This one took a while... (Empire Falls by Richard Russo)

So it's been a few days! I spent a few days at the beach, and I didn't get much reading done, so this one took a little longer to read. Empire Falls is the story of a town told through the eyes of a local diner owner, Miles Roby. The town is like many in the northeast; its livelihood was the textile mills, and once they were closed, the town began to slowly die.

What is so compelling about this story, which is like so many others, both true and fictional, is that the characters are so richly drawn. By the time you close the book on the last page, you feel like you've known these characters your entire life. They're funny and heartbreaking at the same time, and you want to hope that everything turns out all right in the end.

The most interesting parts of the book for me were the flashbacks to Miles' mother, Grace, who had an affair with the owner of the mills, C.B. Whiting. The affair, which did not last terribly long, has had lasting effects on Miles' life, even though he did not know about it until many years later.

It's an interesting read, although it took me several days to finish. I added it to my "Books to Read" list a few years ago after watching the superb miniseries that was shown on HBO (I think). Ed Harris is in it! If you're looking for a good way to waste an afternoon, definitely head over to Blockbuster and check it out.

I have no lists for today, and I think I'll head outside and lay in the hammock for a while and begin my next read. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! And, as always, happy reading!