Rating: 
Summary: Ending is Deus Ex Machina Like
Review: Although the description of small town life is a solid, full characterization of place. The ending seems plot driven as a means of finishing the book rather than creating a climax that has been built by the characterization of Miles. Thus, the climax is off-center regarding the primary focus of the book and it seems trite.Otherwise, development and characterization are solid.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing story, unforgettable characters
Review: This was a finely wrought, intricately woven book of small town life in modern times. Russo's ability to develop characters who come to life with each passing phrase is astounding. This man can write. I envy anyone who has been fortuitous enough to study under him, as surely he has mastered the art of writing. The protagonist of this story, Miles, will stay with me for years, as will his daughter, father, and many of the other inhabitants of the blue collar town of Empire Falls. So many plots and sub-plots weaved throughout this amazing tale of ordinary life in a Maine town that at some times it was overwhelming. I found myself re-reading several chapters, not because I didn't understand, but more so because I didn't want to miss anything. This is not a quick read, it is too complex to be. Russo takes something that on the surface, sounds simplistic, and turns it into a delicate and intense profile of the hearts, minds, complexities and lives of many unique people. When you open this book you are truly leaving the world you inhabit, and entering the world of Empire Falls. A place that might otherwise be somewhere you'd drop in on your way to somewhere else will become your home. At least until you complete the book. And then you will feel a touch of sadness for the lives that touched yours for a while, and then were gone. I recommend this book to anyone who cherishes fantastic writing, complex themes and plots, and a moving story line. I will not soon forget this book, or its people.
Rating:
Summary: A great ride...sorry it's over
Review: There are few books that I read and feel "Whew!--what a whirlwind ride!" There are fewer still that I feel like
I need to read again because I'm sure that there are some
deeper meanings to understand. Empire Falls has both of
these qualities. Just finished reading it last night...and I'm sorry it's over! [But I came online to get Russo's other
books...]
Rating: 
Summary: Great characters, simplistic ending
Review: Once again, Richard Russo shows off his talent as a master of character development. As with earlier novels, in particular "Nobody's Fool", he artfully creates a tapestry of complex and very believable characters with whom the reader becomes intimately familiar. The dynamic between those characters shows off the humanity of each and the fact that everyone has both attractive and unattractive traits. This sets the stage upon which to hang an interesting and interwoven plot centered around the efforts of the book's main character, Miles Roby, to reconcile his current existence with the conflicting influences which caused him to be there. Thrown into the mix is his effort to understand how he will influence the future of his daughter, Tick. Unfortunately, with its climax (which I will not reveal), the book takes a simplistic way out to bring these various threads together and dispose of them far too neatly. As a result, this well crafted novel leaves the reader somewhat unsatisfied with its not very believable conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Good Reading; Russo "knows" teenagers.
Review: What intrigued me most about this book was the "politics" of a small town. The rich woman Mrs. Whiting who "owned" most of the broke mill town. I felt for Miles who worked at the local diner. He was sort of indebted to Mrs.Whiting for past events and he had to take care of his daughter tick. I especially enjoyed Miles's father who did nothing but drink beer and pretend to work. I was also tickled by the man that Mile's ex-wife was going to marry. He was a kind of polyester gold chain wearing throw back from the seventies. What a hoot of a character! However the part of the book that interested me the most was the comprehension that Mr. Russo has of teenage behavior. This is for the most part a difficult thing for some writers to understand. I would recommend this book based solely on that fact. I do have a couple of small criticisms. I thought that the animal violence was gratuitous. Maybe Mr. Russo was trying to make a point about certain characters behaviors but I could have done without it. Despite this, I highly recommend this book. It is wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Coastal Maine romanticizes blue-collar Maine...
