Book Review: Nobody’s Fool by Richard Russo

This is the third Richard Russo novel I have read so far, after “Straight man” and “Empire Falls”. 

    This novel also provided me with the same sense of comfort and peace of mind that only small towns offer, and much like the other two novels, the setting, especially the town itself plays a huge role in the story. One thing certain about Russo’s novels is that by the end of the book, the reader has a clear, well laid out map of the town in their mind; one that connects all the houses, streets, bars, restaurants, and other various establishments together in a defined mind map. I had a map in my mind of the college town of Railton, Pennsylvania in “Straight man”, Empire Falls, Maine in “Empire Falls”, and now Bath, New York in “Nobody’s fool”.  

    The everyday mundane small town lives which are the center of the plot actually provide excitement to the readers. We as readers find joy and definitely a sense of comfort in being part of these lives. Having moved to and grown up in a small town in America, these setting driven plots by Russo really feels close to me. The commonly used phrase “naatinpurathe nanma” in my mother tongue Malayalam which roughly translates to “the goodness of small town/village really resonates with the characters residing in the town of North Bath. Some may seem evil and malicious but deep inside everyone is naive and filled with goodwill. A person like Clive Jr. being taken aback by bad news from investors from big metropolitan cities in the end is a prime example of this naiveness. The innocence and good nature of many Bath residents could be seen throughout the novel. This includes the main man Sully himself, Rub, Wirf, Mrs. Beryl, Peter, Will, Ralf, Ruth and many others. 

    The characters are memorable and realistic. You could go to any small town in America and find a Sully or a Rub there. This relatability and realism of a slice of small town life is what makes Russo’s novels interesting and quite comforting. 

    Written in 1993, the sequel to this novel came out in 2016, titled “Everybody’s fool”. As I have finished “Nobody’s Fool” and is about to go return it to the public library, I have already reserved the sequel. That is going to be my next read as the novel apparently picks up at North Bath years later with Sully and other familiar characters. I cannot wait to pick it up and indulge in the small town goodness. RICHARD RUSSO, YOU SIR ARE THE STAR OF MY FIRMAMENT!

-Rithin. 

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