I have started writing a review about this [book/movie/whatever] approximately 4 times. However, it just doesn't seem to work out the way I want.

But the truth is, I simply loved it. It is truly perfect in every sense. The setting is so vivid and immersive that it makes you feel like you are actually there.

The plot is engaging and full of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

And the characters, oh my goodness, each and every one of them is so well-developed and unique. They all have their own personalities, motives, and flaws, which makes them feel real and relatable.

But among all the characters, Miles really stands out. I fell for him big time. There is just something about him that draws you in and makes you root for him throughout the story.

I just can't get enough of this [book/movie/whatever] and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great read/watch.

The novel that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize has been reviewed countless times in the past decade. It is one of those rare cases where all the excitement and praise are truly justified. To illustrate this, I will quote some reviews:

“[Russo] is one of the best novelists around....As the pace quickens and the disparate threads of the narrative draw tighter, you find yourself torn between the desire to rush ahead and the impulse to slow down” - The New York Times Book Review

“Immensely satisfying...[Russo is] an unpretentious master of fictional technique whose deeper wisdom expresses itself in the distinctive fallibility, decency, humour and grace of the indisputably, irresistibly real people he puts on the page” - The Boston Globe

“Russo writes with a warm, vibrant humanity....A stirring mix of poignancy, drama and comedy” - The Washington Post

“The history of American literature may show that Richard Russo wrote the last great novel of the 20th century” - The Christian Science Monitor

This novel rates as one of the best I have read in the last decade. If you are looking for a truly excellent read, then you should definitely pick up Empire Falls. It offers a rich and engaging story that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. The characters are vivid and real, and the writing is both beautiful and profound. Whether you are a fan of literary fiction or just looking for a great story, Empire Falls is sure to satisfy.

Where has this book been all my life?

Ok, Khay, I know you and Yitzchak have been raving about it. But for some reason, each time I attempted to read it, I just couldn't get into it. Finally, last week, I decided to give it one last try, and I was completely hooked.

It reminds me of a higher quality Maeve Binchy. Russo has the remarkable ability to create such vivid, consistent characters who really get under your skin and bring all that charming small town flavor to life. This was precisely what I needed when I was seeking something light yet gripping (definitely not The Manny). Well, it served as a wonderful soothing outlet for my first week back at school.

I felt compelled to give this book five stars because it was simply so enjoyable. Russo has such a way with words that I found myself eager to ensure I read every single line. However, some parts of it were a bit far-fetched. Somehow, it still worked, but at times it did put me off a little. And I was a bit confused by certain things (Khay, we must discuss). That whole last bit - it reminded me a little of I Know This Much is True. All of a sudden, chaos erupts, and you're just like, huh? And then everything is neatly wrapped up. The ending, on one hand, was a real culmination of a lot of foreshadowing. On the other hand, it seemed to come out of nowhere and was really crowded. Khay, what did you think?

Despite all that, the criticism was truly minimal. This was by far one of the best written and most engaging books I've read in a very long time. Alas, we are now back to nonfiction. :( I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone as a worthwhile and gratifying read. It has plenty of humor and drama, and it's all very enjoyable.

A big novel is set in a little place in Maine. The town is on the decline, and the novel features numerous characters and plots. However, rather than allowing the characters to speak for themselves or the circumstances to unfold naturally and reveal meaning, the author piles on the evidence and delves into the characters' thinking without fully exploring their complexity. If the scenes don't repeat, what they represent about the characters or the fate of the town and its people does. Much of the storytelling is ordinary, although Russo is capable of handling description and characterization well when he chooses to. Instead, he often resorts to a speedwritten, colloquial prose that lacks vitality.

Moreover, there is a certain meanness in his descriptions of some characters, such as the Whitings, the Mintys, Janine Roby and her new husband. This borders on hypocrisy when compared to the forbearance he shows towards some other characters whose behaviors or motives don't seem that different from those less favored. For example, Janine seems as abandoned and ill-served by marriage as Miles Roby's mother was. One is tragic and the other pathetic. Despite going to great lengths to ensure we share everyone's opinion, including her mom and daughter, that Janine is a fool, there is no attempt to evoke sympathy for a woman who got involved with a man who never loved her, worked closely with the woman he always loved, and has never really taken responsibility in any significant way.

The book concludes with a long-awaited and digressively presented Columbine shooting. In its aftermath, there is at least the possibility that Janine and Miles may reconcile and the town's fortunes are improving enough to allow life to continue. None of it feels organic; it just seems like one writer's idea of a complicated story played out in a small town with some symbolic meaning for our post-industrial world.

I stayed up until almost midnight to finish Empire Falls, and that alone makes it a 5-star book for me!

