Straight Man

Richard Russo

What is the story about? To be honest, I'm not too sure. This is the second Russo book I've read and they both seem to have the same characteristic - the characters just go on about their lives and things happen to them. They aren't driven to do specific things to drive the plot along, they just meander, things happen, the story carries on. In this book, the main character is William Henry Devereaux Jr, Hank, for short, a professor in a small-town college, current Chairman of the English Department. The story is written from his point of view and we follow him along as he interacts with his colleagues, his family, his friends. Hank is an engaging character, a rascal, someone who just likes to mess with things, get under people's skin, do the unexpected. And so we laugh along with him as he gently pokes fun at his colleagues, fumbles bemusedly through his relationships with his daughter, his mother, his father, and wonders where his life is headed. It's an enjoyable meander as we get to know the people in Hank's life through his eyes. Despite Hank's needling of them, he has a kindness and compassion in him that lets us see that every one of his characters has his flaws but they aren't arch-villains or monsters, just humans.

This story was very enjoyable, mainly because Russo seems to have great affection for his characters and he depicts them as real people, with everyday problems and flaws. And he manages to convey an optimistic sense of human nature. Definitely recommended.