Rating: 
Summary: laugh out loud
Review: You know, I have to tell you I was nervous about reading Straight Man. I bought Richard Russo's book Nobody's Fool at a second-hand bookshop in Taiwan, and since then I carried that darn heavy book in my backpack while being on the road travelling for 2 years, because it was a book I read over and over, and laughed each time at his descriptions of Rub with the doughnut, Sully's truck, and I just loved Beryl. Oh, that book is bittersweet. Alas, I finally gave it away somewhere in China to someone I thought was worthy of it, and decided (deep breath) I should try another Russo book. Straight Man.So now, I have another travelling companion. In the first chapter or 2, I didn't really warm to the character of Hank, but as with Nobody's Fool, as the book continues, you can't help but wish you knew these characters to joke with and have as your lopsided friends. I don't want to write too much regarding plot, etc, as there are plenty of other reviews doing that, but if you want to read a book to warm your heart, enjoy humanity with all its quirks and quips and lurks, then read Richard Russo. Read Straight Man. It's one to savour.
Rating:
Summary: Very Very Funny
Review: Richard Russo's "Straight Man" is one of the most amusing novels I have read. "Straight Man" tells the story of English Professor (and Department Chair) William Henry "Hank" Devereaux, Jr. and his foray into a midlife crisis. His surrounding cast (to include his wife, fellow professors, university officials, television reporters, grown daughter, son-in-law, and various women he's half-in-love with) provides more than enough fodder for thought and laughter. The book is told in first person narrative by Hank and the reader is offered quite a glimpse into his mental state as well his thoughts on life in general. Often comical and plainly human, Hank's experiences over one school year at a Pennsylvania college poignantly deal with issues of marriage, health, employment stress, family problems, relationships (both good and bad), and life in an English department. By the end of the novel you will know Hank well and very likely have laughed out loud on more than a few occasions. This is a terrific novel.
Very Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A laugh riot
Review: Russo has become one of my favorite authors. After reading Empire Falls, I read all his other novels, and this one stands out by its comic elements. Unlike his other books, this is a true laugh riot from beginning to end. With bizarre situations, characters who are out of place, and tongue-in-cheek humor, Russo gives us a great comic novel. It's hard to say if he should write more in this vein; his other books are far more profound. But this is a great laugh.
Rating: 
Summary: Not His Best
Review: I've read three of Russo's books: Risk Pool, Empire Falls, and Straight Man. Straight Man is the weakest of the three in my opinion. I think it's because William Henry "Hank" Devereaux, Jr. is a jerk and I spent the whole book waiting for him to get his comeuppance. I suppose he got a little comeuppance, but not as much as I would have liked. The story is the familiar whine of a middle-aged man going through a crisis and "finding himself" over one week. Not an overly interesting story, but the wacky characters and situations make it worth reading. What I found strange is that Hank's father figures so much in his thinking, but really only appears in 3 scenes (only 1 of which is in present day). After all the hype about William Henry Devereaux, Sr., I expected to actually have him around more. And I would have thrown the book against the wall had William of Occam or Occam's Razor been mentioned one more time (much, much overused!). Straight Man suffers the same problem as Empire Falls, where it seems Russo feels the need to tack on a happy ending in the Epilogue. The Epilogue in Straight Man was of the irritating type where the author starts telling readers all this stuff that happened afterwards, sort of like in historical movies where at the end they flash on the screen what happened to each character after whatever event. It's an irritating way to close the story, I'd rather just leave it open-ended. Straight Man is an all right book, but Russo has better. I'd also recommend two other books. If you want to read more about a middle-aged man finding himself I'd recommend "Independence Day" by Richard Ford. And for wacky university faculty hijinks I'd recommend "Wonder Boys" by Michael Chabon. Both, I think, do a better job than Straight Man and are worth reading. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Duck, duck, goose
Review: "Straight Man" is a novel about Hank, a middle-aged college professor who is the temporary chair of the English department at a 'second-rate' university in Pennsylvania. The novel is told in first person so we get to see things from Hank's point of view and get his take on everything going on around him. He wonders how he got stuck at West Central Pennsylvania University and why he never moved on to something/someplace greater and more esteemed. Hank treats everything in his life as a joke: from the academic politics at his university, to his relationships with family and friends; from his painful, inability to urinate, to his lackluster students. As the novel proceeds, Hank quickly becomes buried under a pile of bizarre & amusing (for the reader at least!) problems. The story was entertaining and funny. "Straight Man" is the first Richard Russo novel that I have read and I was very impressed. The writing in this book was excellent and I look forward to reading Russo's "Empire Falls" soon. "Straight Man" reminded me of Chabon's "Wonder Boys", since they are both humorous books about English professors having a midlife crisis. If you enjoy "Straight Man", I would also recommend that you read "Wonder Boys".
