Straight Man A Novel
Straight Man by Richard Russo is a novel published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on June 9, 1998. This edition spans 416 pages and is presented in English. The story centers on Hank Devereaux, the reluctant chairman of an English department at a struggling college in the Pennsylvania rust belt, navigating a tumultuous week filled with personal and professional challenges.
Readers will find a humorous and poignant exploration of Hank’s chaotic life, which includes confrontations with colleagues, suspicions about his wife’s fidelity, and bizarre encounters that lead to unexpected revelations. The narrative delves into themes of personal failure and familial relationships, all while maintaining a comedic tone. With its focus on small-town dynamics and the complexities of academia, this novel offers a rich blend of literary and humorous elements.
Official synopsis Publisher
Hilarious and true-to-life, witty, compassionate, and impossible to put down, Straight Man follows Hank Devereaux through one very bad week in this novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls. • Now the AMC Original Series Lucky Hank.
William Henry Devereaux, Jr., is the reluctant chairman of the English department of a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt. Devereaux’s reluctance is partly rooted in his character—he is a born anarchist—and partly in the fact that his department is more savagely divided than the Balkans.
In the course of a single week, Devereaux will have his nose mangled by an angry colleague, imagine his wife is having an affair with his dean, wonder if a curvaceous adjunct is trying to seduce him with peach pits, and threaten to execute a goose on local television. All this while coming to terms with his philandering father, the dereliction of his youthful promise, and the ominous failure of certain vital body functions. In short, Straight Man is classic Russo—side-splitting, poignant, compassionate, and unforgettable.
Look for Richard Russo’s new book, Somebody’s Fool, coming soon.
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