Nobody's Fool Paperback – April 12, 1994

**"Nobody's Fool"** by Richard Russo is a brilliant and engaging novel that delves into the life of Sully, a man navigating the challenges of middle age with a series of personal setbacks—divorced from his wife, grappling with a bum knee, and caught in a lackluster affair. His world is disrupted further when he must confront the estrangement from his son, who is at risk of following in Sully's troubled footsteps.Russo masterfully balances uproarious humor with poignant insights into the complexities of human relationships, creating a richly drawn portrayal of small-town life and the colorful characters that inhabit it. As Sully navigates his fraught relationships with friends and family, the narrative reveals the blend of folly and wisdom that characterizes the human experience. **"Nobody's Fool"** is not just a comedic tale; it's a deeply resonant exploration of second chances, personal growth, and the enduring bonds that shape our lives. This award-winning novel, which was also adapted into a film featuring prominent actors like Paul Newman and Bruce Willis, stands as a testament to Russo's generous storytelling and keen understanding of humanity.

I enjoy his books but isn't Toby pregnant by Carl at one point , sully says Carl gave hee clap three times and then Toby starts an affair with Peter. Pregnancy never mentioned again.Also in book one it's implied Toby is younger than peter, in later books shes older

I've probably owned this book for 10 years and it's remained on my shelf unread until I learned Russo released a sequel and THEN I had to read it. Why did I wait so long? It's wonderful.Nobody's Fool is Donald "Sully" Sullivan is a 60 year old unemployed construction worker. Sully is one of those guys who seems to be their own worst enemy, yet you feel for him as the story progresses. He's got a bad knee, an ex-wife and an adult son he's never really gotten to know. The couple separated when his son was very young.Set in rural North Bath, New York, this novel is full of small town charm and large as life characters who you really get to know. The dialogue made me laugh and the conversations seemed just as I'd imagine everyday people to be having. The people meet at the diner and secrets are hard to keep in a small town like this.Sully's son, Pete is going through a difficult time as well. His marriage is on the rocks and he has been denied tenure at the college where he teaches. He has two sometimes difficult young boys and, of course, the strained relationship with Sully.There were touching moments in the story when Sully seems to bond with his grandson who has some insecurity issues much like his dad did as a young boy. The interactions between Sully, the young boy and key characters made me smile. Sully is just so genuine -- warts and all.The story is filled with small town charm and characters who will feel like some people you've met along the way. Like Russo's Pulitzer Prize winning Empire Falls, Nobody's Fool was a rewarding read. Russo is one author who can capture blue-collar people. Read this if you want a great story complete with quirky and memorable characters. I can't wait to read the sequel, Everybody's Fool.4.5/5 stars

NOBODY'S FOOL by Richard RussoNOBODY'S FOOL was my introduction to the writing of Richard Russo, who won the Pulitzer prize for his book, EMPIRE FALLS. In NOBODY'S FOOL, we find ourselves immersed in the small town life of Bath, located in the Northeastern corner of the United States. Sully (Donald Sullivan) and all the other quirky characters that fill this novel made it the most interesting read I've had this year so far.Sully's life has no purpose. He drifts through life, doing what he feels at that point in time. He lives in a very modest apartment that is barely furnished, and spends most of his time either at Hattie's restaurant, the bar, or betting on the race tracks. He gets the odd job here and there, mostly doing physical type of labor such as helping someone build a house. This may sound mundane, but it's not. Not when Sully is behind it. He can make the simplest task an outrageous event. If there is some news in town that sounds almost too weird to be true, Sully is often behind it.Sully's sidekick is a simpleton named Rub. He's short, and is the joke of the town. But for some reason Sully likes having him around, especially when he feels like making fun of someone. Rub sticks to Sully like white on rice, and it also appears that Rub is in love with Sully, but not in THAT way of course, as anyone could tell you. Just a lot of idol worship, that's what seems to be emanating out of Rub.Sully's life is intertwined with his landlady, Miss Beryl, who was once one of his grade school teachers. Now, they are both in their golden years. Their history is complicated. A lot of Sully is wrapped up in Miss Beryl's family, a complex series of relationships and events that caused her son Clive Jr. to hate Sully with a passion. A rivalry that Sully is not even aware of exists between the two men, and it stems from a childhood that both Clive and Sully shared.Miss Beryl's days are spent talking to her dead husband Clive Sr. and a mask she calls Drivers Ed, which is another quirky story that fits the theme of this book. All the characters in NOBODY'S FOOL are not quite normal. Or maybe they are, but they seem to have little quirks that the average person would think rather unusual. The charm of this novel is not the story, but the odd people that reside in this small town of Bath. I found myself chuckling quite often, and at the same time I found the person that was Sully a fascinating character study. His life story is told in bits and pieces, from his childhood and dysfunctional relationship with his father, to his first marriage and his neglect for his own son Peter.As one reads this book, it may be difficult to find the point of the story. But there is a point. There are various points to NOBODY'S FOOL, but I felt the most important moral to this story was acceptance, and the courage to move on. A lot goes on in NOBODY'S FOOL, and it may take some patience to get through the book. But I found it easy reading, although slow, because it's not a beach read, but it is a book in which one will remember the characters for a very long time. NOBODY'S FOOL will most likely appear on my top 20 books of 2003.

Der deutsche Titel dieses Buches ist „Ein grundzufriedener Mann“. Der deutsche Titel der Verfilmung mit Paul Newman ist „Auf Dauer unwiderstehlich“. Beides furchtbar sperrig. Was wirklich stimmt ist, dass man diesen Sully wirklich mögen muss.Da haben wir einen 60jährigen, der seinen Platz im Leben nie wirklich gefunden hat. Er ist sperrig und unangepasst. Er ordnet sich nicht unter und lässt sich nicht einschüchtern. Aber er ist nicht zynisch geworden. Er hat ein großes Herz und nimmt sich selbst nicht so ernst. Er erkennt Fehler und ist mit seinen 60 Jahren nicht zu alt um sich zu ändern. Sullys Leben präsentiert keine Erfolge und doch ist vieles an dieser Figur inspirierend.Russo hat seine Geschichte in die fiktive Kleinstadt Bath gebettet. Die Akteure sind fein skizzierte Figuren aus dem Leben. Auch die mag man schnell.Und so kommt es dann, dass man das ganze Buch mag. Mir ging es so.Von der vorliegenden englischen Version bin ich dann irgendwann zur Übersetzung gewechselt weil die Freude am Lesen die selbstauferlegte Auffrischungsübung meines Englisch besiegt hat. Russos Wortschatz ist ziemlich groß, verdammt. Zu viele Vokabeln für mich.

I accidentally bought this book for a couple dollars and I was astonished by how funny and relaxing it could be.The cool atmosphere will keep you comfortable while the surprising comedy will lift your spirits.

Regalo apprezzato

This is vintage Russo at his best in describing small town America. The main character in the novel is Donald Sullivan a 60 year old man doing odd jobs in Bath, New York. It is through "Sully" as he is called by his friends that Russo builds his powerful portrait of an assortment of characters in a town that is in decline.To people who are looking for a plot in a novel this is going to be a disappointment, but Russo makes it up in the intimate sketches of people as they go through their familiar routines. In fact the whole story happens in a single winter season.Sully who comes from a troubled family is somebody who has decided that regrets and self-introspection are not going to define his life. The portrayal of Sully is so powerful that i found his easy going, carefree swagger contagious. If you are an anxious person then this is surely a book for you to read, you will find it therapeutic. Absolutely lovable book.

Other reviews will have given you a summary of the plot so I won't do that. I will just say that the superb writing and the wholly believable characters have made this one of my favourite books.