This is what I'm reading right now.
Or this. Or rather a mix of them both, since the edition I have is neither of the ones featured above. Mine is actually a lot uglier. But it's a good book. Richard Russo has always been one of Jesper's guys. When our books met about ten years ago, there were new aquaintances to be made on both sides. I was happy to get closer to Paul Auster (Tom Wolfe not so much) and Jesper enjoyed being introduced to mr John Le Carré (Laura Ingalls Wilder not so much). Then there were all those perfectly interesting ones that you just didn't pick up. Jesper had lots of Men with him: Hemingway, Don DeLillo, Raymond Carver, Martin Amis... There was no end to the parade of Great Writers Who Happen To Be Men. And I got a little bored.
So mr Russo never stood a chance, until a couple of days ago when I really needed a good book and picked Empire Falls out among the hundreds of willing Men Who Write About Men. And it's a great read! I've laughed out loud on the subway a couple of times already. Or at least giggled. (There's a lot of flatulence in chapter one and I'm about as mature as my fiveyearold son when it comes to that.)
Empire Falls tells the story of Miles Roby, a fortysomething man too nice for his own good (he refers to himself as having a "natural propensity for shit-eating"). His wife Janine has recently left him for The Silver Fox, owner of the local gym, and discovered orgasms. His father walks around with food in his beard and the parish priest has lost it completely and screams "peckerhead" as soon as Miles enters the rectory. The light of his life, teenage daughter Tick, seems troubled beyond the usual puberty angst and his brother David keeps pushing Miles to get his life started. Highly entertaining, great dialogue, I warmly recommend it.
Leo would love this book. He gives in to anything New England. But how about you, what are you reading right now?
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4 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation, I love hearing about new books!
At the moment I am about to start a book called "Dawn Early Light", I think it's a political thriller, so nothing ground-moving. I chose it because unlike all the romantic comedies that I read, or the tear-jerker dramas, Brian might actually like this. I am going to read a bit to him over the weekend.
Empire Falls sounds great, thanks for the tip!
I'm currently reading All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre. He's such a fantastic writer, very dark and sometimes gruesome but always ab-so-lutely hilarious...
http://www.brookmyre.co.uk/books.htm
you have to start with the first and read them in order because there are some recurring characters ;)
thanks, always looking for a good book. I am a bit behind in my reading since I have been moving... hope to get back to it soon.
I found this book in a rented house in Maine a couple of years ago and read it right up. The ending will knock your socks off (like spring, kinda). When you're done reading, and you want some more, you can watch the movie (miniseries, maybe?) that was made with...actually, I won't tell you with who, because it will mess with your minds eye of the characters now. But if you fall in love with the story, like I did, go back for more with the movie.
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