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Nobody's Fool
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
111 posts | 74 read | 3 reading | 56 to read
Richard Russo's slyly funny and moving novel follows the unexpected operation of grace in a deadbeat town in upstate New Yorkand in the life of one of its unluckiest citizens, Sully, who has been doing the wrong thing triumphantly for fifty years. Divorced from his own wife and carrying on halfheartedly with another man's, saddled with a bum knee and friends who make enemies redundant, Sully now has one new problem to cope with: a long-estranged son who is in imminent danger of following in his father's footsteps. With its sly and uproarious humor and a heart that embraces humanity's follies as well as its triumphs, Nobody's Fool is storytelling at its most generous.
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Bookzombie
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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#12Booksof2023 #December

This book had a lot to live up to, because I love the movie with Paul Newman. We watch it every year sometime on or after Thanksgiving. Thankfully I loved it. It added depth to the characters in the movie and introduces more that are not in the movie. This is also a husband pick as he read it first. He is currently reading the second book and third one arrived today.

Reggie I haven‘t read this one but I‘ve read his Straight Man and it‘s hilarious. 3mo
Bookzombie @Reggie This one has funny moments. The residents of North Bath are unique and that leads to hilarity sometimes. They also have a lot of issues. Since I have seen the movie so many times, the characters were the actors in my head but I think the casting fit. 3mo
Andrew65 Thanks for playing long, a great way to review 2023. See you for #12Booksof2024 on Christmas Day. 3mo
Bookzombie @Andrew65 Thanks for hosting! 3mo
Andrew65 @Bookzombie Love hosting this. 3mo
28 likes5 comments
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Minervasbutler
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick


The protagonist of this gently comic tale of small-town America is Donald Sullivan, aka Sully. Sixty years old, divorced, with a dodgy knee, Sully keeps himself in beer money with a string of odd jobs and harmless cons. Not an awful lot happens and at 550 pages some readers might chafe at the leisurely pace of the storytelling, but it's the creation of wonderfully human and believable characters that Russo excels.

jlhammar Great book! Love Richard Russo. 2y
51 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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IamIamIam
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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I love Richard Russo, I really do... I'm enjoying this book a lot also. But lordamercy, this man is repetitive and verbose! In the same paragraph, he's rewording the same sentence 3 times... I'm not sure if I'm reading a story or studying for the SATs and a reading comprehension test all at once!!!!
#chuggingalong #bookspin

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IamIamIam
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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I'll forgive you because I love you, Richard Russo, but just know that I'm disappointed in both you and your editor... my Disney heart can't take it!!! 🤣🤣🤣

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Good catch!! 3y
29 likes1 comment
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IamIamIam
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Road tripping to the campgrounds today & brought this along from the #June #bookspin to hopefully make some progress! Lol, been a busy summer. 😄 Sully has a real Hank Deveraux feel, which isn't awful because he's one of my favorite literary characters! #RichardRusso

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MrBook
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Today‘s author spotlight: Richard Russo! The 70-year-old was born in Johnstown, NY. He received a bachelors, an MFA, and then a Doctorate in Philosophy, all at the University of Arizona. He co-wrote the script for the 1998 film “Twilight”. He‘s been a married man for 30 years. He now lives in Portland, Maine, wintering in Boston. He‘s said that it takes him a decade to come up with a short story collection. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

kspenmoll Thanks for these!!! 5y
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BlueMonday42
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

I wish I was better at putting down my phone when I‘m reading a book like this. Richard Russo‘s talent for writing memorable people in small struggling towns is again on display here with Donald “Sully” Sullivan, the unluckiest man in North Bath, New York. He‘s good at taking no BS but just can‘t seem to stop himself from making all the wrong choices. He‘s the most memorable character I‘ve met this year.

Sweettartlaura If you haven‘t seen it, this was a pretty good movie. 5y
BlueMonday42 @Sweettartlaura I haven‘t, but being that Paul Newman was in it, it can‘t be bad. 5y
13 likes2 comments
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Melkyl
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

Richard Russo is so good at creating characters. The people in Nobody‘s Fool seem so real that I felt as if I know them in my actual life...like I could meet them at the coffee shop once I put the book down. They are complicated with both good and bad qualities, just like those we know in our own lives. While reading, I imagined the main character, Sully, as Ed Harris. I really enjoyed this book that has been on my #TBR for far too long.

DocBrown Sully will forever be Paul Newman in my mind. 5y
ValerieAndBooks I have one of his others in my TBR which I really should get to! 5y
Melkyl @mdhughes72 Yes! Paul Newman is perfect. 5y
Melkyl @ValerieAndBooks I loved Empire Falls! 5y
Melkyl @mdhughes72 I see that Paul Newman did play Sully in the movie version of this book. I did not know that. I just put the movie on my watch list - thanks! 5y
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Ncostell
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

Finished up Nobody‘s Fool this afternoon after work outside on the porch because the weather is so beautiful. I loved Russo‘s Empire Falls maybe a bit more than this one but still really enjoyed this as well. The dialogue is so quick and funny that I often reread many passages. I want to check out the movie as I haven‘t seen it yet. Sully is a character I won‘t soon forget and I look forward to reading Everybody‘s Fool.

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erzascarletbookgasm
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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I‘ve not read any of his books but have been told he‘s a shrewd observer of human nature and nobody writes small town life with insight and wit like Russo.
#marchintothe70s #wontgetfooledagain

Cathythoughts Sounds very interesting... must investigate 5y
DocBrown Big fan. 5y
Cinfhen I‘ve heard the same and so nice to see you back... 5y
Lizpixie I‘ll have to check it out👍 5y
73 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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AmandaL
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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From the large library pile of books I may read this month, this story takes place in upstate #NewYork. #aprella @Mdargusch @Reviewsbylola @emilyhaldi @Cinfhen

Reviewsbylola This is one of those books I‘ve been meaning to read! 6y
AmandaL @Reviewsbylola Same here! Maybe this is the month. 😂 6y
Mdargusch Sounds good! 6y
emilyhaldi I love any stories involving cranky old men 😆 6y
Cinfhen This is meant to be excellent 😇 6y
71 likes5 comments
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Lauren.Archer
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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OMG...I loved this book and I might love the movie just a little more. I am not sure that is possible.

Bookzombie I haven‘t read the book yet but my husband and I love this one. Plus, Paul Newman. 🙂 6y
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DocBrown
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

Okay, so this book was a lot of fun, but it was so freaking long! Took me a couple months to get through the audio as I️ read along. And I️ love an irascible curmudgeon as much as the next person, but seriously — how many stories have to be about older white guys who just skate along through life on their wits and charm? Now I‘m wondering if it‘s worth it to read the sequel. Can anyone weigh in on Everybody‘s Fool?

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eedevore
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

I'm going to miss the citizens of Bath now that I'm done with this one. Full of delightful, dysfunctional, lovable, memorable, infuriating characters.

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eedevore
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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I feel so connected to Miss Beryl these days.

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eedevore
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Some of us are better at relaxing with a book than others.

britt_brooke 😍😍😍 7y
4 likes1 comment
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readingallthetime
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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A bucket list author. He's from Maine , I'm from Maine. Starting tonight. It's free from my library.

readingallthetime It's slooooooooooowwwww going. 7y
readingallthetime I may set this aside. Perhaps the audio book will be a better choice. 7y
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Freefallinmissy
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Not a boy but the prompt #ameircanboy made me think of Sully :-) one of my all time fav characters and I love the setting of this book.

Cinfhen I need to read this author already... I hear he writes small town America so well! 7y
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Freefallinmissy
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
Pickpick

I love sully !!!!

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JenP
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

I've had a signed copy of the sequel sitting on my nightstand for a long time so figured it was time to read this one first. I really enjoyed it. Sully, the main character can be a bit of a jerk but he's still pretty lovable. Funny and wonderfully evocative of a very specific time and place. This novel is as much about this failing town with colorful residents as it is about its main character and his life

Cinfhen Nice review💕 7y
37 likes1 comment
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mkinney10
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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So many great quotes, but especially love this one!

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mkinney10
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Laughing out loud on this one! It's a great read if you're looking for something on the lighter side. Loving the characters!

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Curley_Bender
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Pickpick

Kind of perfect that I finished this book on a day with unexpected snowfall, seeing as how the book's protagonist expended so many misspent thoughts hoping for snow that stubbornly refused to fall. This book didn't grab me like Russo's "Empire Falls" or "Straight Man", but I enjoyed its many pleasures nonetheless.

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Jerdencon
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Loved empire falls and heard good things about the sequel to this one but need to read in order first! #lovebookseries

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amycollard
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
Pickpick

Forgot to take a picture of this before I had to return it to the library! I really enjoyed this, my first time reading Richard Russo. Definitely feel like it was written in the 80's - some of it doesn't age so well (the way the characters treat women, use of the "n" word, etc). But I loved getting to know these characters from the small town of North Bath, NY and Sully, the problematic but somehow still lovable main character.

mkinney10 I'm about half way through and am really enjoying Sully and the other characters! 7y
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Sully, a perpetually down-on-his-luck 60-year-old loser in small-town NY, has spent his life evading responsibility, nursing grudges, and perfecting witty, passive-aggressive comebacks to all. The repartee is often hilarious; the sexism and racism is unforgivable in a 1993 novel.

I am thankful for the many reading choices now, beyond such narrow, angry, too-often-hateful stories offered up by straight white male writers of a certain generation.

shawnmooney My full, slightly more nuanced review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1654008468 7y
Chessa Whoo boy, taking that one off my TBR! Thanks for saving me the time and trouble! 7y
Notafraidofwords @Chessa totally second that! 7y
Hobbinol 🙁too bad. 7y
37 likes4 comments
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JodyS
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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I had so much fun at the annual book sale today 😄📚

Dragon Middlesex 👍 7y
LeahBergen Nice! 7y
KimSG Nice haul! I love Russo! 7y
kspenmoll Great picks! 7y
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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Smrloomis 😂that's pretty darn funny! 8y
Marchpane 😂😂😂 8y
Bookzombie 😂 8y
See All 8 Comments
shawnmooney @Smrloomis @Marchpane @Bookzombie Miss Beryl is hands down my favorite character in the novel! 8y
Bookzombie @shawnmooney My husband and I love this movie. I really need to bump the book up on my TBR. 8y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Hahahaha!! 8y
Nebklvr I already love her... 8y
shawnmooney @Bookzombie I haven't seen the movie and very much want to once I've finished the book! 8y
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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LeahBergen 😝 8y
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo

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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I must get my hands on this book soon. 8y
shawnmooney @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled.com I'm quite enjoying it, but struggling a bit with the anger and the sarcasm beneath the protagonist's humor; it'll be a hit if he - Sully - actually develops as a character by the end. 8y
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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shawnmooney
Nobody's Fool | Richard Russo
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This excerpt probably doesn't make much sense out of context but I just had to share it because I am in love with the retort "How do you like them apples?" and the word "discombobulated."