, perhaps there are a few we wouldn't desire to know. In fact, I initially grew to dislike many of them but then found myself loving them again by the conclusion. Some of the humor here comes at the expense of others and isn't very respectful of women or anyone else for that matter. But maybe that was the intention. Russo is simply a maestro in his craft.

Although I would be hesitant to recommend this book to those who are easily offended, I truly enjoyed reading Nobody's Fool.

It had its moments of being irreverent, abrasive, politically incorrect, and even crude. However, it also possessed a unique charm with its humor and poignancy. The book is filled with some wonderful quips and quotes that made me smile or think.

I simply loved it. The characters were extremely well developed. Some were endearing and likable, while others were obtuse or mean. But regardless of their nature, each character was crafted with great care and detail.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, which added yet another dimension to my enjoyment. The narrator, Ron McLarty, did an outstanding job of capturing Sully's voice perfectly. And Rub's voice must have been a joy to create as it fit the character to a tee.

As I've already mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I am now eagerly looking forward to delving into Everybody's Fool. I can't wait to see what new adventures and characters Russo has in store for us.

I liked this book, but I didn't really love it as much as I initially thought I would.

It began in a very funny, witty, and engaging manner. The story seemed to have a lot of promise right from the start. However, as I got to the middle of the book, it started to wander a bit.

It kind of lost that special glint that made me think it could potentially be a five-star novel. Despite this, I do very much enjoy the character studies that Mr Russo has presented in the last two novels of his that I have read.

He truly has the knack of making his characters feel extremely real, human, and having frailties that we all as humans possess. It's one of the things that makes his writing so interesting.

I look forward to reading his Empire Falls next and seeing what new characters and stories he has in store for his readers.

I'm hoping that it will capture my attention from beginning to end and reignite my love for his work.

I want to LIVE in this story!

Russo is truly a master when it comes to creating characters and writing dialogue. His ability to bring the fictional world to life is simply remarkable.

I have had a strong desire to read his works for many years, and I am so glad that I finally took the plunge. This novel has been an absolute delight to read.

The story is filled with big fun and excitement at every turn. The characters are so vivid and engaging that I found myself completely immersed in their lives.

The dialogue is sharp, witty, and realistic, adding another layer of depth to the narrative.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a great story with well-developed characters and engaging dialogue.

Russo has truly outdone himself with this one, and I can't wait to read more of his works in the future.

This is an extremely long article, yet it is a remarkable study of male characters.

It manages to be both engaging and entertaining, drawing the reader in from the very beginning. The author's exploration of the male psyche is both detailed and nuanced, offering insights that are both thought-provoking and touching.

Each character is brought to life with vivid descriptions and well-developed personalities, making it easy for the reader to become invested in their stories.

Despite its length, the article never feels拖沓 or boring, as the author keeps the narrative flowing smoothly and introduces new elements and twists to keep the reader engaged.

Overall, this is a must-read for anyone interested in a deep and meaningful study of male characters.

It took me an eternity, but finally, I managed to do it.

This piece is as hilarious as any of Russo's previous works. However, that unhurried pace of life described within the pages makes you get the impression that the book is progressing at a sluggish rate.

Somehow, it has kindled in me a strong desire to watch the movie adaptation.

I'm curious to see how they will translate the story and the unique atmosphere created by the slow pace onto the big screen.

Maybe the movie will bring a different perspective and add some new elements that will enhance the overall experience.

Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out and comparing it to the book.

Who knows, perhaps the movie will be even better than the book and will become a new favorite of mine.

My third encounter with the works of Richard Russo, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author renowned for "Empire Falls," was nothing short of remarkable.

Sully, a 60-year-old, divorced, unemployed man with a bum leg, resides in his 8th grade teacher's attic. The story, centered around this foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, and slightly womanizing curmudgeon, is set among a quirky ensemble of characters in a down-and-out town in upstate New York. Told with a sharp wit, it is also surprisingly heart-touching.

Full of good intentions that fizzle and unachieved aspirations, Sully is an imperfect character who nevertheless manages to impart one or two lessons. I read this book in anticipation of Russo's highly anticipated new release, "Everybody's Fool," which has been long awaited (the first book was published in 1994) and is due out on May 4, continuing the tale. Count me in! Five stars.

This book not only entertained but also made me reflect on the human condition and the importance of finding meaning in life's imperfections. Russo's ability to create complex and relatable characters is truly a gift. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in "Everybody's Fool."

I recently came across a review in the New York Times of Russo's latest book titled Everybody's Fool and discovered that it's a sequel to Nobody's Fool. Having already read three of Russo's earlier novels, I wasted no time in ordering Nobody's Fool.

\\tOriginally published in 1993, Nobody's Fool is set in the upstate New York town of North Bath around the same time. The main character is Donald "Sully" Sullivan, a sixty-ish man who ekes out a living as a jack-of-all-trades. He resides in a flat above his landlady, Miss Beryl, a retired elementary school teacher who thinks she had Sully in one of her first classes. Sully's best friend, Rub Squeers, is his helper and spends much of his time longing for things like a big, old jelly donut. Sully's ex-wife also lives in North Bath and has remarried. For female company, Sully has a fling with Ruth, who is currently married to someone else. And Sully's primary source of work is Carl Roebuck, who has a snowmobile that Sully desires, steals, and then loses when Carl steals it back.

