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otherbeth's review against another edition
4.0
Russo makes it really easy to inhabit the town of Empire Falls, even if I didn't want to be there for real. The book moves around from character to character (never veering far from Miles Robey, the main character), back into the past and then forward again, out to Martha's Vinyard and back, but the transitions are smooth and organic. The characters I thought would be unidimensional became more complicated and realistic. I want to know what happens to all of them. Good, immersive read.
draybikus's review against another edition
5.0
Книга, заслуживающая пять звёзд, if there ever was one. История о худших аспектах маленьких, угасающих городков.
Ричард Руссо решил посягнуть на лавры Кинга и написать роман о вымышленном городке в штате Мэн. Только, в отличие от Дерри, в Эмпайр Фоллз кошмар не заканчивается.
⠀
Ну ладно, может, кошмар это сильно сказано. Хотя как ещё назвать ситуацию, когда ты, задушив свою мечту стать писателем, двадцать лет жаришь бургеры в местной забегаловке, в то время как человек, с которым тебе изменила жена, каждый день приходит в забегаловку и нудит: вот ты дурак, как можно было упустить такую женщину.
⠀
Между тем, женщина, в которую ты был влюблен всю жизнь, не воспринимает тебя всерьез. И это ещё не считая твоего алкоголика-отца, который в детстве месяцами где-то пропадал, а теперь клянчит у тебя деньги.
⠀
Эмпайр Фоллз - город, чьи лучшие дни остались позади. Текстильная фабрика давно закрылась, работы с каждым годом все меньше, и все больше людей уезжает. Майлз Роби в школе был круглым отличником и поступил в хороший университет. Все знали, что этот парень точно далеко пойдет, с его-то способностями. Но не сложилось. Когда мама Майлза заболела раком, он бросил учебу и вернулся, чтобы быть с ней. И, несмотря на ее протесты, остался, и построил свою жизнь в этом нелюбимом городе, где все всех знают и никогда ничего не происходит.
⠀
Но это только на первый взгляд. На самом деле в Эмпайр Фоллз кипят страсти: пожилой страдающий деменцией священник выбалтывает секреты своих прихожан, директор школы пытается социализировать необщительного и забитого мальчика, а городская богачка, владеющая половиной Эмпайр Фоллз, ищет дополнительные способы выдоить прибыль из города.
⠀
В этот маленький, тесный мирок погружаешься с головой, и сама не понимаешь, когда начинаешь переживать за его обитателей. Несмотря на то, что обстановка в романе в целом невеселая, читать легко, потому что автор то и дело беззлобно подтрунивает над персонажами и ситуациями. Местами я даже в голос смеялась.
Ричард Руссо решил посягнуть на лавры Кинга и написать роман о вымышленном городке в штате Мэн. Только, в отличие от Дерри, в Эмпайр Фоллз кошмар не заканчивается.
⠀
Ну ладно, может, кошмар это сильно сказано. Хотя как ещё назвать ситуацию, когда ты, задушив свою мечту стать писателем, двадцать лет жаришь бургеры в местной забегаловке, в то время как человек, с которым тебе изменила жена, каждый день приходит в забегаловку и нудит: вот ты дурак, как можно было упустить такую женщину.
⠀
Между тем, женщина, в которую ты был влюблен всю жизнь, не воспринимает тебя всерьез. И это ещё не считая твоего алкоголика-отца, который в детстве месяцами где-то пропадал, а теперь клянчит у тебя деньги.
⠀
Эмпайр Фоллз - город, чьи лучшие дни остались позади. Текстильная фабрика давно закрылась, работы с каждым годом все меньше, и все больше людей уезжает. Майлз Роби в школе был круглым отличником и поступил в хороший университет. Все знали, что этот парень точно далеко пойдет, с его-то способностями. Но не сложилось. Когда мама Майлза заболела раком, он бросил учебу и вернулся, чтобы быть с ней. И, несмотря на ее протесты, остался, и построил свою жизнь в этом нелюбимом городе, где все всех знают и никогда ничего не происходит.