Empire Falls is a captivating story about a regular guy named Miles Roby. He owns a restaurant in the small fictional town of Empire Falls, Maine. Growing up in a town of less than 2,000 people myself, I can attest that Russo truly captured the essence of what a small town is like. Everyone knows everyone, there's a wealthy family that has a significant influence on the town's affairs, high school football games are a big deal, and so on. The setting is not only realistic but also serves as a driving force for the well-crafted plot.

The characters in this book are simply unforgettable. They are all fully developed and come to life on the pages. While some of Miles Roby's actions might seem a bit puzzling at times, it's understandable when you consider his personality as a "pleaser." You can't help but wonder if he'll be able to break free from the monotony and drudgery that has become his life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from start to finish. It had everything I look for in a great book - an excellent setting, believable characters, and a really entertaining plot. It's definitely a 5-star read all the way!

I truly relished Nobody’s Fool and its sequel Everybody’s Fool. Russo introduced me to a delightful cast of characters residing in a small town in upstate New York.

Lots of events occurred, yet simultaneously, not much seemed to happen. What I mean is that all the happenings were of a small nature, which seemed to fit the setting and the characters admirably. So, the query for me was whether he could replicate that success.

This time, the setting is a small town in New England, once dominated by a shirt factory established by the Whiting family. The latest in the line of Whitings, C.B., has returned to New England to manage what remains of the family business. Regrettably, time, changing tastes, and globalization have taken their toll. We shift back and forth in time to trace the before and after, but essentially, the factory building itself ultimately becomes a ruin that casts its shadow over the town.

In the meantime, we encounter Miles Roby, a bright young man who has tragically had to abandon his attempts to flee the town for a more promising future. He gives up his college education to return to Empire Falls when his mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. We are set to learn a great deal more about C.B. Whiting and Miles Roby as this story unfolds.

For me, the allure in Russo’s stories lies in the small interactions between the characters we become acquainted with, typically through gatherings and discussions at the local bar or café. There are numerous laughs to be had here (the antics of the senior local priest and of Roby’s father are uproarious), but there is also sadness as plans go awry and lives are derailed. And there is a more significant story to be told this time as well, a story that comes together fully in a surprise-filled epilogue.

The answer to the question I posed is, of course, yes! Russo once again drew me into a gentle tale of small-town folk, but this time with a greater impact. I adored it. I still miss Sully and the others from my initial exposure to his work, but this tale has much to offer and is once again brilliantly observed and skillfully written. I will undoubtedly be seeking out more of the author’s books.

Labai kietai parašyta šeimos istorija yra labai įdomus skaitymas.

Ir net sunku pasakyti kurios šeimos yra ši istorija apie. Ar tai našlės, kurie valdė visą buvusį industrinį miestą? Ar beveik išsiskyrusio Mailso, kuris jau daug metų dirba kone vieninteliame likusiame restorane, kuris taip pat priklauso našlei?

Rekomenduoju šią knygą visiems, kurie yra įdomūs Amerikos provincijos gyvenimu ir mėgsta šeimos istorijas. Man labai patiko Russo rašymo stilius. Jis yra labai skilus rašytojas, kuris sugebėjo sukurti tikras ir patrauklus veikėjus.

Tik po kelių dienų susimąsčiau apie knygos pavadinimą. Man rodos, Russo čia labai gražiai sužaidė. Jo kūrinys yra tikras šokas ir labai patrauklus skaitymas.

Aš tikrai rekomenduoju šią knygą visiems, kurie mėgsta skaityti apie gyvenimą ir žmonių santykius.

This was the BEST book I've read in quite a while.

I had actually seen the HBO miniseries based on this a few years back and enjoyed it. However, I didn't think about reading the book until someone told me it's everything Twilight isn't: well-written, with complicated and fully-developed characters, a good story, and strong dialogue.

Sold!

That's not to say there's any reason to compare it to Twilight. It's not about vampires or in the same genre or league.

The Maine town of Empire Falls is probably like many Rust Belt cities. The residents who stayed behind struggle to get by and wonder what they missed by not leaving. Miles, the main character, almost made it out when he went away to college, but he came home to care for his dying mother. Two decades later, he's still managing the local diner, where much of the novel is based. His wife has left him for the owner of the local gym, and the woman he's loved since high school thinks he's too nice a guy to ever date. It'd be easy to feel sorry for him, but he's too smart and pulled together to take pity on, and you know they're the ones losing out.

The novel moves at a small town pace. Honestly, the plot, while it holds together and left me wondering what was coming, isn't that important. There's a lot going on, but I didn't feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything. It's like Russo has dropped the reader into this world to grab a seat at the diner and watch small town life unfold. But it's not the cliche small town life we all know; it's more modern and tarnished. Russo writes so beautifully and with empathy for his characters, who are allowed to have conflicting emotions and behavior, sometimes all at the same time. By the end, I was sad to leave because I knew these people and they were so enjoyable to follow. I really hated Max for most of the book, but then it's not that his character changes, but you see him in a new light and by the end, I liked him, though he still drove me crazy.

