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Interventions
In what many perceive as a coldly relentless digital age, Pulitzer-prize winning author Richard Russo has teamed up with his daughter, artist Kate Russo, to present this tribute to the printed book. This handsome and inventive format—four individually bound volumes gathered in a slipcase—combines the previously unpublished novella “Intervention” with three shorter works, two of which have not been published in book form.
The four tales in Interventions crackle with Russo’s perceptive wit and unwavering compassion for the human condition. In the title novella, self-obsessed realtor Ray must confront his own mortality and doesn’t seem especially interested in winning the battle. A surprising revelation about his father and uncle, however, and his realization of an unlikely friendship lead him to believe he just might like to stick around. “Horseman” explores the complexities of a young professor’s marriage and academic life, and “The Whore’s Child” negotiates the not-always-clear line between fact and fiction. The final piece, “High and Dry,” is Russo’s paean to the heyday of his hometown, Gloversville, New York.
Each of the four volumes is paired with a small, full-color print of a painting by Kate Russo. Printed in the United States on the finest sustainably harvested papers, the set is as much a joy to hold in the hand as it is to read.
The four tales in Interventions crackle with Russo’s perceptive wit and unwavering compassion for the human condition. In the title novella, self-obsessed realtor Ray must confront his own mortality and doesn’t seem especially interested in winning the battle. A surprising revelation about his father and uncle, however, and his realization of an unlikely friendship lead him to believe he just might like to stick around. “Horseman” explores the complexities of a young professor’s marriage and academic life, and “The Whore’s Child” negotiates the not-always-clear line between fact and fiction. The final piece, “High and Dry,” is Russo’s paean to the heyday of his hometown, Gloversville, New York.
Each of the four volumes is paired with a small, full-color print of a painting by Kate Russo. Printed in the United States on the finest sustainably harvested papers, the set is as much a joy to hold in the hand as it is to read.
196 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2012
2 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Richard Russo
61 books4,813 followersRICHARD RUSSO is the author of seven previous novels; two collections of stories; and Elsewhere, a memoir. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which like Nobody’s Fool was adapted to film, in a multiple-award-winning HBO miniseries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 6, 2012
I am an unabashed fan of Richard Russo. As a longtime resident of upstate NY (WNY), his writing speaks to me. He is a master at capturing the dichotomy of die-hardiness/hopelessness that characterizes small manufacturing towns.
This collection of 3 shorts stories and a novella is physically simple and beautiful. Four slim volumes are slipcased and include postcard-sized original paintings by Richard's daughter, Kate. The paintings are very evocative and greatly add to each of the pieces. I found myself not wanting to open the volumes all the way so I could preserve the initial look and feel; I'm sure that as the years go by, I'll get over that so I can mark up my favorite passages.
And therein lies the *only* disappointment with this set. I understand where Russo is coming from in his rant against Amazon and his opposition to ebooks, but I love Amazon and ebooks, and it would have been much easier to capture all the great quotes to go back and mull them and take notes and such if this book was available in digital format. But that's a small nit; I also happen to adore physical books.
I read the stories in random order - just pulled one out of the set and read it. The first story I read, "Intervention", is very good but the weakest piece in the set. It's about a realtor who has just been diagnosed with cancer and how his relationships shape his decision for moving forward. His wife, old friend, brother, and posthumously his father and uncle, all make an appearance and weigh on his mind - especially the relationship between his father and uncle - and he gains insight into his relationships with each and comes to terms with his diagnosis through the lens of how each has acted in certain situations. A good read.
Of the four pieces, I had already read "The Whore's Child", a wonderful story about a nun who crashes a writer's fiction writing class in order to write something very important to her. The story within a story (one of my favorite conventions) is wonderful and unfolds dramatically. The framework of the nun's story is equally compelling and ends up teaching the narrator some things about his own life and choices.
"High and Dry" is really wonderful - a reprinting of a piece Russo did for "Granta", and a sort of tribute to his hometown of Gloversville, NY. It revolves around the dangerous work of glove-making (where'd you THINK the name of the town came from?) and all of the men who have suffered, been hurt or maimed, or died from working in this toxic manufacturing industry. Russo is at his best when he talks directly about upstate New York, and unflinchingly describes the hard life people experience, and the various ways they become trapped in that life. The ending of this piece is just amazing - so touching.