⠀
Но это только на первый взгляд. На самом деле в Эмпайр Фоллз кипят страсти: пожилой страдающий деменцией священник выбалтывает секреты своих прихожан, директор школы пытается социализировать необщительного и забитого мальчика, а городская богачка, владеющая половиной Эмпайр Фоллз, ищет дополнительные способы выдоить прибыль из города.
⠀
В этот маленький, тесный мирок погружаешься с головой, и сама не понимаешь, когда начинаешь переживать за его обитателей. Несмотря на то, что обстановка в романе в целом невеселая, читать легко, потому что автор то и дело беззлобно подтрунивает над персонажами и ситуациями. Местами я даже в голос смеялась.
mvindc's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful little book that surprised me at how much I was invested in the characters. Set in the small, dying town of Empire Falls, we're mainly following Miles who got "stuck" there working at the only diner in town and never left. There is growing pressure for him to change (finally), given that his wife has recently divorced him and he wants his daughter to have a better life than he has. But the reason that this story is so compelling is because Miles is not a pathetic character, he's entirely sympathetic, and the way Russo writes the characters they seem so.real. So real that you could predict what they might say next, or do next in small situations.
My only complaint about this book was that the ending drama with Mrs. Whiting felt a bit rushed--she lends an air of mystery and power to the whole story, but there's a lack of resolution between her and Miles which is disappointing. Maybe it's more appropriate and in keeping with Miles' character that they never have a big fight, but it would have felt satisfying if Miles had finally been able to stick it to her.
My only complaint about this book was that the ending drama with Mrs. Whiting felt a bit rushed--she lends an air of mystery and power to the whole story, but there's a lack of resolution between her and Miles which is disappointing. Maybe it's more appropriate and in keeping with Miles' character that they never have a big fight, but it would have felt satisfying if Miles had finally been able to stick it to her.
nataalia_sanchez's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laurelp's review against another edition
4.0
About 200 pages too long. A very slow burn and hard to get into at first .. but oh so good after all … loved the rich character development & following them over the years.
tominlondon's review against another edition
5.0
A subtle epic about rustbelt America, post globalisation.
This excellent novel delves into the intertwined lives of the blue-collar residents of a small, post-industrial town in Maine (where - curiously - everybody seems to be white; maybe those towns really are like that). The characters are all struggling to make sense of lives that they don't realise were predetermined by the socioeconomic conditions into which they were born.
They are unable to articulate their frustrations or understand the forces shaping their existence every day- except for one old man. Amid the banter and routine, he briefly attempts an overview, in which he exposes the town’s systemic control over the lives of all these people; a rare insight that is however passed over as just more "rocking-chair talk." We hear no more from him, but for me this was the key moment in the book and the clue to what it's really about.
"They got it all figured out" he warns some young fellows. "All of it. In school they tell you it's a free country, I bet, and they've thought of everything. Who they'll let you marry. Where you and her are gonna live. How much the rent's gonna be. How much money you'll make. Which ones are gonna die in their wars. All of it. You think you got a say? Think again."
Miles Roby, the central character, is the only person who has has some sort of higher education and an ability to think - though only up to a point. He and his one-armed brother David run the Empire Grill, which serves as the town’s focal point. Here, the locals gather—they all grew up and went to school together—their lives revolving around the restaurant's greasy offerings, football games, and the constant interference of Miles's pilfering father, Max.
Perched on the hill across the river, the wealthy widow who owns everything in town—including the abandoned mills—quietly orchestrates the lives of the townspeople. Unbeknownst to them, she controls the fate of the Empire Grill as part of a grand redevelopment scheme. The full extent of her plan remains hidden, becoming clear only to the reader by the novel's end, while the characters remain oblivious to it throughout, despite their attempts to guess what she may be up to.
