Rating: 
Summary: Russo's Best Yet!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Empire Falls. Russo gives us an excellent study of human emotions and colorful characters we can readily identify with. You don't have to wade very far into this book before you are caught up in the rushing currents of events that will have you flipping pages right to the end. Thought-provoking, engrossing and extremely well written. I've enjoyed all of Russo's books, but think that this one is his finest.
Rating:
Summary: Pulitizer quality
Review: Richard Russo's best novel, Empire Falls, marks the happy marriage of character -- his forte -- with plot, the latter a relatively minor consideration in his earlier work. His fictional community activity having switched from upstate New York (the early novels) to academia (Straight Man) to now industry-depressed Maine, Russo's new people have rounded. Just as observant, put-under, and sympathetic as ever, they are now locked, albeit struggling to unhook, to truth and rumor of history. Brilliantly, they emerge -- or most do -- with valiant stabs at redeeming some tomorrow. We readers are left gasping, hoping only that our tomorrow will include more published Russo, America's finest under acclaimed novelist. May his writings blossom to give us guidance and company into this new century.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and heartbreaking
Review: Novelists like Russo are few and far-between. He writes wonderfully funny dialogue, creates thoroughly three-dimensional characters, and constructs communities and situations that breathe with life. If you've not read Russo, this is a great place to start; he is immediately accessible. If you've read his other novels, you'll find it similar in tone to NOBODY'S FOOL, not as personal as THE RISK POOL , and less laugh-at-loud funny than STRAIGHT MAN. Like those books, however, the characters take on such resonance that the reader hates to turn the final page and say goobye.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I used to run out and buy Russo's novels in hardback (a splurge, for me). Russo's "The Risk Pool" is a minor American Realist classic, i.e., literature. It is best portrait of a working-class male anti-hero I've ever read. "Nobody's Fool" and "Mohawk" were great reads, too sentimental to match the quality of "The Risk Pool." Sadly, "Straight Man" was a typically mediocre Academic novel. I resolved to be more careful the next time, but I was suckered by a NEW YORK TIMES review which suggested that he was back on form with "Empire Falls." I won't be buying anymore Richard Russo. He's lost it. Obviously caving in to the dollar. "Empire Falls" has a cutey-hero probably modeled on Charlie Brown. The prose is lumbering until the last third of the book, which goes from "pause" to "fast forward." And it's as formulaic as TV movie. Remember the Larry McMurtry of "Leaving Cheyenne" and "Horseman, Pass By" and the brand-name stuff he co-writes nows? Remember the first James Taylor album and the perfectly nice stuff he's done since?
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good, but reads like a screenplay
Review: This is the first Richard Russo book I've read. It is highly entertaining, the characters are portrayed so well that you get to 'know' them after a while. The story itself is great: a small town in Maine that's going downhill fast; the hero runs the run-down local diner: a loser in most things material but a possible winner in the most important thing of all. I won't spoil it for those who have not read it by getting into plot details. My only minor complaint is that I kept on reading the dialogue as spoken words in a film. I suppose that's what you get for doing so well to familiarize the reader with the characters. It WOULD make an interesting film, with Kevin Costner as the forlorned hero, Wilford Brimly as his dad, etc, etc. Very good read, I'll look for other Russo works at the local library.
Rating: 
Summary: Can't Hardly Wait
Review: ..for Russo's next book. Although this wasn't his best, even a 4 star story from my absolute favorite author is better than almost anything else I've read since his last book, Straight Man. And, of course there is no comparison to (Nobody's) Fool or (The Risk) Pool. Empire Falls returns us to the declining, small, blue collar town and inhabitants that are so genuinely yet captivatingly ordinary, where RR is at his best. The only awkwardness was the unexpected school scene. Much more blatant than any other event in any Russo novel. But, it is the everyday friendships of those involved, that provides the Russo touch, even when the going is gruesome. Thinking of the antics of Miles' father still makes me laugh, weeks after I've finished. Is there a $20 bill in my glove compartment? What happened to the one I dropped in the collection basket? Impossible to hurt my feelings.
Rating:
Summary: He's done better ...
Review: Risk Pool and Straight Man I'd give five stars, but this offering disappointed. You knew soon as characters with names like David and Miles appeared that this wasn't to be the gritty reality of the aforementioned. The pace was hurried, the characters shallow and the plot lacked credibility. Russo writes well, but he can do better .... a good one to get at the library later.
Rating:
Summary: Apparently very idiosyncratic
Review: After reading other reviews, I'm getting the impression that the publishing house slipped up and printed some unrelated work to send me. I am in the middle of this book and finding it very amusing. Other reviewers seem to be focusing on the struggles of the characters and I am thoroughly engaged by the humor I see. (The scene in the diner with Max, Miles and Jimmy made me laugh at least 3 times.) I was disappointed that we didn't learn more about Whiting men but that's OK.
Rating:
Summary: Sorely Disappointing
Review: I have read all Russo's novels. "The Risk Pool" is minor realist classic literature. "Nobody's Fool" and "Mowhawk" were very good, traditional mid-list reads, like the books of John Hassler. I ran out to buy his books in hardback. I thought "Straight Man," another mediocre academic novel, was an aberration-it wasn't. I wonder if he wrote the movie (or made-for-TV) script in tandem for "Empire Falls"? It is the weakest link. The main character's model was probably Charlie Brown. This novel is so dull it could have been concocted by a marketing team, except that even a marketing team would have insisted on better editing to hasten the lumbering prose in the first two-thirds of the book. I feel personally betrayed by Russo; so few write convincingly about working class people. But he's another brand name now and can continue to write dull fare and make money. For what it's worth, he's off this reader's list.
Rating:
Summary: Fredicio's Review
Review: Based on my thorough enjoyment of Straight Man, I bought Empire Falls. Although not as funny as Straight Man, I found Empire Falls, a more compelling book. There is virtually no sex, violence or for that matter action in this book. However, Russo's ability to develop a character to a point where each person in the book seems like a personal acquaintance of the reader is truly remarkable. Although I am not sure any of the characters are truly admirable, they are all very human to a fault. Bringing the entire story together as Russo does, caught me by surprise but was very pleased with the results. From my prospective, Russo's writing ability is truly fantastic. If you looking for a meaty book that you will not want to end, Empire Falls is for you.
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