"Chances Are..." by Richard Russo

Russo is one of my favorite fiction writers. We are about the same age and following his work these past 20+ years has been, at times, like looking in a mirror of experiences and life adventures.  This new novel has three guys in their late 60's, college pals, meeting up for a weekend in Martha's Vineyard, ghosts of the past shadowing them every minute and from every corner.

Maybe it's because these three men, Lincoln (somewhat successful real estate guy) and Teddy (the soft, emotional, unfocused one) and Mickey (motorcycle riding softie) reminded me of men I once knew, sort of still know, always wanted to know..... that caused me to really fall for this story. It is not without its flaws, of course. The paths the guys take, the rationale with which they justified their crazy actions, the unrequited love they have for their lost communal girlfriend Jacy, none of it works in real life. But it all works in Russo's hands. He makes you care about these people, flaws and all, negative nuances, every pimple is shown and yet we accept all of it because, goddammit, we like these people. They are our age (well, my age) and they still hum the same songs I do. 

And more than those songs, they still in their souls believe in righteousness and love, kindness and revenge. And in John Fogerty and Led Zeppelin and the Stones.

I really liked this story. It gets tied up too neatly at the end but I knew that would happen after I read 25 pages. Russo is good at characters, at making the reader respond to those characters. Situational ethics loom large here at times, but I sort of think that is part of our (my) generation as well.  "If you can do a bad thing to save a good person, if you can tell a small lie to avoid a large catastrophe, is it justified?"

If you are over the age of 50, I think you will identify with Lincoln, Teddy, Mickey and Jacy. If you are wise and under 50, the same. But hey, I could be wrong and everyone, of every age could hate it. Probably not.

For me, two thumbs up. Put it on your library list.

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