SOMEBODY’S FOOL, by Richard RussoWelcome back to North Bath, scrappy sibling to the larger, wealthier Schuyler Springs, down the road in woodsy upstate New York.
While Schuyler Springs is famous for wine bars, pricey restaurants and a racetrack, North Bath (or “Bath”) prides itself on a rustic vibe, greasy spoons and scrapyards and grand Victorian fixer-uppers.
Set over three days in February 2010, the novel opens with a bleak snapshot: The recession has wreaked havoc on local businesses and families.
Russo reprises the cast from “Nobody’s Fool” (1993) and “Everybody’s Fool” (2016), framing their foibles as social comedy in the mode of Charles Portis or Charles Dickens.
(There’s an allusion to “Great Expectations.”) As with both authors, tumult brews beneath sunny surfaces.
Persons:
Richard Russo, scrappy, Schuyler, Richard Russo’s, “, Donald “ Sully ” Sullivan, Sully’s, Peter, Ruth, Russo, Charles Portis, Charles Dickens
Locations:
North Bath, Schuyler Springs, woodsy, New York, Bath