Empire Falls Audiobook By Richard Russo cover art

Empire Falls

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Empire Falls

By: Richard Russo
Narrated by: Ron McLarty
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Richard Russo—from his first novel, Mohawk, to his most recent, Straight Man—has demonstrated a peerless affinity for the human tragicomedy, and with this stunning new novel he extends even further his claims on the small-town, blue-collar heart of the country.

Dexter County, Maine, and specifically the town of Empire Falls, has seen better days, and for decades, in fact, only a succession from bad to worse. One by one, its logging and textile enterprises have gone belly-up, and the once vast holdings of the Whiting clan (presided over by the last scion’s widow) now mostly amount to decrepit real estate. The working classes, meanwhile, continue to eke out whatever meager promise isn’t already boarded up.

Miles Roby gazes over this ruined kingdom from the Empire Grill, an opportunity of his youth that has become the albatross of his daily and future life. Called back from college and set to work by family obligations—his mother ailing, his father a loose cannon—Miles never left home again. Even so, his own obligations are manifold: a pending divorce; a troubled younger brother; and, not least, a peculiar partnership in the failing grill with none other than Mrs. Whiting. All of these, though, are offset by his daughter, Tick, whom he guides gently and proudly through the tribulations of adolescence.

A decent man encircled by history and dreams, by echoing churches and abandoned mills, by the comforts and feuds provided by lifelong friends and neighbors, Miles is also a patient, knowing guide to the rich, hardscrabble nature of Empire Falls: fathers and sons and daughters, living and dead, rich and poor alike. Shot through with the mysteries of generations and the shattering visitations of the nation at large, it is a social novel of panoramic ambition, yet at the same time achingly personal. In the end, Empire Falls reveals our worst and best instincts, both our most appalling nightmares and our simplest hopes, with all the vision, grace and humanity of truly epic storytelling.

Accolades & Awards

Pulitzer Prize
2002
Family Life Pulitzer Prize Literary Fiction Fiction Psychological Genre Fiction Witty
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Critic reviews

"In a warmhearted novel of sweeping scope.... Russo follows up his rollicking academic satire, Straight Man (1997), with a return to the blue-collar melieu featured in his first three novels and once again shows an unerring sense of the rhythms of small-town life, balancing his irreverent, mocking humor with unending empathy for his characters and their foibles"–Booklist
Complex Characters • Rich Storytelling • Interwoven Family Stories • Compelling Plot Twists • Vivid Small-town Setting

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Russo has a style of his own, & it's awesome. Great job by the narrator who does a cpl other of Russo's books, my favorite, "Nobody's Fool". If you haven't read/heard it yet, & you like this one, Nobody's Fool, (followed by Everybody's Fool), even better. I now have three of my favorites, by Richard Russo, Empire Falls, another great story in another small town USA.

GREAT story. GREAT audio.

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Exquisite storytelling. Thoroughly engaging. Character and plot evelopment at it's finest. Hailing from a similar small town in Maine, I found it remarkably true to the reality of the setting, both of place and people.

Empire Falls is delicious.

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For readers who like complex interwoven family stories, a realistic interpretation of humanity, and believable characters. Outstanding narrator (though he mispronunced some place names, maybe not a New Englander)

An absolute favorite

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This looked popular so I expected more than was delivered. I like Russo but prefer just about any of his other books over this. I never did acquire any interest in this book and couldn't wait for it to end.

Disappointed

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Miles Roby grew up in Empire Falls, Maine. He has seen the place transition from a thriving textile and lumber center to a city trapped in economic despair. The factories closed years ago, and those who remain have false hope that the industries, employment, and prosperous economy will return. Miles's mother hoped he would escape when she sent him away to college, but he dropped out and returned to care for her in the weeks before she died. That was long ago, and Miles is still here.

Richard Russo's 2001 novel "Empire Falls" is mostly Miles's story. But it is also the story of a city weathered by adversity and of the people who remained.

The title refers to the location where most of the story takes place, but it may also refer to the fall of an empire. The city itself is a fallen empire, and so is its founding family - The Whitings. Dowager Francine Whiting is currently the family matriarch who still holds much of the town's depressed property. She owns almost everything in the city, which leads her to assume that she also owns its residents. Francine is one of the story's villains - manipulating those around her and making life difficult for Miles.

The town has many dark secrets. Terrible fathers raise sons who grow up to be terrible fathers and husbands, abusing their wives and instilling poor values in their children, perpetuating a cycle that has continued for generations.

Miles attempts to break this cycle, despite being surrounded by mediocrity. His father is an unkempt slacker whose greatest talent is getting others to pay for his drinks and his annual trip to Key West. Miles's wife Janine has left him and plans to marry arrogant, dishonest Walt Comeau, primarily because sex with Walt is so much better than with Miles. Miles's daughter Tick is artistic and has a good heart but suffers from the angst of trying to fit in with the popular kids at her high school - particularly her ex-boyfriend Zack Minty. Zack is a star football player and a bully who reserves his worst torments for Tick's extremely introverted friend John Voss. Zack's father, Jimmy, is Miles's other antagonist. Jimmy - Miles's former high school classmate - is currently a policeman, lacking in wit and integrity. He insists that he and Miles were once friends, but Miles wants nothing to do with him. Miles perseveres, trying his best to lead a decent life.

The book introduces a lot of characters and a lot of character backstories. But this is necessary because these characters drive the story more than the plot.

The plot tends to move slowly until an unexpectedly violent climax at the end.

Russo fills in gaps with decades-old flashbacks, revealing the history of the families and the town and answering questions raised previously. Francine's husband, Charles Whiting, rejected the ruthlessness of his family's business practices and considered escaping from a loveless marriage; but he was too weak to succeed at either. He temporarily fled to Mexico before returning to Empire Falls and taking his own life.

"Empire Falls" raises questions about how much control we have over our lives. Do we accept the fate handed to us, or do we work to forge our own path? Miles is different from most of his narrow-minded neighbors; but he suffers from the same frailty - he lacks the courage to leave a dying town and begin his life again. It is not until the violent incident at the end that he begins to examine his life options.

This book paints an unflattering picture of American backwaters. But Russo tells the story well, and it resonated with me.

A poignant story about life in a depressed small t

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