"Horseman" is the final story I read, and it's tied with "High and Dry" as my favorite story in the set. As in all the best Russo stories, a character's life is shown from two completely different angles (and provides multiple dimensions/motivations through which to view the characters' actions). The story opens on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. The main character, a college professor, has just caught one of her students cheating. His reaction is not what she expects and she ducks into the campus bar to commiserate with a colleague. Another colleague (an old lecherous drunk) prompts a memory of a relationship with her graduate school mentor and his opinion of her writing. All of this ties in with her personal life - her mentally-challenged son and caretaker (of the son) husband, who she feels is under ambitious. Framing the whole tale and providing an ominous rhythm is a children's poem, "Windy Nights." The main character cannot get this poem, which her son demands be read to him every night by her husband, out of her head. It haunts her, like her shortcomings with her son haunt her. You can actually read this story online at "The Atlantic" website, but it's much more enjoyable to read under the covers, with the actual book in your hand.
Overall, not an essential Russo book, but one I'll treasure and go back to as the years go by, simply to immerse myself in the language and familiarity of small towns and their characters.
If you haven't read "Nobody's Fool" or "Straight Man," go out and read them right now! They are both introductions to the great storytelling power of Richard Russo.
This collection of 3 shorts stories and a novella is physically simple and beautiful. Four slim volumes are slipcased and include postcard-sized original paintings by Richard's daughter, Kate. The paintings are very evocative and greatly add to each of the pieces. I found myself not wanting to open the volumes all the way so I could preserve the initial look and feel; I'm sure that as the years go by, I'll get over that so I can mark up my favorite passages.
And therein lies the *only* disappointment with this set. I understand where Russo is coming from in his rant against Amazon and his opposition to ebooks, but I love Amazon and ebooks, and it would have been much easier to capture all the great quotes to go back and mull them and take notes and such if this book was available in digital format. But that's a small nit; I also happen to adore physical books.
I read the stories in random order - just pulled one out of the set and read it. The first story I read, "Intervention", is very good but the weakest piece in the set. It's about a realtor who has just been diagnosed with cancer and how his relationships shape his decision for moving forward. His wife, old friend, brother, and posthumously his father and uncle, all make an appearance and weigh on his mind - especially the relationship between his father and uncle - and he gains insight into his relationships with each and comes to terms with his diagnosis through the lens of how each has acted in certain situations. A good read.
Of the four pieces, I had already read "The Whore's Child", a wonderful story about a nun who crashes a writer's fiction writing class in order to write something very important to her. The story within a story (one of my favorite conventions) is wonderful and unfolds dramatically. The framework of the nun's story is equally compelling and ends up teaching the narrator some things about his own life and choices.
"High and Dry" is really wonderful - a reprinting of a piece Russo did for "Granta", and a sort of tribute to his hometown of Gloversville, NY. It revolves around the dangerous work of glove-making (where'd you THINK the name of the town came from?) and all of the men who have suffered, been hurt or maimed, or died from working in this toxic manufacturing industry. Russo is at his best when he talks directly about upstate New York, and unflinchingly describes the hard life people experience, and the various ways they become trapped in that life. The ending of this piece is just amazing - so touching.
"Horseman" is the final story I read, and it's tied with "High and Dry" as my favorite story in the set. As in all the best Russo stories, a character's life is shown from two completely different angles (and provides multiple dimensions/motivations through which to view the characters' actions). The story opens on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. The main character, a college professor, has just caught one of her students cheating. His reaction is not what she expects and she ducks into the campus bar to commiserate with a colleague. Another colleague (an old lecherous drunk) prompts a memory of a relationship with her graduate school mentor and his opinion of her writing. All of this ties in with her personal life - her mentally-challenged son and caretaker (of the son) husband, who she feels is under ambitious. Framing the whole tale and providing an ominous rhythm is a children's poem, "Windy Nights." The main character cannot get this poem, which her son demands be read to him every night by her husband, out of her head. It haunts her, like her shortcomings with her son haunt her. You can actually read this story online at "The Atlantic" website, but it's much more enjoyable to read under the covers, with the actual book in your hand.
Overall, not an essential Russo book, but one I'll treasure and go back to as the years go by, simply to immerse myself in the language and familiarity of small towns and their characters.
If you haven't read "Nobody's Fool" or "Straight Man," go out and read them right now! They are both introductions to the great storytelling power of Richard Russo.