Review: As someone born in a town that is one plausible candidate for Empire Falls and raised in another, I hesitated to read this book. I know too well the experience of returning after having left for years for academic and professional pursuits (in this case they are the same...) I was not completely eager to gain a new perspective on how I am seen when I do, on occasion, return. I needn't have worried. Really the only thing that motivates me to write this review (the ending has received sufficient criticism) is the towering irony that lies behind much of this book's praise. As suggested above, there really are two Maines. The prosperous southern and midcoast regions form one. Northern and (far) downeast comprise the economically-depressed second. Russo is nearly universally lauded for his authenticity in portraying the latter. He has the credentials. Waterville, my old hometown, home to Colby College, and home to the perpetually embattled Hathaway shirt factory (and Russo's former home town?) is fairly obvious as a model for Fairhaven. And Russo surely knows many suitable "Empire"s. So why doesn't this book's portrayal of blue-collar Maine ring true? The author seems oblivious to Maine politics. That the little red lobster resembled a crayfish (or worse, a cockroach) was the story told by the prosperous half of the necessity of changing the license plate. The story told by the other half - told by, one would presume, the good residents of Empire Falls, was often different. Many resented the state's pandering to its tourism associations by making an icon of an industry that has no true relevance for the vast majority of the state's residents (both actual and fictional). By itself it is a trifling point. But it is illustrative of a larger problem. Russo either does not know the blue-collar heartland as well as others (usually from San Francisco or DC) claim, or he does - but finds he can get more mileage from his stylized vision. Again, there is no necessary problem here. His is a work of fiction, after all. But it strikes this reader as a dishonest one. After all, the book's claim to greatness lies partly in its claim to authenticity. I did not expect non-fiction. I expected greater. I really believe that fiction - good fiction - can be more real, more thought-provoking than nonfiction. Alas, that isn't the case here. Empire Falls seems, rather, to have been crafted more from the (guilty) conscience of one who has left rather than from one who has remained. This is blue-collar Maine seen from the eyes of Kennebunk and Portland. That may still be good enough for many, but it is not good enough for me.
Rating:
Summary: Moderately enjoyable for a high school senior
Review: First of all, it was not my choice to read this book. That established, I found the plot and the characters - yes, even the one-dimensioned ones who play a secondary role - quite belivable. I could imagine that Maine town vividly as I am able to witness the same urban decay in nearbly Worcester, MA. The story line itself, however, stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. I often found myself struggling to stay awake through the 50 pages I promised myself I would read every day. It was the ending which made the entire book worthwhile to me. Where elder generations have frowned upon the unneccesary violence and the many deaths from things other than natural causes, I found my interest stirred by some action in the small world of Empire Falls, Maine, a world which inherently lent itself to boredom. That's not to say that the everyday trials and tribulations of the characters aren't important, its just that frequently I found myself unable to give a [care].
Rating:
Summary: It's not cold in this part of Maine
Review: Although I'm sure many folks have sung the praises of Richard Russo's latest book, we should not let efforts like this go unnoticed. This is a lovely, warm book with characters everyone can relate to. Russo is never patronizing even when describing the thought processes of some of the unsavory characters in this novel. His sympathetic viewpoint and his understanding that even the nastiest folks have something to offer makes this book one you may want to keep on your shelf and share with friends. The wide diversity of characters in this book is another one of its major charms. Miles, the main character of the book, is a thoughtful and decent man who confronts situations that would be impossible for many people and would be difficult for anyone. But, Miles is only one of the many well-drawn characters Russo has given us. The most important feature of the book is Russo's ability to look at characters and problems from several different points of view. As Oscar Wilde said, "The truth is rarely pure, and never simple." This book is a testimony to Wilde's viewpoint. Russo's characters are always gray and human, not the black and white types that Hollywood loves so dearly. Mr. Russo thinks deeply and carefully and his thoughts are well worth noting. My only negative about the book is that he rushed the ending a teeny bit. I'd have liked another 200 pages.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and realistic human relationships and behavior
Review: I became progressively involved in and entertained by this book as I progressed through it. It reveals the events in a small town from the viewpoints of several residents. At times, it's like you are inside the minds of the different characters, seeing what is happening from their perspectives. The complexity and poignancy of the situations and the author's wonderful insights into human nature are beautiful. If you are interested in what makes people tick and why they do the things they do, you will love this book. I intend to read other books by the same author.
Rating:
Summary: Characters Make This Book
Review: I was not a big fan of Russo after "Straight Man" where I thought much of the humor to be forced. In Empire Falls, the humor takes a back seat - appropriately and fittingly - to the characters. This is the kind of book where you get to know the characters so well that you will remember them a very long time, as if you had actually met them. Set in a small dying, nearly dead, Maine mill town, the main character is a near college grad who returned to his hometown against his dying mother's wishes. Many years after his return, it is apparent he thinks he is a step up on all the other town folk, yet he realizes he has been unable to achieve the one thing his mother lived for - to get him out of Empire. The first and most obvious of many dilemmas he faces is how to make sure he gets his daughter out of town after high school. This is especially poignant since he recognizes this is where he failed his own mother. He recognizes what he believes is holding him in Empire, yet deep down he knows it (or rather she) should not be gripping him so. Throughout the book he is constantly being cornered by people and situations. He is a complex character made more so by his inability to face problems directly complicated by the confines of his Catholic upbringing. This book rang true on almost all levels. Russo threw in a bit of the absurd which made it more fun, yet interestingly no less believable. It, and its characters will stick with you, and maybe even grow more on you, over time.
| 
