Bridge of Sighs

Does not compare to Empire Falls and really has nothing to do with Venice and the Venetian Bridge of Sighs. It is really heavy on male adolescent development and issues. I had to start skipping large sections and speed reading to finish the book. Read Empire Falls instead.

I love Richard Russo's books. I'm from upstate NY and I love all of his characters. They are so real. Can't put his books down.

Ask what "Bridge of Sighs" is about and you're confronted with a myriad of potential answers. It's about life in a small town you say, or perhaps the pursuit of the American dream. Maybe it's really about realism versus idealism, or family dynamics, or the class, racial and economic division within a community. Truth be told it's about all of these, but ultimately it's a story of despair and unresolved emotional attachments. Richard Russo has liberally peppered his narrative with fascinating characters, and taken a perceptive look at the anxieties, doubts and situations experienced in youth that are the stone from which the identity of each character is carved. We have our protagonist Lou (Lucy) Lynch filled with naïve idealism and ever present optimism, a trait that he inherited from his father. Tessa, his mother, is the unfaltering realist with a pragmatic approach to living life. Tommy Marconi (Noonan) - is a man Lucy considers to be his friend.....a man who uses his artistic talent as an outlet for his rage and for who control is a requisite for living. Other characters, wives, lovers, parents, sons, and friends are intricately woven through this multi-faceted story creating depth and adding dimension to a tale that, like Russo's Empire Falls, can barely be contained between the covers of this novel. Bridge of Sighs makes one unmistakable point----- we are all an amalgamation of the parental input, life experiences and insights that have brought us to a metaphorical bridge. We can choose to cross the proffered bridge or fall into the chasm of memories (some of which may be clouded by time and age).

I don't think that anyone could dispute that there are countless advantages to achieving literary success, but the flip side of that coin is that that there are disadvantages as well, some of which are born of those aforementioned perks. Winning a prestigious award like, say, the Pulitzer Prize, which Richard Russo did in 2002 for his previous novel, Empire Falls, gives an author freedom to explore the range of their talents without the interference of an editor. This is a blessing, no doubt, but can also be a hindrance for a writer like Russo, who has a tendency to get so caught up in his lush storytelling that it may come across as endless rambling to the casual reader. That he actually has a firm grasp on the plot no longer matters, because that impatient reader will already be lost to the story. And that's quite a shame when it comes to "Bridge of Sighs" since it's actually quite a good novel despite the fact that a good editor could have pruned some passages here and tightened a few plot-points there. The first hundred pages in particular are a little slow, but stick with it. Russo is one of the best storytellers in current fiction, and trusting him a little will be well worth the early effort. After winning the Pulitzer Prize Russo took a gamble on a different format with a short story collection entitled The Whore's Child: Stories, which was an unfortunate misfire for him, an author who truly shines when he sticks to what he knows best, and in that regard "Sighs" is a glorious return to form. What Russo really understands are middle-aged characters (especially men) with seemingly simple ambitions and quiet lifestyles - in short, the average American citizen. Like Marilynn Robinson (another Pulitzer winner, she for her novel Gilead: A Novel), his talents lie in making ordinary lives extraordinary. He did it for Miles Roby, the college dropout and proprietor of the Empire Grill in "Empire Falls," and he does it again for Lou `Lucy' Lynch, the college dropout and owner of Ikey Lubins Corner Market at the epicenter of "Sighs" (you probably noticed how similar those character descriptions sound, but don't be fooled - Russo is an expert at playing off the tried-and-true without making it feel redundant for a second). What "Sighs" is ostensibly about is the relationship between Lynch and Robert Noonan, his childhood friend who is now a successful artist living in Venice while Lynch remains (stagnates?) in their old hometown of Thomaston, NY. The two men are polar opposites: Lynch timid and needy, prone to `spells' when he feels stressed and can't handle it, Noonan aggressive and independent, prone to lashing out with his fists when someone tries to cross him; Lynch comfortable living in the past and fearing tomorrow while Noonan actively tries to escape his past and runs headlong into the future. Their dueling narratives flesh out the complexities of their on-and-off friendship, culminating with their recollections of their fateful s

Richard Russo is one of a half-dozen authors whose books I buy sight unseen. I have laughed and cried reading his novels, especially my favorite, Nobody's Fool, but also the chilling Empire Falls and the burlesque Straight Man. So I was delighted to get yet another novel from an author who doesn't write as much as I'd like, and it's a big meaty one. As one of the other reviewers pointed out, you want your favorite authors' books to be like his or her other books, but you want them to be different. And Bridge of Sighs is about as different as possible from Russo's other books, yet at the same time his depth of character, humanism and touching details are ever-present. The story tells the tale of Lou C. Lynch (nicknamed Lucy), and his relationship with his family, his only friend, and eventually his girlfriend who will later become his wife. It's vintage Russo in his characterization and portrayal of small-town America, a tiny slice of life of a small town in upstate New York. This is what's called a "character-driven novel", where the plot itself is dependent on the characters and their actions, and that explains why some reviewers found the book "slow" or "wordy". Russo weaves a tapestry of the events in his characters' lives, their feelings, and their thoughts. I won't deny that I was a bit thrown by this book after a while. But I trusted Russo to bring this story to a moving conclusion, and had tears in my eyes during the final chapter. If you don't have patience to read a true stylist and, in my opinion, on of America's finest character authors, you'd best avoid this book. But if you are willing to give yourself up to Russo's world for more than 500 pages, you'll be much the richer. As always, Russo gives a great story, with moving, real people in events that you can imagine occurring to you. A great read indeed.

Russo seems to be one of the last truly American writers. A Norman Rockwell painting with a distinct and necessary twist. And I was anxious to get my hands on his latest. After EMPIRE FALLS, six years seemed a long wait. Following along the lines of Russo's signature offerings, we have Smalltown America, the deterioration of a lifestyle, and middle aged people coming to terms. Except these middle-agers were the young people back in the forever-young, don't-trust-anyone-over-30 `60s. And I think this shadow of declining youth and a sagging industry town that once bustled with prosperity gives this novel its melancholy feel. Nonethless, it's enjoyable reading, not to forget the droll touches that are so uniquely Russo. One important aspect, as in Russo's previous work, is the interplay between father and son. These touches and more all make for a solid read, but I have to say, I don't believe it's Russo's best.(I so much prefer EMPIRE FALLS and NOBODY'S FOOL).

Russo once said: "When a favorite author of mine comes out with a new book, I always hope for two contradictory things: first, I hope it's like all the other books of his or hers that I love, and second, I hope he's not going to repeat himself. Sure, it's a paradox, but I suspect I'm not alone in my desires." Bridge of Sighs is exactly that--a great book that'll feel both familiar and fresh to Russo readers. I'm a long-time fan of his books and Bridge of Sighs is everything I hoped it would be; it's also a book I'd press on anyone who hasn't read his previous work. Highly recommended.