July 15, 2012
I loved the four stories that are part of this collection. In High and Dry, he speaks about Gloversville where he grew up. Its history and what it means to him. He admits that it creeps in to almost all of his other writing, and since I have enjoyed his writing so much, it was a pleasure to read about his feelings about the place where he grew up. The Whore's Child haunted me for days after I finished reading it. It is the story of a nun who went from a very unhappy childhood as a ward of a convent to an equally unhappy life as an adult nun. It is told as a true story and I found it very believable, which is why it was so haunting. Intervention is the story of Ray, a realtor who while dealing with his own mortality also works through some memories of his father. The fourth story in the collection is Horseman. It is about a college professor who is haunted by someone from her past who urged her to find herself. All of the stories are wonderful tastes of Richard Russo's writing.
November 13, 2012
There are some stories that work better as a novella then as a full book. This set is a good example of that. It's a beautify packaged set of four novellas. Three of which I enjoyed a lot, one I could have done without. If you liked Empire Falls or other Russo novels then you should read this set.
April 8, 2024
I don’t know how to explain this but to say his writing feels like a children’s book with adult words. Like nostalgic and comforting but adult?? Does this make any sense?
June 28, 2012
A thoroughly engaging set of 4 short stories by my favorite author. I'd give it 5 stars but finished each so quickly I would have liked to see more included in this collection. Still, even a little Russo goes a long way!
May 21, 2017
It's been a while since I read anything by Richard Russo, and I missed him. He is a master of writing characters and settings that feel truer than real life. This set of four separately-bound stories—three fictional and one autobiographical—was excellent. The common threads between them included economic anxiety, existential dread, the challenges in accepting criticism/insight/wisdom from others, and Russo's trademark wit. I think I actually preferred this shorter, punchier format to his longer novels. They got right to the point.
"High and Dry" (the autobiographical one) laid out his conflicting feelings on the blue-collar hometown he left behind and felt as relevant to understanding America today as anything I read in The Washington Post. If you're interested in a discussion about the so-called glory days (warts and all) of towns built around industry and then what happens when the industry leaves, this one is worth tracking down.
In the fiction, the passages that stuck with me most (see below) were from "Intervention" about Nicki, a down-on-her-luck hoarder whose Maine home the protagonist is trying to sell. A few major characters are also still on my mind: a nun who defies stereotyping in "The Whore's Child" and a perfectionist professor feeling stuck in her life in "Horseman." 4.5 stars
* * * *
Mrs. Bell liked the house, noting its ornate wainscoting and the lovely tin ceiling in the den, but in the end she'd had to give up. She could imagine Nicki's furniture gone, as Ray suggested, and even the towers of boxes. What refused to disappear, Ray understood, was Nicki herself. She'd broken containment, the way people who live alone sometimes will, spilling out of their skins and into their beloved possessions (These are my things, Ray), the stuff that keeps them from losing heart. She might as well have been there with them, red-eyed and blowing her nose into a tissue, explaining what each box contained, how much she hated to lose her home, how unfair it all was. (p. 34)
* * * *
"If I tell you something, will you hate me?"
"Did you murder somebody? Molest a child? What am I promising here?"
"I always thought I was special."
It was an odd, in some ways startling, admission. There were any number of people who clearly felt the same way, but the sentiment was seldom given voice.
"My father used to tell me I was and I believed him. When my husband left, he said, 'You know your trouble? You think you're special.' And I remember wondering why he made that sound so wrong. I mean, I was special, wasn't I? Didn't he think so? Wasn't that why he married me? And anyway, why shouldn't I think it? I knew it wasn't nice to say such things to people who weren't special, because that would hurt their feelings. I mean, everybody can't be special, and people who aren't, well, it's not their fault. But I never really questioned that I was. So now, for the first time, my whole life's coming into focus. I'm fifty-seven years old, Ray, and every day I have to lie to myself just to keep going. Who's still lying to themselves at fifty-seven?"
Everybody.
(p. 40-41)
"High and Dry" (the autobiographical one) laid out his conflicting feelings on the blue-collar hometown he left behind and felt as relevant to understanding America today as anything I read in The Washington Post. If you're interested in a discussion about the so-called glory days (warts and all) of towns built around industry and then what happens when the industry leaves, this one is worth tracking down.
