Empire Falls, Richard Russo
Empire Falls, Richard Russo
11 Rating(s)
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Empire Falls

Author: Richard Russo

Narrator: Ron McLarty

Unabridged: 18 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/11/2011


Synopsis

Richard Russo—from his first novel, Mohawk, to his most recent, Straight Man—has demonstrated a peerless affinity for the human tragicomedy, and with this stunning new novel he extends even further his claims on the small-town, blue-collar heart of the country.

Dexter County, Maine, and specifically the town of Empire Falls, has seen better days, and for decades, in fact, only a succession from bad to worse. One by one, its logging and textile enterprises have gone belly-up, and the once vast holdings of the Whiting clan (presided over by the last scion’s widow) now mostly amount to decrepit real estate. The working classes, meanwhile, continue to eke out whatever meager promise isn’t already boarded up.

Miles Roby gazes over this ruined kingdom from the Empire Grill, an opportunity of his youth that has become the albatross of his daily and future life. Called back from college and set to work by family obligations—his mother ailing, his father a loose cannon—Miles never left home again. Even so, his own obligations are manifold: a pending divorce; a troubled younger brother; and, not least, a peculiar partnership in the failing grill with none other than Mrs. Whiting. All of these, though, are offset by his daughter, Tick, whom he guides gently and proudly through the tribulations of adolescence.

A decent man encircled by history and dreams, by echoing churches and abandoned mills, by the comforts and feuds provided by lifelong friends and neighbors, Miles is also a patient, knowing guide to the rich, hardscrabble nature of Empire Falls: fathers and sons and daughters, living and dead, rich and poor alike. Shot through with the mysteries of generations and the shattering visitations of the nation at large, it is a social novel of panoramic ambition, yet at the same time achingly personal. In the end, Empire Falls reveals our worst and best instincts, both our most appalling nightmares and our simplest hopes, with all the vision, grace and humanity of truly epic storytelling.

About The Author

Richard Russo lives in coastal Maine with his wife and their two daughters. His novels Mohawk, The Risk Pool, Nobody’s Fool and Straight Man are available in Vintage paperback.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Katrina on 2008-12-10 22:44:12

Empire Falls was a very enjoyable book. It was written with compassion, great character development, an interesting story, and humor. I could see the settings of the diner, the gazebo, and other places discussed in the book in my minds eye. The protagonist was sympathetic without being too perfect. Rather, his humanity was clearly revealed through the delicate exposure of his flaws. I highly recommend it. Don't let the cover with pictures of actors and a claim of a TV show about this dissuade you.

Goodreads review by Jim on July 12, 2021

I suspect that most people reading this review do NOT live in the hometown where they were born. You didn’t marry your high school sweetheart and/or, going on forty, you’re not still secretly in love with an old sweetheart who still lives in town. You don’t live in a couple of sleazy rooms above the......more

Goodreads review by Candi on August 05, 2017

"Lives are rivers. We imagine we can direct their paths, though in the end there’s but one destination, and we end up being true to ourselves only because we have no choice. People speak of selfishness, but that’s another folly, because of course there’s no such thing." I’ve been pondering this quote......more

Goodreads review by David on December 27, 2019

I came to this book in a unique way. I read that Paul Newman had read this book and called Richard Russo and said, "I want to do this movie." I've always loved Paul Newman and respected his opinion. I picked up the book and loved it. The book clicks along as a character story until the end where it......more

Goodreads review by Arah-Lynda on February 07, 2017

The small Maine town of Empire Falls has seen better days.  The local and once booming timber and textile industries have run their course and all that remains is the abandoned and decrepit real estate of what once was.   The blue collar workers of this small New England community struggle to find th......more

Goodreads review by Matt on August 04, 2023

In this past year of reading I’ve found it easy to get through a book quickly, decide whether I enjoyed it or not, and move on to the next book in the infinite pile. Most books I’ll read in a week or so, and I approach my leisure time in a workman-like manner: it is relaxation time, but it also foll......more


Quotes

"In a warmhearted novel of sweeping scope.... Russo follows up his rollicking academic satire, Straight Man (1997), with a return to the blue-collar melieu featured in his first three novels and once again shows an unerring sense of the rhythms of small-town life, balancing his irreverent, mocking humor with unending empathy for his characters and their foibles"–Booklist


Awards

  • Pulitzer Prize (Fiction)