Richard Russo--from his first novel, Mohawk, to his most recent, Straight Man--has demonstrated a peerless affinity for the human tragicomedy, and with this stunning new novel he extends even further his claims on the small-town, blue-collar heart of the country.
Dexter County, Maine, and specifically the town of Empire Falls, has seen better days, and for decades only a succession from bad to worse. One by one, its logging and textile enterprises have gone belly-up, and the once vast holdings of the Whiting clan (presided over by the last scion’s widow) now mostly amount to decrepit real estate. The working classes, meanwhile, continue to eke out whatever meager promise isn’t already boarded up.
Miles Roby gazes over this ruined kingdom from the Empire Grill, an opportunity of his youth that has become the albatross of his daily and future life. Called back from college and set to work by family obligations--his mother ailing, his father a loose cannon--Miles never left home again. Even so, his own obligations are manifold: a pending divorce; a troubled younger brother; and, not least, a peculiar partnership in the failing grill with none other than Mrs. Whiting. All of these, though, are offset by his daughter, Tick, whom he guides gently and proudly through the tribulations of adolescence.
A decent man encircled by history and dreams, by echoing churches and abandoned mills, by the comforts and feuds provided by lifelong friends and neighbors, Miles is also a patient, knowing guide to the rich, hardscrabble nature of Empire Falls: fathers and sons and daughters, living and dead, rich and poor alike. Shot through with the mysteries of generations and the shattering visitations of the nation at large, it is a social novel of panoramic ambition, yet at the same time achingly personal. In the end, Empire Falls reveals our worst and best instincts, both our most appalling nightmares and our simplest hopes, with all the vision, grace and humanity of truly epic storytelling.
New York Times
. . . a rich, humorous, elegantly constructed novel rooted in the bedrock traditions of American fiction. [T]his is easily Russo's most seductive book thus far..... In a warmhearted novel of sweeping scope.... Russo follows up his rollicking academic satire, Straight Man (1997), with a return to the blue-collar melieu featured in his first three novels and once again shows an unerring sense of the rhythms of small-town life, balancing his irreverent, mocking humor with unending empathy for his characters and their foibles.
New York Times
. . . a rich, humorous, elegantly constructed novel rooted in the bedrock traditions of American fiction. [T]his is easily Russo's most seductive book thus far..... In a warmhearted novel of sweeping scope.... Russo follows up his rollicking academic satire, Straight Man (1997), with a return to the blue-collar melieu featured in his first three novels and once again shows an unerring sense of the rhythms of small-town life, balancing his irreverent, mocking humor with unending empathy for his characters and their foibles.
Booklist
In a warmhearted novel of sweeping scope.... Russo follows up his rollicking academic satire, Straight Man (1997), with a return to the blue-collar melieu featured in his first three novels and once again shows an unerring sense of the rhythms of small-town life, balancing his irreverent, mocking humor with unending empathy for his characters and their foibles
Booklist
In a warmhearted novel of sweeping scope.... Russo follows up his rollicking academic satire, Straight Man (1997), with a return to the blue-collar melieu featured in his first three novels and once again shows an unerring sense of the rhythms of small-town life, balancing his irreverent, mocking humor with unending empathy for his characters and their foibles
Publishers Weekly
Even the minor members of Russo's large cast are fully fleshed, and forays into the past lend the narrative an extra depth and resonance. When it comes to evoking the cherished hopes and dreams of ordinary people, Russo is unsurpassed.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Kathy Yawn This was perhaps the worst book I have ever read. It is pointless and boring to an extent i did not believe possible. I need to write an essay about a theme in this book and I don't even remember anything worth mentioning! Terrible! I literally had... Read More
Rated of 5
by Dr. Joseph Johnson MD I fell to sleep after reading the first 3 pages From the very beginning , the story is very BORING and unbelievable. After reading the first 3 pages with great difficulty we ALL simply fell to sleep from extreme boredom.
Rated of 5
by Immy Empire Falls I'm fourteen years old don't live anywhere near America but still loved and understood Empire Falls. Russo effortlessly manages to convey his ideas through this book without forcing you to agree with them. Once you have read this book it is easy to... Read More
Rated of 5
by Matt Young Empire Falls Without fail- time & time again; you effortlessly seem to hit a homerun, ( this time a GRANDSLAM!!! ); with your gift of storytelling! This book is an entertaining look into everyday life in a small town, with some of the most amusing characters... Read More
Rated of 5
by Samantha Morrin
I'm seventeen years old and I choose to read Richard Russo's "Empire Falls" for a Pulitzer Prize winning book project. I'm fortunate to have picked such a greatly written book, the characters were very well developed, the storyline... Read More
Rated of 5
by Carmella
I'm 15 and I live in central Maine. In fact, the movie that wil be coming out soon of Empitre Falls was filmed partially in my town! Russo captures rural, small-town, central Maine life almost exactly. I could relate to a lot of this book.... Read More
A stunning novel, set in a small town during the Nixon era and today, about America and family, politics and tragedy, and the impact of fate on a young man’s life.
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