Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Bridge of Sighs
Book Review: COMES UP SHORT
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a big fan of this author (Nobody's Fool, Straight Man & Empire Falls). An expert story teller, Russo's books usually take place in upstate New York, (Straight Man's locale is in Western Pennsylvania), away from the hustle and bustle of city life. His protagonists are idiosyncratic or quirky underachievers, male and very likeable - usually in a rascally sort of way.
The supporting casts are the protagonists' families; wives and girlfriends who are constantly shaking their heads, but in the end very understanding of their man's foibles. And Russo has a fascination with generations - fathers, sons, grandfathers. His portrayals are compassionate and humorous and at times laugh out loud funny. In my humble opinion Russo's are very good books.
Bridge of Sighs is all of this except for the humor - the protagonist(s) - again a father, son, grandson trio - aren't rascals or hell raisers, they are mopes. And at times passive aggressive mopes. This doesn't mean Bridge of Sighs is a bad book, it's very well written, so well-written - and so real - that living with these mopes makes for some depressing reading. If they're not being taken advantage of or being picked on, they're simply not facing up to reality. Their wives are constantly shaking their heads and may understand their husbands' behavior but they definitely don't like it. The narration of these "can't win" situations is at times over-long which again makes for some tough reading. All this is very different from Russo's earlier books. If you are new to this author Bridge of Sighs is not the place to start because of the atypical somber mood. If you are a fan of Russo, be prepared - there aren't many chuckles in this book.
Book Review: Changes Course to an Unsatisfying End
Summary: 3 Stars
I love Richard Russo's books. "Nobody's Fool" is my favorite. So, I was thrilled to buy his new book and dig in. I read the entire book in just three days and, for the most part, loved it.
However, I have to agree with "Cat." I was completely engrossed in the relationships between Lou, Sarah, Bobby, and the others at Ikey's. But when Russo spinned off course and told us things from Sarah's point of view, I stopped caring. When I finished the book, I thought, "So what?" Something definitely shifted about 3/4 of the way through the writing.
Book Review: Coming-of-age story for retirees
Summary: 4 Stars
I have yet to read anything of Richard Russo's that I dislike. There are some things I like better than others: Straight Man, in my opinion, is a near-perfect depiction of academe. This book is one that I didn't fall in love with immediately. I had to sink into the characters and figure out if I really liked them or not. I loved that there was so much detail about their lives and their histories, and as usual, there are flawed characters who don't do what we readers expect them to do. In the end, I only fell in love with this after talking it over with an older (read in her mid-60s) friend who said it resonated so well with her because she was at a point in her life when she was reviewing all of her life choices and accepting her life for what it is. I'm not at that point just yet in my life, but this is well written with depth of characterization that is often missing in other stories.
I highly recommend this. Now go read Straight Man, too :o).
Book Review: Complex and fascinating character study
Summary: 4 Stars
Lou Lynch and his family have always lived in Thomaston, New York, a small town in which the local tannery pollutes the river and then goes out of business, thus depriving many of the town's citizens of a decent living. The book is a chronicle of Lou's life, including his friendship with Bobby, the son of a cruel bully, a traumatic early life experience, and his meeting and courtship of Sarah, a girl from a dysfunctional family. The characters are finely drawn and Richard Russo again proves to be a master storyteller, weaving his characters' lives together in a complex and sometimes disturbing way. The book touches on issues of class and race distinctions, with the town of Thomaston being rigidly divided in both cases. It is populated by characters who are optimists and pessimists, and those who are passive and proactive. These characters interact and sometimes collide in a chilling way. Good times give way to bad times as the cycle of life continues in the small town. At times I was grateful for the length of the book, enjoying it like a fine meal and hoping it would never end,and at other times I despaired that it never WOULD end. Russo inserts bits of philosophy throughout the book and seems to sum it up when he writes, "there is, despite our wild imaginings, only one life...The one life we're left with is sufficient to fill and refill our imperfect hearts with joy, and then to shatter them. And it never, ever lets up."Book Review: Damned Near A Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Perhaps my soul craved an epic, but seeing 1 star beside Bridge of Sighs propelled me to write my first review ever. As an avid reader, this book just knocked me out. My first Russo, also. The lead character is not vapid, as one reviewer wrote. Lou (Lucy)is just a humble, simple man who knows what he loves and loves what he knows. The rest of the cast shined to me as well. Russo, in my mind, has managed to capture all of us in each of them. Small town life is painted as masterfully and seamlessly as I have ever read. Love, hardship, wrong choices,right choices, and despair were as real and believable as our own lives.
Every page had gorgeous language which I adore (and covet!) The story will stay with me a long time. I recommend it highly. While it is long, and it may seem like nothing happens for awhile, this is where the writing will come in and sweep you up. It's just sublime. Russo has written a gem.