Rating:
Summary: Straight Man Gets It Right
Review: Richard Russo's Straight Man is dead-on accurate and flat-out hilarious. In this book Hank Devereaux, an aging English professor in a less than stellar university, takes on family, university politics and an ailing prostate and comes out on top of the pile. Anyone who has ever been (or ever wants to be ) associated with a university should read this book - life in the ivory tower has never been so enthusiastically skewered. As a reader who was less than thrilled with Empire Falls, I started on Straight Man with some hesitation. I should have read this one first - the plot is better, the characters are better, the story-telling is merciless and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: I was expecting something more of wit from this book. It's cotton candy for the reader- not filling, but sweet. Straight Man just seems to be another fairly mediocre book of the grocery store book aisle type. Granted, it has its funny points, but they aren't the belly-aching laughter producing kind promised by so many reviewers of this book. It's a fun and easy read if that's all you are going for, however.
Rating:
Summary: Richard Russo can do no wrong
Review: In "Straight Man", Richard Russo once again has proven to me that he is one of the finest American novelists currently writing. He is brilliant in his simplicity and consistency. I had heard that this novel was his worst, but I would have to disagree. It is just as wonderful as all his others. As funny as "Nobody's Fool" and as tender as "Empire Falls." I really don't know how Russo does it. In every book he manages to create living, breathing characters in minimal plot that keeps the reader entranced far beyond the last page. While his writing style is extremely simple, the reader still marvels at the skill put into every sentence. "Straight Man" is a rip on academia, which all college / graduate students will find hilarious and dead-on. The book focuses on Hank and his struggles as English Chair at a lowly, cash-strapped University in Wrong Side of the Tracks, Pennsylvania. When his wife leaves for the weekend, Hank manages to pretty much completely turn the town upside down inside of three days. He manages to threaten a goose on live TV, get photographed naked in a hot tub with a TV personality, spend a night in jail, and pass a few hours trapped in the ceiling above his colleagues. Russo usually writes in third person ominiscient, which really helps him develop amazing and fully-fleshed characters. I was a little worried when I saw "Straight Man" was written in first person. I shouldn't have been. Russo still somehow manages to give his characters depth and soul. All in all I wasn't able to put this book down. If you haven't read Richard Russo, you are really missing out. This guy is flat-out wonderful.
Rating: 
Summary: A stinker by Russo
Review: "Straight Man" ranks as one of the worst novels I've read. It is a masterpice of prolixity, filled with boring episodes and chapters that do nothing to advance the plot. And nothing is resolved at the end; our miserable hero simply rides off into the sunset. One wonders if Russo had an editor. If he did, the editor ought to seek another line of work.
Rating:
Summary: Dead on!
Review: One of the best books I've ever read. And an absolutely dead on take on the politics of higher education. As one pundit once remarked, "the politics in higher education are so brutal because the stakes are so low," or words to that effect. And Russo nails the whole shebang--petty squabbles, unbelieveably mixed up priorities, and all manner of absurdities. He also places the scene in a liberal arts arena, making the whole thing that much more believeable. As one who has lived in this DaDa-esque world for many years, this book made me laugh and cry--often at the same time. So funny it hurts!
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