Somebody's Fool

(Paperback, Main)

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'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 WeeklyTen years after the death of the magnetic Donald 'Sully' Sullivan, the town of North Bath is going through a major transition as it is taken over by its much wealthier neighbour, Schuyler Springs. Peter, Sully's son, is still grappling with his father's tremendous legacy as well as his relationship to his own son, Thomas, wondering if he has been all that different a father than Sully was to him. Meanwhile, the towns' newly consolidated police department falls into the hands of Charice Bond following the resignation of Doug Raymer, the former North Bath police chief and Charice's ex-boyfriend. When a decomposing body turns up in the abandoned hotel situated between the two towns, Charice and Raymer are drawn together again and forced to address their complicated attraction to one another. Across town, Ruth, Sully's married ex-lover, struggles to understand her granddaughter, Tina, and her growing obsession with Peter's other son, Will. Amidst the turmoil, the town's residents speculate on the identity of the unidentified body and wonder who among their number could have disappeared unnoticed. Brimming with warmth, wisdom and Russo's signature wry humour, Somebody's Fool is another classic from a modern master of storytelling.

Reviews

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 *

Author Bio

Richard Russo is the author of ten novels, most recently Chances Are; two collections of stories; and the memoir On Helwig Street. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which like Nobody's Fool was adapted to film, in a multiple-award-winning HBO miniseries; in 2016 he was given the Indie Champion Award by the American Booksellers Association; and in 2017 he received France's Grand Prix de Littrature Amricaine. He lives in Portland, Maine.