Rating: 
Summary: Pulitzer?
Review: Reading Empire Falls was like a long, never-ending walk in the park on a nice sunny day-a walk that doesn't end until your feet are swollen and blistering and you are forced to sit down and take a rest. Despite its well-developed, realistic characters and magnificent dialogue, the novel was rather slow and excessive, with long, drawn out paragraphs that, while bringing you into the time, place, and mind of the narrator, make your head throb with their over-emphasized simplicity. Though Russo's writing style is pleasant enough, and he picks and chooses the arrangement of his sentences so carefully that the temptation to skim over a paragraph or two can be deadly to your understanding of the many "secrets" and little nuances embedded within them. Russo does this so deliberately that sometimes he even actually starts stating and explaining what anyone with common sense has already grasped from the passage in the three paragraphs following it. I felt forced to digest each and every sentence within the book, and although I usually enjoy doing so-especially when it is challenging-it just became such a chore. And whoever thought it would be a good idea to publish the flashbacks in italics made a bad decision. Squinting to read italicized words smashed together in tiny font was extremely distracting. This 'portrait' of a small middle-class town, presented without prejudice or restraint-was decent, but the melodramatic climax ruined the entire story. Miles suddenly becoming a volatile superman after being such a clueless pushover was just weird and contrived. If I had been watching the story as a movie in a theater, the crowd would have jumped out of their seats cheering at the point where Miles began to stand up to Mrs. Whiting and Jimmy Minty. Yeah, it was good to see him overcome his issues, but just seemed wrapped up a little too neatly in a heroic package of melodrama. On the other hand, the John Voss incident was quite stereotypical and predictable. Although this wasn't a completely horrible book, I'm walking away from it feeling like it was a waste of time, and it certainly didn't deserve the Pulitzer. For better writing and a more interesting small-town story, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil offers up the quirky mystery and voyeuristic imagery that Empire Falls attempted, but failed to grasp.
Rating:
Summary: ....but worth the read.
Review: I would probably give this book three and half stars overall. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and the town of Empire Falls. I was sucked into the story almost immediately. Miles Roby is the happiest sad man I've met. His daughter, Tick is amazing. Now that the book has ended, I wish I could have them both over for coffee and catch up. Mr. Russo sure knows how to bring you as the reader into a small town, not just as an observer, but one who actually lives there. Many times I wanted to go to Callahan's and commiserate with Bea about what a mistake her daughter was making by marrying the "Silver Fox". I wanted to hug Miles for always wanting to do the right thing and I wanted to wring Janine's neck for thinking that just because she re-discovered sex and lost weight that she had truly changed. There are a couple of slow spots in this book and because of the sometimes overly desriptive writing, the book kind of meanders (which I suppose is part of small-town life) to a satisfying finish. Pulitzer Prize Winner? that's questionable. However, this is a really good portrait of life in a small town and a fine piece of literature.
Rating:
Summary: Small Town Emotion
Review: First off I would like to congratulate those of you lucky enough to have the utter will power to continue reading this book after some of the driest hundred or so pages I have ever had strength enough to read (which is why it only rated a three). Don't get me wrong, this book wasn't all bad, one just has to continue reading for it to become more interesting. Like some reality television show, this story grabs one's attention and allows the reader to experience the stresses and joys of a simple small town man whose luck seems to keep getting worse and worse. One cant help but feel sorry for Miles Roby, trapped in Empire Falls, Maine this guy just can not get a break. After coming home from college to take care of his ailing mother, Miles is forced to take a job working at The Empire Grill where he remained through a marriage, a daughter, a rebellious brother, and then a divorce. As if things could not get worse for this poor man, the reader is then taken on a roller coaster ride of emotion and at times, feels what Miles is feeling. Anger, joy, and every other emotion all rolled into one story. Jealousy over his ex-wife's relationship with the elusive and all around annoying Silver Fox, agitation at the careless and obnoxious way Max Roby deals with situations, and in the end heartache and fear when every parent's worse nightmare is lived through the life of Miles Roby. This book is a definite must for all "reality freaks" out there with a little time and patience. It also gives any city dweller a small idea of what it's like to live in a small town where everybody knows everybody else.
Rating: 
Summary: a terrific read through and through
Review: Yes, this is a book to get completely lost and absorbed in. I found myself racing to finish although it's hard to race through the 450 or so pages (not that you should) but all of a sudden you realize that the beauty is in the details as much as if not more than in the overall plot. There are literally dozens of incredible scenes of small town Maine, high school adolescent follies, family turmoil, small town pettiness that comprise a slate of overall literary beauty. There is also devasting sadness; for example, in the relationship between Miles (one of the central characters) and his ex wife Janine who leaves him for the sexually heroic but otherwise vapid "Silver Fox," in the character of poor Cindy the cripple who has always been in love with Miles since her childhood, the chronically abused John Voss and too many others to name. There are also moments of sublime happiness as when Miles' mother Grace finds her week of happiness with her true love in the Vineyard before reality interferes. I agree that the book deserved a pulitzer for its detail and complexity of characters. By the end, you'll feel like you grew up in the town yourself. A modern masterwork.
Rating:
Summary: Intersting, but no Pulitzer...
Review: I found the story to be interesting, but the writing style was not the quality of a Pulitzer--in my opinion. I thought it was an enjoyable read, but did not think it was a literary giant. Example-notice how many times he uses the word beat. Also, I wanted to know more about some characters and less about others. Again, very interesting, but has a more pop literature feel.
Rating: 
Summary: Empire Falls
Review: Empire Fall is basically a story of the monotomy of small town life and the people who live there with a few unexpected twists & turns at the end of the book. The author is very thorough in his descriptions of the town & his development of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Ponderous, But in a Good Way
Review: The narrative is as languid as the story's New England setting. But the characters are very well drawn, and I slogged through all 483 pages to see how their dramas were resolved. This guy wrote Nobody's Fool. If you read it or saw the movie with Paul Newman, you've got the vibe.
Rating:
Summary: Real Picture of Small Town America
Review: This book shows readers what small towns are really like! Russo develops his characters very well, and they all very easy to relate to. The first hundred pages or so are a little slow, but don't give up because it becomes a real page turner. This is a great book for a book club because it is so dense with discussion topics.
Rating: 
Summary: It would make a better movie than a book
Review: I bought this book thinking I would like it because I enjoyed the movie NOBODY'S FOOL, but I was mistaken. This book would make an interesting movie but as a book it is just too slow. Nothing happens and the author only writes about the little things. Not even in the present most of the time. It gives the reader the false illusion that we are getting to know the protagonist and his past so that something extraordinary will happen--I gave up waiting for taht event half way through the book and have never been tempted to pick it up again.
Rating:
Summary: INTERESTING BUT A BIT PREDICTABLE
Review: I enjoyed the characters and story line quite a lot. Read it a few months ago and it resignates well in my memory. Great sense of place and hopelessness.
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