I await every new Richard Russo novel with great anticipation, and he never disappoints, but Somebody's Fool exceeded my expectations! A wonderful conclusion to Sully's story.

Somebody’s Fool by Richard Russo


As I have mentioned before, I have loved everything Richard Russo has written. I first learned about him when looking for a birthday present for a friend. I saw Empire Falls in paperback in a Boston Barnes and Noble in like 2003 or so and it looked so good, I bought two copies - one for him and one for me. I think this was before it had won the Pulitzer Prize. I found it unputdownable. His characters were so real and relatable, and the world was so perfectly drawn. My only complaint there was the time jump.

I went back and started reading his entire back catalog and loved it all (though a few of his other books also used a time jump to skip past difficult parts).

I especially loved Nobody’s Fool, set in the small upstate New York town of North Bath. Its characters were indelibly stuck in my brain, so I was delighted when, a few years ago, he came out with a sequel years after the original called Everybody’s Fool. That became a new favorite. So I was over the moon when I found out Mr. Russo was continuing the story with a third book, Somebody’s Fool.

This book is a pretty direct continuation from the second novel, set a few years later. The main focal characters are Raymer, no longer police chief now, Sully’s son Peter, and Sully’s former lover Ruth (and her daughter Janey). The book was absolutely riveting and remarkable and it filled me with the joy only an incredibly well written book can. I had a few issues with the lack of consequences for an utterly awful unredeemable cop because it seemed illogical based on everything else in the narrative, but that’s a minor quibble. This was a joy to read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy Richard Russo. This book, the 3d in the Sully series [here, a ghost--he died in the 2d book], not so much.

The setting and SOME of the cast of characters: "Ten years after the death of the magnetic Donald “Sully” Sullivan, the town of North Bath is going through a major transition as it is annexed by its much wealthier neighbor, 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, after the resignation of Doug Raymer, the former North Bath police chief and Charice’s ex-lover. 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, and her daughter Janey struggle to understand Janey’s daughter, 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."

Sorry, but I slogged through this rambling book, filled with minutiae--maybe I wasn't in the mood? I found it often same old same old and didn't care/wasn't really engaged. At other times--a spark! [especially where humor was involved]

Many characters, stuck in time and their own heads. And mostly soured relationships.

Definitely some ha! moments --to be expected with the quirky characters, but not enough to keep my interest in gear.

An easy read.

The ending: neat and tidy, as I expected.

Received a complimentary copy of Somebody’s Fool by Richard Russo from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

BOOK REPORT
Well, yeah, I’m somebody’s fool all right……that of the combination publishing/marketing-industrial complex……

Fell for it. Thought I’d get to enjoy Richard Russo like he was back in the day. Why? Because I recently finished watching the adaptation of Straight Man—“Lucky Hank”—on AMC, and I guess I had myself thinking that maybe Our Beloved Author had gotten his mojo back. Which is absolutely _not_ what I thought when I read his most-recent previous book, Chances Are, four years ago.

Alas and alack, I can say about Somebody’s Fool pretty much the same thing I said about that one: ”Older white male of a certain socio-economic class navel-gazing. A mostly flat, fairly joyless book with none of the wit and intelligence fans of previous works enjoyed with those. Predictable plot, mostly stereotypical characters. I kinda feel like I'm out here saying the emperor has no clothes. But, for real, it's like, ‘I guess I'd better grind one more book out to prove I'm still alive and because, well, hey, printing actual money is illegal and this is a fairly easy way to get some more.’

AND I get to capitalize on the TV series!!

Sigh.

Please, please, please, Future Kristi, do not read another Richard Russo book. They are increasingly more depressing, and that is _not_ something you need to add to the mix. Remember how much you enjoyed Nobody’s Fool (both the book and the movie) and Straight Man (and now the show inspired by that), and let that be enough.

PS
At the risk of overcommunicating, which I am both fond of doing and wont to do on the serious reg, I’ll say again that I totally understand why so many publishers don’t want to give me the chance to write a Book Report on an ARC. My tastes do not run to The Book Club Norm.

So be it.

PPS
This book made me take Empire Falls off my Want To Read List.

Requesting this book was a very easy decision. Russo and this series are excellent, and this will easily sell well. Easily recommended.

Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!.

