I truly have a profound love for the way Russo crafts his stories. His characters are not extraordinary beings but rather ordinary individuals from everyday life. However, they are richly developed and exquisitely drawn. As you read, you have this uncanny feeling that you are intimately acquainted with these folks because you can easily relate them to people you know in your own life. What's more, Russo is incredibly generous in his portrayal. Even when the characters may not be immediately likable, he presents them in such a way that you can still understand and empathize with their motives and actions. Additionally, Russo has a unique brand of humor. It may not always be the kind that makes you burst out laughing uproariously (as in his book Straight Man), but his wry and dry humor seeps out effortlessly in practically every single scene. Overall, this combination makes for an outstanding read that leaves me with an insatiable desire to explore the rest of Russo's literary works.

Brilliant

Brilliant is a word that holds great significance. It describes something that is exceptionally bright, shining, and full of luster. It can refer to a brilliant light that dazzles the eyes or a brilliant idea that shines with innovation and creativity.

A brilliant mind is one that is sharp, intelligent, and capable of coming up with remarkable solutions. Brilliant artists use their talent to create masterpieces that leave a lasting impression. Brilliant performances on stage or in sports can inspire and awe the audience.

Brilliant can also describe a person's character or personality. A brilliant smile can light up a room and bring joy to those around. A brilliant sense of humor can make people laugh and forget their troubles. In short, brilliant is a word that represents excellence, outstanding quality, and a touch of magic.

I'm the fool who decided to read this book based on its great reviews!!!!

What on earth are you people thinking???! This book and its cast of characters are truly exasperating. They are so dumb, so geriatric, so crotchety, so dull, and so irritating!!!!!! The story progresses at a pace slower than a dead turtle. I'm already on page 150, yet I have no clue where this story is headed. So far, it's just a bunch of dim-witted people living in a dysfunctional Mayberry. It's crude, boring, and vile. There are numerous misspelled words and typos, which only add to the frustration.

You might as well get out your Geritol, Bengay, Tums, and your hemorrhoid cream because you're going to need them to get through this mind-numbing book. Update: I'm now on page 245, and the story is as slow as molasses. It has just hit a new all-time low of being painfully boring. Arthritis seems to be setting in!!!! This book is absolutely terrible.

Interesting, fairly well written with well drawn characters, often very funny. And yet, by the end of this novel, I almost hated it.

The one saving grace was the wonderful Miss Beryl, a sharp-witted, cantankerous 80-year-old widow. Oh, how I wished she'd been the main character!

But no such luck. The protagonist is Sully, a perpetually down-on-his-luck sixty-year-old loser of a divorcee. He's spent his whole life evading responsibility, nursing grudges (especially against his dead, abusive dad and his younger on-again off-again boss), and perfecting witty, passive-aggressive comebacks to everyone in his small town.

Those witty comebacks did keep me entertained from scene to scene. However, the build-up of all that passive-aggression, fueled by Sully's immaturity and unresolved anger, contaminated the novel. And let's not forget all the casual sexism and the few pages of horribly racist n-word baiting. The setting is 1980s New York state, and the book came out in 1993. I judge such racism and sexism far more harshly than I would in an older novel.

The book is also bloated with way too many subplots and minor characters. But compared to how angry those few pages of racism made me, such a criticism seems minor.

And yet, in spite of all this, Sully's repartee with everyone else so often cracked me up. This made me both mad at myself and keep hoping for him to undergo some sort of growth, to become more than the sum total of his anger, his train wreck of a personal life, and his zingers. But in this hope, I was pretty nearly completely disappointed.

Most readers seem to have been able to enjoy the novel as a simple, politically incorrect lark. Perhaps it was because I read it during the Trumpian fall of 2016, but the main feeling I was left with was a deepened relief that there are now so many reading choices beyond the narrow, angry, too-often-hateful perspective offered up by straight white male writers of a certain generation.

I never thought I'd witness the day when I would abandon a Richard Russo book. I have a profound love for his writing, and his depictions of life in small towns are truly remarkable.

