Readers may know Russo from his award-winning Empire Falls or for Nobody’s Fool, subsequently made into a film of the same name. But each and every Russo novel is filled with fascinating characters, troubled and compelling family relationships and beautiful narrative. The Risk Pool, the story of a deadbeat father and his complicated relationship with his son over the years, is no exception to the rule. It is longer than other works by this author, as it spans the years and phases of the relationship, but it is one of Russo’s most satisfying novels, maintaining the author’s trademark humor, while also delving into the complexities of this family in what is often heartbreaking honesty.

posted Nov 28, 2012 at 11:00AM

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