I was a bit envious of Russo who seems to be able to pin people and their feelings down so well. Sure, he's creating these characters so he should know their dearest secrets and every emotion, but they're so realistically written that it feels like he's reading the mind of an actual person.

I could go on, but really, just read it. I think I'm in love with this book.

Here's a line I love from it that is kind of the point: Lives are rivers. We imagine we can direct their paths, though in the end there's but one destination, and we end up being true to ourselves only because we have no choice.

Empire Falls is an exquisitely crafted, highly inventive, and deeply substantive character-driven novel.

After spending four years in college in a milltown in Central Maine, in certain aspects, the novel appears to be almost more realistic than the actual experience of living within the fabric of that milltown. This is only possible because Richard Russo has an extraordinary talent for making both his vividly drawn blue-collar and blue-blooded characters truly come to life.

The credible story line fearlessly takes on some creative risks, resulting in breathtaking imagery that lingers in the mind. Russo truly succeeds in constructing a small town populated by his unique characters and tells their story in such a way that we view them realistically through the eyes of the fellow citizens of Empire Falls.

The storyline is filled with more than its fair share of surprises, culminating in a truly inventive twist at the end of the novel. The author's sanguine sense of humor propels the reader forward as the plot gains momentum and the different threads become intertwined in realistic and usually satisfying resolutions.

Russo may owe a debt of gratitude to Elizabeth Strout for his portrayal of ordinary life in a Maine milltown. The river itself ultimately emerges as a formidable player in the cast of Empire Falls. Russo seems to summarize the lives of his characters thus: "Lives are rivers. We imagine we can direct their paths, though in the end there's but one destination, and we end up being true to ourselves only because we have no choice."

Empire Falls provides living proof that character is destiny. Perhaps, this is one of the many reasons why this novel is so "wicked good" that it justifiably earned a Pulitzer Prize.

This is an absolutely wonderful book!

It delves deep into the every day lives of the residents of Empire Falls, a small town in Maine that has unfortunately seen better days.

I was particularly fond of the ‘setting the scenes’ chapter at the very beginning of the book. It painted a vivid picture of the town during a more prosperous era when the mill and shirt factory were bustling with activity and employment was at a high level.

Now, Miles is in charge of managing the Empire Grill restaurant. However, he has an uncomfortable relationship with the matriarch of Empire Falls' founding family, Mrs Whiting, who also happens to be the owner of the Empire Grill.

Miles is truly a great character. Seeing the town and its residents through his eyes is both amusing and touching.

He is a gentle and caring guy, but he has a lot of troubles weighing him down. His teenage daughter Tick is trying to find her way through high school, his wily and dishonest father Max adds to his woes, his discontented fitness fanatic ex-wife Janine is constantly causing problems, and to top it all off, he has to endure the egotistical banter of his ex-wife's new beau, the Silver Fox, also known as ‘the Little Banty Rooster!’

I absolutely loved this book. It combines a great story, amusing characters, and more than a touch of wry humour. It is truly a must-read!

I came to this book in a truly unique way. I happened to read that Paul Newman, a great actor whom I have always loved and whose opinion I deeply respect, had read this book and then called Richard Russo, saying, "I want to do this movie." This piqued my curiosity, so I picked up the book. To my delight, I instantly fell in love with it.

The book unfolds smoothly as a captivating character story. It keeps you engaged and interested until the very end, where it takes a completely unexpected and wicked turn that I simply didn't see coming. The writing style is not only smooth but also highly economic, using just the right words to paint vivid pictures and convey deep emotions. The characters are so real and well-developed that it's easy to get to know them and form a connection with them.

But perhaps the most remarkable thing about this book is that the author has managed to create the near-perfect "Fictive Dream." It's a place that becomes like a second home, a place you don't want to leave. You find yourself completely immersed in this fictional world, reluctant to say goodbye when you reach the last page.

Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story with great characters and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

David Putnam Author of the Bruno Johnson series.

Keep in mind that it's been a while since I read this, but my initial impression still lingers.

This book read like Die Hard: The Morality Play. It was a rather peculiar experience.

Not one character had a believable motivation. As a result, when a vignette had run its course, Russo seemed to be at a loss. All he could do was jump ahead in time a little bit and let the next vignette recount the dramatic change that occurred in the gap between.

It was kinda like John McClaine looking past his bare feet at a hall filled with shattered glass. Then, cut to the next scene and he's pulling glass out of his foot in the bathroom. But the big question is, how the hell did he get past the machine guns?! A Pulitzer novel should, at the very least, give us the machine guns. In this book, it seemed like the only forward momentum was the page numbers. There was a lack of a coherent and engaging narrative that could truly draw the reader in and keep them hooked. It was a disappointment in that regard.

Perhaps with a more in-depth analysis, some hidden gems or redeeming qualities might surface, but based on this initial reading, it left much to be desired.