The novel unfolds via a series of sections that explore the inner lives of each character one at a time, revealing their hidden hopes, disappointments, and confusion. Despite their rough exteriors and simple conversations, Russo’s masterful writing brings out the complexity of their inner worlds, showing how they are trapped in a system they can neither see nor understand. The town’s biggest event, an American football game, symbolises the monotony and predetermined nature of their lives. Even the hope that Miles might inherit the Empire Grill is constantly dangled and withheld by the widow up in the Big House, who uses her crippled daughter’s love for Miles to maintain control.
Russo skilfully makes us care about these rough, unsophisticated characters of limited horizons, showing how they blindly navigate a way their lives without the intellectual tools to understand their condition. The novel ultimately reflects on the pervasive influence of capitalism and the role of control, coercion, and violence in modern American life, portraying the residents of Empire Falls as representatives of a broader, struggling working class. This Great American Novel is both depressing and captivating, offering a rich, humorous, and poignant exploration of life in a forgotten corner of the country. Highly recommended.
This excellent novel delves into the intertwined lives of the blue-collar residents of a small, post-industrial town in Maine (where - curiously - everybody seems to be white; maybe those towns really are like that). The characters are all struggling to make sense of lives that they don't realise were predetermined by the socioeconomic conditions into which they were born.
They are unable to articulate their frustrations or understand the forces shaping their existence every day- except for one old man. Amid the banter and routine, he briefly attempts an overview, in which he exposes the town’s systemic control over the lives of all these people; a rare insight that is however passed over as just more "rocking-chair talk." We hear no more from him, but for me this was the key moment in the book and the clue to what it's really about.
"They got it all figured out" he warns some young fellows. "All of it. In school they tell you it's a free country, I bet, and they've thought of everything. Who they'll let you marry. Where you and her are gonna live. How much the rent's gonna be. How much money you'll make. Which ones are gonna die in their wars. All of it. You think you got a say? Think again."
Miles Roby, the central character, is the only person who has has some sort of higher education and an ability to think - though only up to a point. He and his one-armed brother David run the Empire Grill, which serves as the town’s focal point. Here, the locals gather—they all grew up and went to school together—their lives revolving around the restaurant's greasy offerings, football games, and the constant interference of Miles's pilfering father, Max.
Perched on the hill across the river, the wealthy widow who owns everything in town—including the abandoned mills—quietly orchestrates the lives of the townspeople. Unbeknownst to them, she controls the fate of the Empire Grill as part of a grand redevelopment scheme. The full extent of her plan remains hidden, becoming clear only to the reader by the novel's end, while the characters remain oblivious to it throughout, despite their attempts to guess what she may be up to.
The novel unfolds via a series of sections that explore the inner lives of each character one at a time, revealing their hidden hopes, disappointments, and confusion. Despite their rough exteriors and simple conversations, Russo’s masterful writing brings out the complexity of their inner worlds, showing how they are trapped in a system they can neither see nor understand. The town’s biggest event, an American football game, symbolises the monotony and predetermined nature of their lives. Even the hope that Miles might inherit the Empire Grill is constantly dangled and withheld by the widow up in the Big House, who uses her crippled daughter’s love for Miles to maintain control.
Russo skilfully makes us care about these rough, unsophisticated characters of limited horizons, showing how they blindly navigate a way their lives without the intellectual tools to understand their condition. The novel ultimately reflects on the pervasive influence of capitalism and the role of control, coercion, and violence in modern American life, portraying the residents of Empire Falls as representatives of a broader, struggling working class. This Great American Novel is both depressing and captivating, offering a rich, humorous, and poignant exploration of life in a forgotten corner of the country. Highly recommended.
cheerbrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely ADORE this book. It is well written and has compelling characters. The story definitely drags you in and you feel as if you were another person in this town. I found it to be exciting and unpredictable. Although some plot points may be a little farfetched it manages to be believable at the same time.
Excellent read! I can't wait to dig into other books by Russo.
Excellent read! I can't wait to dig into other books by Russo.
jake_w_ma's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
_amyb0nd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
maureen815's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0