\\tComplications ensue when Sully's son, Peter, shows up for Thanksgiving with his unhappy wife and three children. Peter is a college professor in West Virginia and has just found out that he's been denied tenure. Things quickly take a turn for the worse from there.

\\tIf there is a plot in this book, it's not immediately obvious. The appeal lies in the ensemble of characters interacting with each other to create a memorable story. It's brimming with humor, with a laugh-out-loud moment on almost every other page. You can't help but fall in love with all these people because their flaws make them so authentically human.

\\tAbout one-third of the way through the book, I realized that it had been made into a movie. Paul Newman played the role of Sully, Jessica Tandy was Miss Beryl, and Bruce Willis was Carl Roebuck. I'm looking forward to seeing it again soon.

Donald Sullivan, affectionately known as Sully to his friends, has always been a laid-back individual. He has a tendency to go with the flow, seldom planning ahead or stopping to consider the consequences of his adventures. No matter the outcome, it takes him some time to reflect on whether he might have made the wrong choice. So far, he has managed okay, but at the age of sixty, his physical abilities are not what they used to be. He is divorced and has an occasional lady-friend who is married. Among his group of friends, the person he is closest to is his landlady, Miss Beryl, who was also his 8th grade teacher.

Sully and his friends reside in a small town that has been left behind by progress. Some might find this town a bit peculiar, as if they have been magically transported across space and time to a place they never thought could exist. The characters in this town are extremely real and well-developed, with their own flaws and problems, most of which are ordinary day-to-day issues. Their daily conversations are exactly what one would expect when not much is happening. The beauty of "Nobody's Fool" lies in the simple interactions of the characters, their stories, hopes, dreams (even if they are fleeting), and yes, their pains. Russo truly excels in this portrayal of everyday life in this small town.

I've long asserted that I don't fare well with "hilarious" novels or those that proclaim on the book cover blurb that they're the "funniest thing ever." I sense these books are straining to make me laugh, and it's tiring. "Oops, was I supposed to laugh at that? Let me go back and check if it's funny... Nope, still hardly made me smile." Books with characters crafted solely for laughs, mean laughs at a character's expense. Yeah, I don't handle those well. Maybe I'm too sensitive because the thought of laughing at someone so blatantly pathetic makes my stomach queasy. Yes, even literary characters, perhaps more so since I form such deep bonds with them.

I'm a sensitive nerd.

Then along comes Nobody's Fool. I don't recall it stating anywhere on the cover that it's "uproariously funny," or if it was there, I ignored it. This book isn't uproariously funny or even hilarious. It's not without humor, though. That seems to be Russo's brilliance. It's another novel about small-town life with small-town characters facing small-town situations. Russo doesn't aim for us to laugh at them precisely, but they sometimes find themselves in entertaining and/or humorous circumstances. Their reactions are realistic. They make dumb choices, sometimes say dumb things, and are often mean to each other. This isn't unique to small towns. This is reality.

This weekend, a close friend visited from out of town. He's actually my boyfriend's friend, but I've claimed him as my own too because he's a great person. He's in a rough spot currently, and that's mainly what we discussed this weekend - he's a real person with real problems and makes real stupid decisions like other real people. In a world often superficial and vain, it's refreshing to be around someone not just putting on an act for his or others' benefit. He doesn't come from a small town like Sully in Nobody's Fool, but the end result is the same and universal to anyone regardless of their demographics: There's always a longing for something more. Ever felt "I didn't sign up for this" or "This is not my beautiful wife"? Welcome to Russo's world. I witnessed Russo's world unfold in my living room this weekend.

Some of Russo's characters are pathetic, but they're not the butt of every joke. Sully's best friend, Rub, comes closest to being the punchline, but even that relationship has a degree of reality that's more touching than pathetic, at least as the relationship develops throughout the novel.

These characters have genuine conversations, something often lacking in much literature. I feel most literary conversations strive too hard to meet some sort of dialogue quota, and it often feels stilted or forced, no matter how good it is. This is my first Russo experience, but something tells me this is just how he writes his characters - real people having real conversations in real situations.

Another issue I sometimes encounter while reading is in books with multiple serious storylines. Occasionally, I find myself more interested in one than another. Like in the whole Game of Thrones thing, I'm completely invested in Arya's story but couldn't care less about most of the other characters. In Nobody's Fool, there are several different storylines, and they're all rather good. I wasn't more invested in Sully's story than in his son's. I wanted to know even more about his grandson Will, but if that's my only gripe, so be it. I have to tip my hat to the writer who can hold my attention throughout their book. That's no easy feat, so kudos, Mr. Russo. I think I just fell in love.

In other words: Sign me up for more.

A few chapters into this book, I was filled with joy as I realized that I had discovered a new author whose works I would thoroughly enjoy.

"Please let this not be his only book," I thought to myself, and fortunately, I was not disappointed.

Once again, I have come to the conclusion that it is the characters, rather than the plot or writing style, that make this one of my favorite books. (Although the plot and style are also excellent.) The characters are unusual, lovable, flawed, and most importantly, hilariously witty!

Perhaps because it was my first encounter with Russo's work, this remains my favorite among his novels. However, the others are still very enjoyable reads. Each of his books has its own unique charm and吸引力, and I look forward to exploring more of his works in the future.

Overall, I highly recommend this author and his books to anyone who enjoys well-developed characters, engaging plots, and a touch of humor.