NOBODY'S FOOL

As one listens to Ron McLarty narrate the story of Sully, a man who has never personally met with good luck, one realizes what enormous stamina it takes to relate an involved novel to an interested audience. Sully is in pain and jobless. Oh, he works, but gets paid under the table because his disability case has not yet come up in court. He deals with his ex-wife, his landlady, his soon to be ex-girlfriend, and his son while suffering his knee pain. And Ron McLarty gets it: the pathos of it and the humor of it. The comic timing and continuous warmth in his delivery of this intricately woven novel allow one to enjoy its humor while appreciating the stark realities of the lives that people it. While Russo won the Pulitzer Prize for EMPIRE FALLS, many people still consider this to be their favorite of his works. J.P. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]