Richard Russo Summary

In the following excerpt, Montrose praises Russo's structure and characterization in Mohawk, but faults the novel for elements of melodrama and excessive length. Small-town USA (North-easter... Read more

In the following review, Kaveney commends Russo's “ear for social ritual and the comedy that goes with it” in Nobody's Fool but laments the novel's occasionally ster... Read more

In the following essay, Montgomery provides an overview of Russo's life, career, and literary concerns and discusses Russo's work on the film adaptation of Nobody's Fool. Richa... Read more

In the following essay, Ingalls discusses the publication of Straight Man and Russo's use of his own experiences in the academic world as fictional material. Richard Russo says his first att... Read more

In the following review, Lee asserts that Russo joins the ranks of several modern authors who satirize academia—Kingsley Amis, John Barth, and Jane Smiley, among others—with the publicat... Read more

In the following excerpt, Kauffmann argues that Twilight is an ineffective attempt to counter youth-driven Hollywood movies, characterizing Robert Benton and Russo's dialogue as “laborio... Read more

In the following review, Saari praises the rich comic narrative of Straight Man. The running joke here is that the university is a three-ring circus of clowns and buffoons who provide an unending s... Read more

In the following review, Jacobs commends the “complex” and “witty” protagonist of Straight Man. There is no denying the voyeuristic allure of a novel set in your own bac... Read more

In the following review, Cryer notes Russo's skillful characterization of Miles Roby and his small-town community in Empire Falls. Stay with Miles Roby long enough and you can't miss ... Read more

In the following review of Empire Falls, Max commends the novel for its appealing style and humor but faults the work for its heavy-handed symbolism. Richard Russo has focused on fading Middle Amer... Read more

In the following review, McCleese compliments Russo's balancing of comedic and tragic elements in Empire Falls. Writer Tom Wolfe once charged that “the American novel is dying, not of... Read more

In the following review, Wolitzer compliments Russo's “remarkable fix on blue-collar life in small-town America” in The Risk Pool but criticizes the novel for underdeveloped femal... Read more

In the following review, Hower notes that Russo strikes a good balance between reality and morality in Empire Falls, arguing that the novel's “main strength is its skillfully developed c... Read more

In the following review of Empire Falls, Jacobs praises Russo's characterizations and prose but faults the novel for excessive length and abrupt resolution. First, I have to admit I am an un... Read more

In the following review, Heinegg compliments Russo's deadpan comedic timing in The Whore's Child and Other Stories. Right beneath the title, the jacket of The Whore's Child dis... Read more

In the following review, McConkey argues that the “great triumph” of The Risk Pool lies in the novel's complex father-son relationship. Richard Russo's second novel retu... Read more

In the following review, Clute asserts that Russo's themes in The Risk Pool are ultimately rewarding though the narrative can be meandering and overlong. Those who finish The Risk Pool will ... Read more

In the following review, Mosher praises Russo's deft portrayal of small-town American life in Nobody's Fool, arguing that the novel contains “some of the most darkly yet genuinely... Read more