Richard Russo scores again with fully formed characters, great descriptive writing, and storytelling so deft that I sometimes forgot that I was reading fiction. This is the third novel in this setting (small town in transition, Upstate NY), with these characters. Though I have not read the previous two, it did not impact my enjoyment. If anything, I am seeking out the previous two books to increase my enjoyment of Somebody's Fool.

Slipping back into North Bath was like putting on a favorite comfy sweater. Russo is the master at creating a small-town scene, and Somebody’s Fool doesn’t disappoint. I think what draws me into his writing is the relatable characters. The stories are told from many angles, but the characters always feel like they’ve been plucked from my own history.

Oddly, although the story takes place ten years after Sully’s death, he is still the main character of the book. His shadow touches everything – I loved that. North Bath was always the little brother to neighboring Schuyler Springs, and now it has been absorbed by it. The turmoil of giving up a piece of identity is laced throughout the book.

Peter is a strong character. Given a list of people to check up on by his father, he assumes Sully’s role as a strange type of shepherd in town. But his past comes back to haunt him in the form of his wayward son, Thomas (formerly Whacker). His soul-searching and desire to leave North Bath in the dust is an interesting subplot. Throw in a suicide by hanging at a shuttered grand hotel that may be reopened, the former chief of police and his affair with the new chief, a bar owner who can’t decide whether to close up shop and a few other plots – and you have the makings of a Russo classic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Charming is the right word. If you haven’t read Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool, they are wonderful, and I suggest you read them first (you’ll love Sully). But they aren’t mandatory. Russo does a great job of reminding his readers of the past, so this book can stand alone.

Thanks to Edelweiss & Knopf for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a great fan of Richard Russo for decades. I even have an autographed copy of Bridge of Sighs. Somebody’s Fool is the last book of a trilogy starting with Nobody’s Fool and continuing with Everybody’s Fool. I confess I somehow missed the second volume, but I do think this book should have a more distinctive title — “On Second Thought” And here is why. The internal narrative of every character is a continuous monologue stating his thoughts, his opinions and his hopes and then backtracking to re-examine or reject his initial conclusions. I understand the author is showing us the complexity and lack of confidence of the character, but the story is slowed considerably plus it is tiresome to have so many characters in doubt.
This trilogy was initially propelled by the charisma of the infuriating Sully. The reader may have found this worn out old guy exasperating as he continued to make choices that steered the story in questionable directions, but there was no question that he was a bright light in the dim community and a flame that attracted all kinds of moths.
Now skip to years after Sully’s death and watch his former disciples try to maneuver without his light. It is discouraging for them and depressing for the reader.
That being said, Russo manages to pull most of the storylines of the individual characters together into a coherent whole with a satisfying conclusion, but I didn’t read the final page with the sigh of satisfaction I have come to expect from a Russo book. Time to say a benediction for Sully and his family and move on.

Having followed the inhabitants of North Bath for decades, I was thrilled when there was a third in the series. Richard Russo's facility with description and especially dialogue is on full display here, situations rendered almost cinematically. Changes are inevitable with time, and with North Bath's very existence in doubt, her townspeople continue in their own quirky way. Yes, Sully passed in the second of the series, but his family prevails in scattershot fashion, and thanks to Russo's fine writing, continues to hold interest.

As a huge fan of the Nobody's Fool series, I was very excited to be granted this ARC from Net Galley. Even though Sully is long gone, his memory looms large over North Bath, much as he did when he was alive. Without Sully's larger than life presence, the secondary characters of the series are able come forward, which Russo does so beautifully with his brilliant character development. Changes are coming for the people of North Bath, which causes them a to evaluate their town and their place in it. Nobody understands small town life like Richard Russo. And no one portrays it like he does with such spot-on commentary about the people, places, and things of the town, always delivered with a gentle humor that celebrates, rather than mocks, the denizens. Anyone who has ever lived in a small town will recognize them. There is a sadness about this book which the reader feels deeply as things are changing for the characters of North Bath, often without their input, not unlike what many small towns are experiencing in this country. But it is also a testament to resilience and moving forward, even esp when you have no other choice. Thanks Net Galley for this opportunity.

