Somebody's Fool

A Novel

By: Richard Russo

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and to the characters that captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers in his beloved best sellers Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool.

“Sumptuous, spirited . . . [Russo] paints a shining fresco of a working-class community...” —The New York Times • "Another instant classic, filled with Russo's witty dialogue and warm understanding of human foibles." —People Magazine

Ten years after the death of the magnetic Donald “Sully” Sullivan, the town of North Bath is going through a major transition as it is annexed by its much wealthier neighbor, Schuyler Springs. Peter, Sully’s son, is still grappling with his father’s tremendous legacy as well as his relationship to his own son, Thomas, wondering if he has been all that different a father than Sully was to him.

Meanwhile, the towns’ newly consolidated police department falls into the hands of Charice Bond, after the resignation of Doug Raymer, the former North Bath police chief and Charice’s ex-lover. When a decomposing body turns up in the abandoned hotel situated between the two towns, Charice and Raymer are drawn together again and forced to address their complicated attraction to one another. Across town, Ruth, Sully’s married ex-lover, and her daughter Janey struggle to understand Janey’s daughter, Tina, and her growing obsession with Peter’s other son, Will. Amidst the turmoil, the town’s residents speculate on the identity of the unidentified body, and wonder who among their number could have disappeared unnoticed.

Infused with all the wry humor and shrewd observations that Russo is known for, Somebody's Fool is another classic from a modern master.

©2023 Richard Russo (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Sumptuous, spirited . . . Regarding North Bath, Richard Russo saved his best for last . . . [Russo] paints a shining fresco of a working-class community, warts and all, a 30-year project come to fruition in this last, best book.” —The New York Times

“The ‘Fool’ books nail that small town vibe, where everybody thinks they know everybody’s else’s business, and more importantly, cares about what happens to their neighbors . . . Fans of the previous two novels will enjoy reconnecting with familiar characters, from Ruth and her daughter Janay and granddaughter Tina, to Doug Raymer, no longer North Bath’s police chief and he-hopes-still-his-girlfriend Charice.” –The Associated Press

“A wise and witty drama of small-town life . . . delivering the generous humor, keen ear for dialogue, and deep appreciation for humanity’s foibles that have endeared the author to his readers for decades. Though Sully is gone, his world is alive and well.” –Publishers Weekly

grand finale

A book that can make you laugh and cry is a treasure. Linger over this one, the end comes too soon.

Vintage Russo

Have long loved Russo’s books. His characters are so complex and richly drawn and his writing so beautiful. In this one, Russo jump cuts between one person’s interior monologue and another’s. The relationships between mothers and daughters and fathers and sons over several generations are so emotionally fragile yet inextricably intertwined. It’s heartbreaking and hopeful at the same. What to do when it seems there’s no good solution to a situation to quote the late Sully: “Then at least try SOMETHING, And, if that doesn’t work, try something else.” I love this book.

Russo, and Sully again

Russo, Sully, Peter, Rob - all back again - very enjoyable, well narrated. Another wonderful Russo book.

Nice "feel good" novel

This 3rd novel of the North Bath trilogy is so much like the second book - Everybody's Fool. In my review of that , I wrote that the first half was a 3 and the second half a 5. That is true with Somebody's Fool, too. With Sully dead from the start, and it being a long time since I had read the previous book, it took a while to remember the old characters and get to know the new ones as this book meandered through their interconnected lives. Eventually, I got all the characters straight, and by the halfway point, I started to care a lot about those people and their predicaments. There are three main story lines, one of them centered around Peter, Sully's son. In another, the focus is the merging of two towns and two police departments, and the relationship between one old chief and the new chief (a black woman). The third story about Ruth's daughter, a self-destructive party girl who runs the local diner, and her adult daughter who is on the spectrum and has taken over her father's junk shop business. There are so many great parts to this book, mostly in the second half. While the first half was slow, Russo is such a good writer that I still enjoyed being part of this world. Overall, I liked this 4.5 star book a lot. The narrator was perfect.

Old Friends

Listening to Somebody’s Fool felt like reuniting with old friends you may not have seen for awhile, but once together, it’s as if no time has passed and not a beat missed. Selfishly, I hope this is not the conclusion of the North Bath series, but if so, what a way to draw the curtains. Bravo, Mr. Russo…..

Another great Russo book

The characters are flawed and interesting and funny. The writing is tight. Terrific performance by the reader. I can’t wait for the next one.

All good

The character development is great, and this narrator does a fantastic job portraying them. The plot is full of interesting developments and lessons.

Oh My

How can I describe this talent? To make me like and then fall in love with characters I was sure I wouldn’t like. To shed tears over these same characters- I will take a break but I will listen again to this rich saga.

Perfect!

I couldn't love this book more. Richard Russo is a masterful storyteller and this book was worth the wait.

I did not want it to end

Wasn’t sure it would be as good as Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool without Sully but it was just as heartwarming. Love Richard Russo’s writing, he makes these flawed quirky people and the town of Bath seem real. Narrator was fantastic.