Straight Man
by Richard Russo
Rating:
After reading Straight Man, I’m left wondering why Richard Russo decided that a university English department would be so interesting to the reading public. And that’s coming from an English Major!
I read Straight Man for my book club and I attended our monthly meeting wondering what my friends would say. They said, “Read Empire Falls. Then you will understand why Russo is so good.” I did and I do, but Straight Man is not a book I would read twice.
Despite this comment, I thought the writing was very good, and Hank Devereaux’s sarcasm and fresh-talk is amusing and easy to read. But the characters and story-line are so crazily far-fetched, goose included, that I could not fit them into the setting and plot. That bothered me. I’m thinking maybe the joke is on me, however, for not giving into this ridiculous story.
Book Club Mom 
You must be logged in to post a comment.