However, this particular novel seems to develop at a rather sluggish pace - perhaps this is by design, considering that upstate New York doesn't exactly have a reputation for being a bustling place.

The main character in "Nobody's Fool", Sully, is a charming good-for-nothing, and the other characters are also quite interesting. I believe this is the core of my issue with this book, and I freely admit that it may be a problem specific to me.

Jim Harrison wrote a collection of novellas and novels about a character named Brown Dog, a pseudo-Indian from Michigan's Upper Peninsula who is essentially the same type of person as Sully, but an order of magnitude funnier and more engaging. As I informed my wife, I chuckled several times while reading about Sully, but Brown Dog has the ability to make a reader burst out laughing. Achieving that with the written word is no easy feat.

I just couldn't escape the comparisons.

Anyway, it's likely just me, but "Nobody's Fool" simply didn't measure up.

**"Full of Heart and Humour"**

In life, there are those special individuals who are truly full of heart and humour.

They have an innate ability to bring warmth and laughter to every situation. Their hearts are filled with kindness and compassion, always ready to offer a helping hand or a listening ear.

With their sense of humour, they can turn even the most mundane moments into something memorable and enjoyable.

They have a way of seeing the lighter side of things, which helps them and those around them to cope with life's challenges.

People are naturally drawn to them because of their positive energy and engaging personalities.

Whether it's through a witty joke, a funny story, or a simple smile, they have the power to brighten someone's day and make a lasting impact.

These individuals are like a breath of fresh air in a sometimes chaotic world, and we should all strive to be more like them.

By being full of heart and humour, we can create a more positive and harmonious environment for ourselves and those around us.

The story is about a small town somewhere in New England, where nothing happens - just life. And yet, for some reason, it is impossible to break away from it. It is an example of how exactly novels without a plot should be written, something that almost no one in our latitudes knows how to do. And perhaps not only in our latitudes, but almost nowhere.

This small town has its own charm and rhythm. The days pass slowly, filled with the ordinary activities of the townspeople. There are no major events or dramas, but there is a sense of peace and contentment. The people know each other, and their lives are intertwined in a simple and beautiful way.

The author of this story seems to be trying to capture the essence of this small town, to show that sometimes, the simplest things in life are the most precious. It is a reminder that we don't always need a complex plot or exciting events to create a meaningful and engaging story. Sometimes, all we need is to look closely at the world around us and find the beauty and wonder in the ordinary.

I read the last chapter of this novel carefully, savoring each word, not wanting it to end.

Not wanting it to end badly, either. But Russo comes through. What a big, bawdy, satisfying book this is.

Our protagonist is Don Sullivan, known as "Sully" to his friends. He's a 60-year-old ne'er-do-well handyman in a struggling, blue collar town in upstate New York.

Sully drinks too much and takes too many pills given to him by the local pharmacist to treat his badly injured knee, which he can't afford to have properly repaired.

In general, he has lived life against everyone's expectations, starting as a high school football star who failed to fulfill his promise decades before our story begins.

However, Sully has some redeeming qualities. Namely, he has a talent for making those he comes in contact with feel good.

The people in North Bath, New York, have come to depend on his undependability, and this is the crux of the novel.

He can't change, and we don't want him to, yet he has to for the sake of his son and grandson, at least.

The book is filled with comic scenes and wonderful dialogue, balanced by powerful flashbacks that show how Sully became who he is.

It's a tough read in many places, especially when Russo describes the bittersweet father-son relationships across generations, but the rewards are great.

Russo's intentions are clear when the local townspeople refer to Sully's work sidekick as Sancho.

The characters who are unhappy with Sully at this point in his life form an entertaining cast, including a neurotic ex-wife, a male colleague with a secret crush on Sully, an employer who thinks he's a ladies' man, an attorney and drinking buddy who eats pickled eggs for meals, and a son who has returned home from a failed teaching job and a bad marriage, following in his father's footsteps.

Then there are the women in Sully's life, one of whom has a granddaughter, Two Shoes, whose scenes are both heart-wrenching and wise.

Step by step, Two Shoes leads us closer to the forgiving heart that is the core of the novel.

