I really need to go back and give this one a second reading. This was the first Richard Russo novel I ever read. I remember enjoying the plot and the characters, but sometimes it seemed endless to me, especially with all the flashbacks. Now that I have come to love Richard Russo's works, I may see it differently. You have to get used to the slow development of characters and relationships. Once you do, Russo's novels are a real pleasure to read. A few good quotes I copied from Empire Falls:"What if all everybody needed in the world was to be sure of one friend? What if you were the one, and you refused to say those simple words?""People who imagine themselves to be self-made seldom enjoy examining the process of manufacture in detail.""The quickest way to beget a new desire is to satisfy an old one; and each new desire has a way of becoming more expensive than the last." "Not giving a shit is like the defrost option on a car's heater that miraculously unfogs the windshield, allowing you to see where you're headed." "The truth isn't much of a substitute for a good answer."
