"Russo proves himself a master at evoking the sights, feelings, and smells of a town. . . . [
The Risk Pool is] superbly original and maliciously funny." –
The New York Times Book Review "A fine, closely observed novel . . . Richard Russo writes with such sympathy and attention to the rhythms of small-town life that he invests inarticulate lives with genuine passion. . . . [He] has succeeded in creating characters with the emotional weight of people we've known in real life." –
The New York Times "Weighted with wonderful detail . . . a rich, anecdotal novel brimming with the metaphorical lessons of adolescence: on pocket billiards and sexual frustration, trout fishing and serenity." –
Boston Globe "Richard Russo has it just perfect in
The Risk Pool. A gem of a novel." –
St. Louis Post-Dispatch