In the fiction, the passages that stuck with me most (see below) were from "Intervention" about Nicki, a down-on-her-luck hoarder whose Maine home the protagonist is trying to sell. A few major characters are also still on my mind: a nun who defies stereotyping in "The Whore's Child" and a perfectionist professor feeling stuck in her life in "Horseman." 4.5 stars
* * * *
Mrs. Bell liked the house, noting its ornate wainscoting and the lovely tin ceiling in the den, but in the end she'd had to give up. She could imagine Nicki's furniture gone, as Ray suggested, and even the towers of boxes. What refused to disappear, Ray understood, was Nicki herself. She'd broken containment, the way people who live alone sometimes will, spilling out of their skins and into their beloved possessions (These are my things, Ray), the stuff that keeps them from losing heart. She might as well have been there with them, red-eyed and blowing her nose into a tissue, explaining what each box contained, how much she hated to lose her home, how unfair it all was. (p. 34)
* * * *
"If I tell you something, will you hate me?"
"Did you murder somebody? Molest a child? What am I promising here?"
"I always thought I was special."
It was an odd, in some ways startling, admission. There were any number of people who clearly felt the same way, but the sentiment was seldom given voice.
"My father used to tell me I was and I believed him. When my husband left, he said, 'You know your trouble? You think you're special.' And I remember wondering why he made that sound so wrong. I mean, I was special, wasn't I? Didn't he think so? Wasn't that why he married me? And anyway, why shouldn't I think it? I knew it wasn't nice to say such things to people who weren't special, because that would hurt their feelings. I mean, everybody can't be special, and people who aren't, well, it's not their fault. But I never really questioned that I was. So now, for the first time, my whole life's coming into focus. I'm fifty-seven years old, Ray, and every day I have to lie to myself just to keep going. Who's still lying to themselves at fifty-seven?"
Everybody.
(p. 40-41)
Read
March 29, 2020Don't know why this is described as "Want To Read". I have read and thoroughly enjoyed six of Russo's novels. Somehow, there are eleven of his books marked as "Want To Read" on this site. There is only one that I Want To Read. Have no idea how all those other books got listed that way. It wasn't me. And I can't find a way to remove them.
March 26, 2024
It's fun to have a miniature Russo story. This is a Cliff's Notes version of Bridge of Sighs or Empire Falls or That Old Cape Magic. All the elements are here: your parents ENTIRE life, summarized, and what they passed on to you. Spouses are a big part of it.
There's a joke about Sandals resorts. And another joke about sitting on a brandy snifter.
There's a joke about Sandals resorts. And another joke about sitting on a brandy snifter.
July 12, 2025
Each story was wonderful, was able to see some tropes that Russo would eventually wrangle into his longer work. Namely in the ear grabbing (a la Tina), Jerome and the Literary Messiah type. Loved the Nun Story. That one was Metal.
December 22, 2018
Beautiful little collection
February 12, 2020
A wonderful collection of short stories. Reading Russo is always a treat.
June 23, 2021
Introspective. Thought provoking
January 6, 2024
Short stories , the artwork included is lovely,
Read
September 27, 2025Didn't finish. Language and other things I prefer not to have in my books, including an obvious agenda.
January 5, 2014
I have a mixed relationship with short stories: I want to like them more than I do and often give up mid-way when reading collections.
However, Russo's Interventions was an exception. I loved each of the four short stories (novellas?) in it.
I was attracted to Interventions initially because of its unique and attractive presentation--as well as the note on the back cover about the inspiration for such presentation (related to Russo's commitment to the physical book).
Interventions has four stories:
"Interventions"
"The Whore's Child"
"Horseman"
"High and Dry"
Each comes in a little book with a cover designed by Russo's daughter. Each story is compelling and (Sorry if this sounds trite) very human. His characters, even though we interact with them for rarely more than 50 pages (if that), feel like real human beings--with the anxieties and longings that define the human experience. Each one has a beautiful last line. "The Whore's Child," which was a story-in-a-story, was my favorite, and its last line is perfect.
However, Russo's Interventions was an exception. I loved each of the four short stories (novellas?) in it.
I was attracted to Interventions initially because of its unique and attractive presentation--as well as the note on the back cover about the inspiration for such presentation (related to Russo's commitment to the physical book).
Interventions has four stories:
"Interventions"
"The Whore's Child"
"Horseman"
"High and Dry"
Each comes in a little book with a cover designed by Russo's daughter. Each story is compelling and (Sorry if this sounds trite) very human. His characters, even though we interact with them for rarely more than 50 pages (if that), feel like real human beings--with the anxieties and longings that define the human experience. Each one has a beautiful last line. "The Whore's Child," which was a story-in-a-story, was my favorite, and its last line is perfect.
