The 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was awarded to Richard Russo for Empire Falls. Written with clarity and insight, Empire Falls is a snapshot of small-town, American life. Set in a small Maine town, Russo’s novel tackles issues relevant to big cities and rural areas alike. The narrative themes encompasses divorce, religion, family relationships, division of wealth, teenage peer pressure, child abuse, and many other topics, too numerous to name.The novel revolves around Miles Roby and the restaurant he manages, The Empire Grill. And Miles’s life revolves around his family: a teenage daughter Tick, who is trying to fit in at school and at home; a soon-to-be ex-wife Janine, who is self-centered and fixated on her newfound love of the orgasm (not supplied by Miles); a brother David, who is a recovering addict and accident prone; and his father Max, who is an alcoholic, troublemaker, and all-around pain-in-the-ass. Miles himself is a caring father who is introspective, religious, and still not over his mother’s death; a quiet sadness wraps itself around all of his actions.
All of these characters scrape out a living in Empire Falls, Maine, an economically depressed town that has been eroding since its mill and factory closed. Almost everyone in town lives under the eye - and thumb - of Francine Whiting, a rich widow, who inherited the mill, factory, and most of the town when her husband committed suicide. Mrs. Whiting rules the town in a greedy, vindictive manner and seems to enjoy herself all the while. She owns The Empire Grill and has a keen interest in the actions of Miles Roby.
Russo introduces his characters thoughtfully and builds them and their relationships with care. He provides some of their history with chapters devoted to specific moments from their past, and secret after secret is revealed as his characters become increasingly intertwined. And all along the way, interesting people are introduced, including John Voss, an introverted boy befriended by Tick, who gets a job working at the Empire Grill. A dark and brooding adolescent, John Voss keeps everyone on edge. Except for the dull Walter Comeau, who is too self-involved to notice anything other than himself and his soon-to-be wife, Janine Roby. He pushes Miles’s buttons, and everyone else’s, with his annoying cockiness and never-ending babble.
Richard Russo uses all of these well-wrought characters to advance his novels storyline, which is one of relationships and growing up; discovery and growing old; escaping the mundane and fearing the new; discovering the self and uncovering the past. While delving into the recesses of his characters’ minds, Russo weaves an elaborate narrative that is insightful and entertaining. Empire Falls is a small town that many people would like to escape, but Empire Falls is a novel you’ll never want to leave.
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*Originally Published in the Charleston City Paper. A well-crafted movie adaptation of the book (starring Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt and Paul Newman) is now available on DVD.