Throughout, Russo's prose is masterful and seemingly effortless.

He can dissect a relationship with a few deft, witty strokes, and his understanding of human nature is remarkable.

What makes him stand out is his affection for his characters, even as he exposes their flaws.

His portrayal of a modern-day Don Quixote is truly thought-provoking.

The book's final scene has no tears or overly sentimental moments, but there is hope for Sully and all the characters who have a connection to him, and that is enough.

I'm not sure if I want to see the movie; I don't want to disrupt the vivid image Russo has painted of a small American town on the verge of decline and the unique characters who live there, pickled eggs and all.

I really enjoyed this a lot. It is such a good story that truly showcases Russo at his best.

It has that distinct small New England working class town feel, with all its charm and the unique yankee spirit. The story manages to have both a playful and a serious quality, which makes it all the more engaging.

It is highly character driven, and Sully is quite the unforgettable character! In the movie adaptation, he was played by the great Paul Newman, who did an outstanding job in bringing the character to life.

The Goodreads write up on the book provides a very good synopsis, which gives readers a good idea of what to expect. Overall, it is such a good book that you should just jump right in and let Sully tell you his story. You won't be disappointed!

This was a reread for me, and I first read it when it was published.

It was a favorite then, and it still remains a favorite. I truly enjoyed the 10 days I spent with Sully and his friends (and enemies) in the fictional town of North Bath.

Richard Russo writes exquisitely about small town life and its various issues. Sully, a partially abled 60-year-old, is stubborn and sometimes mean. He lives with the consequences of his series of questionable choices.

However, he has a strong personal moral code that at times confounds his friends. It seems extremely difficult to follow, and it greatly complicates his life.

He is the "nobody's fool" as per the title, and he is indeed one of my all-time favorite characters in literature.

The story is not just about Sully but also about the people in the town and their interactions. It展现了 the beauty and complexity of small town life, making it a truly engaging read.

Each character is well-developed, and their stories add depth and dimension to the overall narrative.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story about life, love, and the human condition.

4.5 / 5 stars overall

5 stars for the audio production

Nobody tells a story quite like Richard Russo. His works have a unique charm that draws readers in and keeps them hooked from start to finish. Set in rural upstate NY in the 1980s, this particular story truly captures the essence of small-town blue-collar life. It展现了 all the rough edges and political incorrectness that come with it. The authenticity of the characters and their experiences is what makes this book so engaging. I found myself completely immersed in the story and loved every single page. I can't wait to read the sequel, Everybody's Fool, soon.

The audiobook, narrated by Ron McLarty, is simply outstanding. McLarty's narration brings the story to life in a way that is truly captivating. His voice adds an extra layer of depth and emotion to the characters and their dialogues. It is without a doubt my favorite audiobook so far this year. If you're a fan of great storytelling and engaging audiobooks, then this is definitely one that you don't want to miss.

I know, I know. You've probably read Empire Falls already. But why not give this Russo classic from 1994 a try? Russo masterfully captures the desolation of small towns that have always yearned to be more than what they are. These are the towns that long for the old days. You know, those times when manufacturing jobs were abundant. When as a kid, you worked at your great-grandfather's business on Main Street and then took it over as an adult. Hey, I don't remember these times myself, but Russo描绘出了在城市扩张和全球化浪潮之后这些城镇所剩下的模样，如此生动有效，以至于我自己也开始渴望那些美好的旧时光。不过别担心，你还不至于马上开始高呼“美国”。

Russo的角色们是那种你可能想和他们喝一杯，也可能不想的人。实际情况是，如果你认识他们，你可能会为他们感到难过。你可能不想坐得太近，因为他们有味道。你可能不想和他们说话，因为他们是混蛋。你可能想揍他们，因为他们是狡猾的人。然而，当你读《Nobody's Fool》时，你会想和Sully和他的伙伴们成为朋友——也许只是一天。

关键是：去读它吧。前半部分读起来有点慢，但当情节开始变得紧张起来，就一发不可收拾了（换句话说：我根本停不下来）。