Bridge of Sighs Audiobook

" A wonderful novel. Beautifully written and completely engaging. Who would have thought that you could grow to love such a totally unremarkable character as Lou C. (aka "Lucy") Lynch -- a genial, simple-minded, home-loving convenience store owner who had his father's goofy smile and overly-optimistic view of life? Chapter by chapter, Russo reveals Lucy's story with intricate detail, charm and depth. I was sorry to be done with this one. "

" I only recently started reading Richard Russo's books - this is the third I have read. (after Elsewhere and Nobody's Fool). He manages to make all his characters very individual and the writing is excellent. "

" Well narrated on audio. Similar in style to Empire Falls but not quite as good. Reflections on small town life and the universal themes in it that relate to all of us. "

" I've read every Richard Russo book except one. Bridge of Sighs is not among his best. "

" I couldn't get past the first 50 pages. Perhaps it's where I am, perhaps it's just that reading about the angsty lives of failed American males in mid-life crisis is not interesting to me, but for whatever reason, Russo didn't draw me in to this novel. Hard for me to understand how Russo's notes can ring so clearly with Empire Falls and Straight Man, but miss in another moment. I think I just didn't feel like I was the audience for this book. Others, I concede, may love it. "

" I never felt very engaged with the characters. I wanted more of Bobby and Sarah but less of Lucy. I love Russo's work, and I expected something close to the quality of "Empire Falls" or "Straight Man". Too much time was spent on uninteresting characters in my opinion. The flow of the narrative was smooth as I never felt he lingered or beat to death a particular subject or time. The relationship between Lou & his mother was very interesting and made me consider the family relations I experience and how much undercurrent there is where emotions lie and feelings are not expressed. "

" This guy is the real deal...he can write about small town living like nobody's business. If you grew up in a little town like I did, with the corner stores and everybody knew everyone else's business, you can identify with this book. Captivating characters that you really felt like you knew as the story rolls on. Richard Russo is now officially one of my new favorite authors that somehow I've missed reading for years and years. I'll be rectifying that mistake here very soon. "

" Maybe not his best but thought-provoking, "

" What I love about Richard Russo is that he writes stories about really simple people, but he makes them so compelling. I really enjoyed this one--it definitely resonated for me being from a small town. It's so fascinating how much our paths are affected by where we come from. "

" Not nearly as good as Empire Falls. "

" A big sweeping book that takes place (in part, at least) somewhere other than upstate New York. (Hint: It's Venice. The bridge and the canal give it away. Oh, wait. SPOILER ALERT. Sorry about that.) "

" I always enjoy his books and characters. It feels like I move to NY state each time. Good to leave time between the books because they are similar. Not as good as Empire Falls but I still enjoyed it. "

" I read this while I was traveling and it made me homesick for a place I'm not even from. "

" Musings on the characters of a small town; those that left and those that chose to stay. The story moves between the past and present and sometimes it takes a few lines to place the character and time at the beginning of a chapter. I think it could have been shorter. "

" not as good as empire falls "

" Hilarious and he did an excellent job of getting into the characters' heads. "

" I liked this book. Not a easy read but worth it. Not alot of action but a great account of this man's life. Awesome character development - really got to know the people. Like this author and will read more. "

" I loved it up until about page 400. Had it been 200 pages shorter, I would have given it a 5, but Russo lost me at about page 450. "

" Richard Russo's novels have excellent character development. They are set in small New England towns. Very good reads- hard to put down. "

" Wonderful story of ordinary people in a small town in upper state New York. The Venice sections had less impact. "

" A rather long but heartwarming story. "

" This book reminded me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I loved the writing style. Didn't want the book to end. "

" I learned so much: laughed & cried. Thank you. "

" Enjoyable book for a leisurely read. I loved spending time with these people, even though (or because of?) they frustrated me and maddened me the way good friends can. A sweet, kind book that still shows real life. "

" This book is classic Richard Russo--complex characters who are well-developed and an intricately interwoven plot line that goes nowhere, but builds a fabric of inter-relatedness amongst the characters. Much like life, but better fleshed out. "

" Richard Russo, local author, never disappoints his reader. "

" I had a hard time getting into this book, it seemed to go on and on without purpose. But by the end it had taught me a very poignant lesson about the effects of the choices we make in life. "

" This is quite a spectacular book. It's the long story of Lou C. Lynch (nicknamed Lucy) who spends his life in a small upstate NY town. Russo draws in and intrigues the reader with the characters and actions of the very believable family stories in this town. This book will stay with me. "

" Quite possibly my favorite novel of the last five years. I didn't want it to end. "

" I think Paul Auster and Richard Russo colluded and wote novels with thye theme: "Boy, you think you've got problems!" "

" As always with Russo, a captivating read "

" I enjoy this author's writing style plus the fact that his stories take place in the Northeast, not far from where I grew up. I can relate to the subject matter, especially the economic decline of some of the cities and towns in upper and western NY state. "

" Really enjoyed this novel. I cared about the characters and rooted for relationships. Noonan really is a character rich with contradictions and moral dilemmas. I was sad when I finished it and found it hard to get into the next book. "

" Lembro-me que gostei do livro e fiquei com uma opinião bastante positiva acerca do livro e da escrita do autor. Do enredo, das personagens e da evolução das mesmas. Já não me recordo de todos os pormenores da história, mas fica uma boa lembrança. "

" not my favorite Russo, but beautiful nonetheless. "

" Not quite as great as some of my favorite Russo novels but still pretty good! "

" I really liked it, but I kind of wish it had ended differently. The end was anti-climactic, and after sticking it out for 600+ pages, I was expecting something moving. "