January 17, 2013
This is an interesting designation. Russo will be attending an author event (Opus & Olives, Friends of the St. Paul Public Library), so I thought I'd read his book. It turns out that it is a booklet. The promotional material did not say it was part of a collection, and the library has it catalogued as a separate work of fiction, unrelated to the other three parts of the collection.
All I can say is that it has an interesting intersections of themes. For several days after I read it, I was discovering little threads I had missed.
Amusing, but not so more than a Soduku puzzle, and it took me about as long to finish it. For someone who writes epic novels, this was the equivalent of haiku, or generously, a sonnet.
All I can say is that it has an interesting intersections of themes. For several days after I read it, I was discovering little threads I had missed.
Amusing, but not so more than a Soduku puzzle, and it took me about as long to finish it. For someone who writes epic novels, this was the equivalent of haiku, or generously, a sonnet.
December 12, 2012
I greatly admire the concept (an homage to The Book; local and green production) and the family involvement (his daughter did the art, his son-in-law the design). I enjoyed the stories. But I'm just not able to spend $10 per story, when I'd already read one and another is available online. So I waited for the library copy. Detailed comments (with possible spoilers) including the talk he and his daughter gave at my local library about the process of creating the book blogged on A Just Recompense. (Karen blogged the stories, Zin blogged the lecture)
August 13, 2012
Can't go wrong with Richard Russo, who wrote my favorite book, Empire Falls. These four stories are light, but filled as usual with great characters. The characters make his writing stand out to me. Perhaps the most memorable character in these stories is Richard Russo himself. One of the is an autobiographical essay which is certain to be a centerpiece, or at least touched on, in his upcoming memoir. We can add that one to my reading list.
January 9, 2013
This is a collection of four slim volumes packaged in a slip case. I HAD to own it. Russo created the set as a tribute to the book. It is not for sale as an e-book. His daughter contributed artwork to the collection. It includes two short stories, a novella, and the beginnings of his memoir (Elsewhere), which I am currently reading. I now realize that so much of what he's lived is in his novel Empire Falls.
July 3, 2013
I love Richard Russo's style of writing. I read the novella "Intervention", which is about a realtor named Ray over the course of a few days. He is thinking about a new health crisis and processing memories of his dad. This was on the "staff picks" shelf at the library and I knew I could finish it quickly. I am falling behind in my 2013 Reading Challengebut even if I wasn't behind I would have read this.
August 1, 2012
This is four little booklets, each one a short story, cleverly disguised as a novel. All were well written, but I thought "High and Dry" was a little dull. It relates to the small town the author grew up in whose main industry was a glove factory. My favorite was "The Whore's Child", about a nun whose real mother was a prostitute. If you are a Richard Russo fan you will like these.
June 1, 2024
Tbh, I really dont know how to review this. In short, if your life is as cluttered as mine (with thoughts that needed to be stowed away in the garage of our hearts), read this.
I'm tagging this as a book I read 4 times bec I dont have the whole set and had to borrow the 4 books separately. All 4 books have the same IBSN number.
I'm tagging this as a book I read 4 times bec I dont have the whole set and had to borrow the 4 books separately. All 4 books have the same IBSN number.
September 12, 2012
Richard Russo is a master at describing in poetic detail the most mundane, quotidien events in life that just keep me wanting to read more. "Empire Falls" remains one of my favorite books, but I just enjoy his writing.
November 27, 2012
For some reason I had thought this was a memoir?? but not; in fact, it is a very short novella but still classic Russo and a treat. Much better than his last (the Cape Cod thing)and though slender and almost ephemeral, a pleasure to read.
October 30, 2014
True to Russo's style, this book only had one flaw...I wanted it to go on!! Amazing how much I knew about the characters in such a short novella, with generational and marital issues front and center. Worth the read.
April 2, 2013
Russo is always good.
August 8, 2013
Not one of his best....
August 22, 2012
My only quibble with this collection is that it's too short. So looking forward to Elsewhere, Russo's full-length memoir forthcoming this fall!
July 31, 2012
4 short novellas by Russo-really good and a quick read.
August 5, 2012
Richard Russon is one of my favorite authors. This collection of short stories is so well written, often surprising in its simplicity and great and focused themes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews