'The Risk Pool' by Richard Russo is a coming-of-age story set in a small town in upstate New York. It follows Ned Hall as he navigates his tumultuous family dynamics, primarily with his flawed father, Sam Hall. The novel captures the essence of life in a town past its prime, depicting the struggles and relationships of its inhabitants. Russo's writing style intricately weaves together humor and sadness, offering a poignant portrayal of human experiences and the complexities of family relationships.

Characters:

Characters are deeply nuanced, depicting a range of flawed yet relatable individuals, particularly emphasizing the complexities of the father-son relationship.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by lyrical prose, engaging dialogue, and a balance of humor and poignancy, capturing the rhythms of human interaction.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative revolves around complex family relationships, particularly between a son and his alcoholic father, showcasing a nuanced coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of small-town life.

Setting:

The setting features a small, rust belt town in upstate New York during the mid-20th century, influencing the characters' lives.

Pacing:

While the pacing occasionally lags in the middle, the overall flow remains engaging, driven more by character development than plot intricacies.

My father, unlike so many of the men he served with, knew just what he wanted to do when the war was over. He wanted to drink and whore and play the horses. “He’ll get tired of it,” my mother said con...

Notes:

The book is set in a small, forgotten town in upstate New York.

Ned Hall, the protagonist, struggles with his family's issues as he grows up.

Sam Hall, Ned's father, is depicted as an alcoholic with a complicated character.

The novel explores the challenging father-son relationship between Ned and Sam.

Russo is praised for his skill in writing human dialogue and character interactions.

The story highlights themes of survival and resilience in less-than-ideal circumstances.

It captures the universal struggle of dealing with family while trying to forge one's own path.

Some readers describe the book as bittersweet and humorous, combining tragedy with comedy.

The narrative is character-driven, featuring a cast of quirky individuals.

Readers note that the book has memorable characters and beautifully written prose.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

There are content warnings for themes of alcoholism, depression, and familial dysfunction.

From The Publisher:

A wonderfully funny, perceptive novel The Risk Pool is set in Mohawk, New York, where Ned Hall is doing his best to grow up, even though neither of his estranged parents can properly be called adult.

His father, Sam, cultivates bad habits so assiduously that he is stuck at the bottom of his auto insurance risk pool. His mother, Jenny, is slowly going crazy from resentment at a husband who refuses either to stay or to stay away. As Ned veers between allegiances to these grossly inadequate role models, Richard Russo gives us a book that overflows with outsized characters and outlandish predicaments and whose vision of family is at once irreverent and unexpectedly moving.

In the traditions of Thornton Wilder and Anne Tyler, The Risk Pool was hailed by The New York Times as "…superbly original and maliciously funny. Russo proves himself a master at evoking the sights, feelings, and smells of a town."

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About the Author:

Richard Russo is the author of eight novels, most recently Everybody's Fool and That Old Cape Magic; two collections of stories; and the memoir Elsewhere. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which like Nobody's Fool was…

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The Risk Pool

Richard Russo