Somebody’s Fool is a novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo, published in 2023. It is the third installment in Russo's "North Bath Trilogy", following Nobody’s Fool (1993) and Everybody’s Fool (2016). The book is set in the fictional town of North Bath in Upstate New York, and it continues the storylines of characters from the previous books. Russo explores themes of small-town life, aging, mortality, redemption, and forgiveness. The book has been well-received, with The New York Times praising it as Russo’s "best book."^[1]

Conception

Somebody’s Fool is Russo's 10th novel.^[2] Russo did not plan to write a second sequel to his original novel, Nobody’s Fool, but he decided to return to the series because he found that it helped him maintain a connection with his late father, on whom the character Donald Sullivan is based.^[3] He crafted the novel in long-hand, dedicating around four hours each morning to pen and paper, followed by afternoons of digitizing and editing.^[4] His composition of the book came during the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd protests. These events influenced the novel's darker themes, including police brutality and race relations. Russo reflected in an interview, "George Floyd’s murder made me realize I couldn’t write another book with main characters as police officers without addressing the presence of bad cops."^[2]

Plot

In this final installment of Russo's "Fool's" trilogy, the narrative returns to North Bath, continuing to follow characters from the previous novels. The story unfolds over three days in February 2010, amid the backdrop of North Bath's incorporation into the neighboring Schuyler Springs, a move that was done to reduce expenses. The narrative begins with the death of Donald 'Sully' Sullivan, a central figure in earlier books. His son, Peter, faces the dilemma of leaving North Bath but is held back by a list of people his father left for him to check on. Doug Raymond retires as chief of police, and his romantic partner and subordinate, Charice Bond, fills his old position.

The story follows Peter Sullivan's relationship with one of his estranged sons, Thomas, who was raised by his mother and abusive stepfather in West Virginia. Thomas visits Peter, pretending to be passing through on his way to Montreal. The real reason for his visit is to exact revenge on his father, who he blames for his difficult upbringing. Thomas's visit results in him getting drunk, sustaining a concussion, and falling into a coma after a beating by a corrupt police officer. This event reveals Thomas’s contemplation of arson against Peter’s house. Meanwhile, Doug and Charice have taken a break from their romantic relationship, though Doug desperately wants to get back together with her. They reunite when Charice, in her new role as chief of police, asks Doug for his help in solving the identity of a suicide at the Sans Souci Hotel. Charice, who is black, must also deal with racism and dissension from many of the police officers she oversees.

In the novel's conclusion, Thomas awakens from his coma, and he and Peter discuss the possibility of rebuilding their fractured relationship. Doug discovers the victim in the sucide case to be a former mayor. Charice decides to leave the police force and pursue law school, and she and Doug resume their romantic relationship. Doug accepts an offer to become the new chief of police.

Reception

The book received favorable reviews. Hamilton Cain, writing for The New York Times, praised the author, noting that Russo "paints a shining fresco of a working-class community, warts and all, a 30-year project come to fruition in this last, best book."^[5] Cain admired Russo's skillful handling of third-person narration and the portrayal of multiple perspectives and small-town dynamics. However, he pointed out that some chapters seemed overly detailed and certain flashbacks could be confusing.

A review in the Washington Post highlighted the storyline involving the character Peter as the most compelling aspect of the book, liking how the character grapples with the man he has become.^[6]

References