Richard Russo won the National Book Award for his novel “Empire Falls”, which takes place in a small town and focuses on small-town life.  I read the novel and liked it, so tried out the mini-series, which truthfully put me to sleep before I even got to the second DVD. The acclaimed novelist also wrote “Nobody’s Fool”, which was made into a great film starring Paul Newman. Though Richard Russo didn’t receive any recognition for “Nobody’s Fool”, I appreciated it much more than any of his other works, including “Empire Falls”.

First off, the characters in “Nobody’s Fool” truly resemble those in small towns; Russo doesn’t relegate them to mere caricatures of what he imagines someone living in a small town is like, nor does he glamorize small time life or the problems that usually come with living in a single town your whole life.  The main character, Sully, is seen as a down on his luck man nearly old age who has never been much of a father to his adult son and barely knows what to do when confronted with his two grandsons in person, and the people around him seem real.

Despite his problems which stem from a bum leg and a taste for beer, Sully remains a good guy throughout the book. Although he is definitely not the most revered person in town, he gets by with his carpentry and his sense of humor, which makes the people around him feel good. Sully doesn’t really have any close relationships- this obviously makes it easier for him to skate through life despite his bad luck.

Another reason I liked “Nobody’s Fool” is that Russo keeps the scope of the novel small- he strictly focuses on the events surrounding Sully, his family, and those close to him. I preferred this style to “Empire Falls” or the book I’m reading now “Bridge of Sighs” (also by Russo) because it’s more down to earth in tone- despite the fact that there aren't that many plot movements of major significance in “Nobody’s Fool”, Russo kept my interest with his clear writing, genuine-sounding dialog between the characters, and the steady stream of humor throughout the book.

It’s also one of the few film adaptations that can stand up to the original; not only was the script great, casting Paul Newman as Sully was a stroke of genius.