Donald "Sully" Sullivan may have died in the 2nd book of the North Bath trilogy, but he proves that he was always larger than life by remaining the driving force in the lives of those he left behind. However, his death does allow several characters who were on the sidelines before to take center stage, including: Sully's loyal sidekick, Rub; the chief of police, Doug Raymer; Sully's longtime paramour, Ruth, and her daughter and granddaughter; and especially Sully's son, Peter. Russo writes his characters with warmth, bringing to life their struggles and successes as they navigate a changing world and ultimately find hope as they learn to rely on and help each other.

I have been waiting for this book for quite a few years now and was delighted to revisit North Bath and its cast of eccentric characters despite the death of the much loved Sully who is still often referred to in this, the third of this wonderful series.

No matter, Richard Russo does what he does so well, which is present a character driven novel that is sympathetically and beautifully drawn and which both mesmerises and delights the reader.

Russo is a true master of his craft and has hit another one out of the park. It is wry and gentle but with a bite too and can't be too highly recommended.

I have read all of Richard Russo’s books. He is one of my favorite authors. Somebody’s Fool did not disappoint. It’s a great follow up to the previous novels that take place in Bath. Excellent storyline, the characters continued on and continue to develop as the story progressed. The characters are people I have grown to care about and it was really great to meet up with them again I was sorry to see this book end. Thank you so much for my advance. Copy, I will surely recommend this proven author and all his books to my friends and family..

4.5 Stars

While there are sections of this story which include Russo’s most beloved character, the majority of this story takes place ten years after the passing of the character that is beloved by most of Russo’s readers - ‘Sully.’ He is, of course, remembered among those who live in North Bath, which will also be changing as it will soon be a part of Schuyler Springs. Aside from some of those who live in North Bath not really being happy about this, it will mean the loss of jobs for some, as there will be no need for an additional Mayor, or Chief of Police to start with. The town has been struggling for some time, and the people in it, as well.

In the meantime, soon after a new Chief of Police has been installed, a body is discovered at the Sans Souci. But, since people are creatures of habit, the phone call goes to the now former Chief of Police, who attempts to get out of it by reminding them that he is no longer Chief, he ends up going anyway. Curiosity wins in the end.

This is a story about change, and the impact it has upon not only the town, but the people who can’t imagine the concept of things changing. It is almost unimaginable to them, despite the fact that they’ve been feeling the change happening slowly for a long time. Businesses are barely hanging on, people are barely hanging on. Still, despite that, they are rooted there, and they can’t imagine a life elsewhere.

Richard Russo’s characters are rooted to this place, they would rather stick with their old frustrations, they’ve already learned how to react and vent about those ones, than take on new frustrations. This place may have its faults, but they’re used to them. There’s a lot of charm and love inside these pages for this place they call home, and the people who live there.


Pub Date: 25 Jul 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Achor, Knopf

Richard Russo’s book is a gift to readers who like character-driven novels. The complex characters are filled with flaws, frequent self-doubt, more heart than they give themselves credit for.

I was totally immersed in the lives of Russo’s people, frequently loving them more than they loved themselves..
SOMEBODY’S FOOL is a book that may seem like somebody else's small town story, but it is a universal story about
Searching for a place “ that fits,” and people to care about, and care for.

I loved every minute I spent with this book.

Another wonderful Richard Russo novel.His character come alive drawing me in to their lives their happiness and their drama.Anovel you don’t want to put down.#netgalley #somebod’sfool

It's been a while since Richard Russo has written, and we are so lucky that it's the conclusion of the adventures of Donald “Sully” Sullivan.

It's a whole 10 years later and the town of North Bath is being absorbed into its larger neighbor Schuyler Springs. Many have been made redundant and plenty of the townspeople are wondering about their roles in the new "world." Peter, Sully's son is still grappling with what has left to him and an unidentified body has appeared leaving plenty for the town to discuss of it

In typical Russo fashion, we are reminded of the complex nature of humans. Every single person lives with deep conflicts, replaying old pain and encountering new obstacles. Richard Russo has the unique ability to paint the most hopefully portrait of even the most unlikeable characters. By midway through the book, it's like you never left and you are rooting for everyone to win. If you love Richard Russo, wonder how it's going in North Bath or just want a lovingly created story of middle America, Somebody's Fool is for you! #RichardRusso. #SomebodysFool #NetGalley
#Knopf #pantheon #vintage

It is rare that I don’t finish a book, but sadly this was one of those few. Did not hold my attention at all.

This author never disappoints. His grasp of characters and relaying them to the reader is what makes his books a pleasure to read.