Somebody's Fool

Reviews / Votes

Deliver[s] another triumph about what it is to be deeply flawed and lovable in small-town, upstate New York...quite simply, a fantastic read * Irish Times * Sumptuous, spirited . . . [Russo] paints a shining fresco of a working-class community, warts and all, a 30-year project come to fruition in this last, best book * New York Times * Another instant classic, filled with Russo's witty dialogue and warm understanding of human foibles * People Magazine * A wise and witty drama of small-town life . . . delivering the generous humour, keen ear for dialogue and deep appreciation for humanity's foibles that have endeared the author to his readers for decades * Publishers Weekly * This is Russoville, where the pleasure lies in detail, stealth and inference and its harvest of a series of books that, you suspect, will still be read when more conventionally right-on talents are in the landfill -- D.J. Taylor * Spectator * [Russo] brings depths of pathos and wisdom to this Everyman microcosm by challenging its citizens in unlikely ways, only to have them emerge whole and even heroic. There have never been fools in
Russo's world, just lovely, relatable people navigating foolish situations. * Booklist (starred review) * Russo's version of the good old-fashioned comic novel is the gold standard, full of heart and dexterous storytelling * Kirkus Reviews (starred) * Russo is a likeable, unfussy writer, who writes likeable characters, with a few villainous exceptions. The tone is comic or semi-comic and occupies a gentle middle-ground between satire and tragedy -- Benjamin Markovits * TLS * ...has sharp observations to make about modern America...[and] uplifting things to say about the power of friendship and the allure of redemption * Independent * This tragicomic tale of small-town American heartbreak hits the spot for anyone left pining by the recent conclusion of Richard Ford's Frank Bascombe novels * Daily Mail * [T]he roguish, ragtag residents of North Bath, New York, still prove a diverting lot, even if you've not previously made their acquaintance...there's never a dull moment * Daily Mail on EVERYBODY'S FOOL * A delightful return . . . to a town where dishonesty abounds, everyone misapprehends everyone else and half the citizens are half-crazy. It's a great place for a reader to visit, and it seems to be Russo's spiritual home. * New York Times on EVERYBODY'S FOOL * The Fool books represent an enormous achievement, creating a world as richly detailed as the one we step into each day of our lives. . . . Sully in particular emerges as one of the most credible and engaging heroes in recent American fiction. -- T.C. Boyle * New York Times Book Review * A madcap romp, weaving mystery, suspense and comedy in a race to the final pages. * Wall Street Journal on EVERYBODY'S FOOL * Richard Russo can write like Edith Wharton leavened with a touch of David Lodge * Economist * A writer of great comedy and warmth, Russo's living proof that a book can be profound and wise without aiming straight into darkness. * USA Today *