Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

I purchased this book while visiting our family up in Lynden. I like Richard Russo and I think I've read all his novels. This one was still in hardcover and I splurged on it as a treat.

The main character is Lou, it's written in first person with Lou narrating his story. He is in a small town in upstate New York, in which, I believe, all of Russo's novels are set. Russo seems to often have a sort of simple, naive person as the protagonist. As I wrote that it reminded me of Flannery O'Connor and her use of the grotesque. In my first course of English at college, the professor taught for the whole course on Flannery O'Connor - her short stories and then a paper on a novel. I was so sick and tired of the grotesque and those weird stories with such strange people as the heroes or heroines. But even though Russo uses rather simple people for his heroes, I am not sick of his writing. They may be kind of simple but there's a lot to them and their families and friends and others with whom they interract.

To be honest, I've forgotten many of the details of this book. I'm planning to reread it soon. It's a big, thick book and I look forward to reading it through again. I like a big book when it's good. I like getting lots of details and not being left wishing for more.