Reader Score
76%
76% of readers
recommend this book
Critic Reviews
Great
Based on 8 reviews on
"Beautiful.... Will abruptly break your heart." --The New York Times
The characters in these four expansive stories are a departure from the blue-collar denizens that populate so many of Richard Russo's novels. In "Horseman," a young professor confronts an undergraduate plagiarist--as well as her own regrets. In "Intervention," a realtor facing a serious medical prognosis finds himself in his late father's shadow. "Voice" gives us a semiretired academic who is conned by his estranged brother into joining a group tour of the Venice Biennale. And "Milton and Marcus" takes us into a lapsed novelist's attempt to rekindle his screenwriting career--a career that depends wholly, at a crucial moment, on two Hollywood icons (one living, one dead).
Look for Richard Russo's new book, Somebody's Fool, coming soon.
"[A] collection of short fiction so rich and flavorsome that the temptation is to devour it all at once. I can't in good conscience advise otherwise." --Laura Collins-Hughes, The Boston Globe
"Has the engaging quality of tales told by a friend, over drinks, about a person we know in common. And so we lean forward, eager to hear what happened next." --The New York Times Book Review
"Vibrant. . . Russo's gift for character is as powerful as ever, enlivened with spot-on detail." --People
"The four tales here are replete with Russo's insightful studies of relationships. . . . Throughout, we enjoy Russo's skill at weaving a story in which conflicted characters find moments of revelation and, sometimes, redemption. . . . . Rewarding and worth ruminating about." --Minneapolis Star Tribune
"The stories in Trajectory are classic Russo, tales of minor-key defeat laced with rue and humor. . . . Russo again shows how adept he is at portraying life as a tragicomedy. . . . Gives readers plenty to enjoy and mull as his characters ponder their life trajectories." --The Dallas Morning News
"Delightful. . . . Unearthing such insight on page 44 (instead of page 444) is a bit like watching a successful squeeze bunt score a runner from third--just as exciting as a home run, but a shorter trip and a rarer treat." --Paste
"Intriguing and universal. . . . Russo newcomers will begin to scope out why he's a Pulitzer Prize winner." --Houston Chronicle
"Heart-warming. . . . Absorbing. . . . A testament to Richard Russo's skill at deploying his characters. . . . All four stories are challenging not because they are difficult--they are not--but because they raise questions about why we live our lives the way we do, and if that's all right." --The Washington Times
"[An] engrossing collection." --Southern Living
"Russo remains an entertaining and interesting writer." --The Christian Science Monitor
"Russo is a master at Everyman, offering common folks doing their best to get by, the cards often stacked against them. . . . This collection is a welcome edition to Russo's work--if you haven't delved into the Pulitzer prize-winning author's books, do yourself a favor and begin." --The Missourian
"Cogent, wry and satisfying. . . . Confirm[s] Russo's status as one of the most justly celebrated American writers." --Portland Press-Herald
"Wonderful. . . . Russo's writing should be cherished." --Columbus Dispatch
"Powerful. . . . An entertaining and compellingly provocative read." --New York Journal of Books
"Potent and surprising tales. . . . Russo rarely wastes a word, interweaving details and dialogue into master classes on storytelling." --Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"A singularly satisfying journey. Very few writers so thoroughly embrace human foibles, or present them in such an accepting and empathetic manner." --Booklist (starred review)