Providence

by Geoffrey Wolff

A series of violent, life-threatening events disturbs the equilibrium of at least five lives in the port town of Providence

Genres: Fiction, Novels

217 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 1986

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite reading niches is fiction set in places I've lived. So with that predilection steering me, I have enjoyed, first and foremost, William Kennedy's Albany cycle of novels as well as Carl Hiassen's humorous satires about Florida and Richard Russo's gritty stories about the depressed Mohawk Valley. The latest addition to the regional bookshelf is Geoffrey Wolff's "Providence," focused on the city where I worked as a reporter for nine years. I have mixed opinions about this tale. I would recommend it for anyone who has stayed in Rhode Island for longer than a vacation. Others, however, probably will be put off by obscure references to streets, restaurants and politicians they have never heard about.
Although the book introduces the reader to five chief characters, most of the plot centers on interactions among three men -- Adam Dwyer, the rich lawyer whose wealthy home near Brown University is burglarized, Lt. Tom Corcoran, the detective who investigates the break-in, and Skippy, the petty thief enjoying his haul from the Dwyer home. As he sketches the men one by one, Wolff does a masterful job of presenting each guy's idioms, mindset and values. But as the plot bounces through a maze of twists and turns, the characters grow muddled and increasingly confused and depressed. By the final page, I still wasn't sure whether one of the characters was going to live or die.
Wolff does succeed in presenting Providence as a congested place where both the rich and poor know one another and affect one another, like it or not. He gives the reader enticing slivers of Rhode Island history and its economic roots in the slave trade, but has less to say about its emergence as New England's hub of organized crime. Wolff might have fared better if he had turned his contemporary novella into an historical novel, tracing each character back two or three generations to give us insight into Rhode Island's 20th-century rise and fall.

[Leana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on reviews, I didn't expect to love this, so I was very pleasantly surprised with how well written and intelligent it is. It's the story of the intersecting lives of five people in Providence, Rhode Island, in the 1980s, and it's also a look into the underbelly of Providence society. Some heavy content but the prose is masterful and light--yet it's surprisingly moving. Particularly beautiful ending lines. I'm surprised at how poorly this book is reviewed here on goodreads--I really enjoyed it. (And I have no connection to Providence.)

[Nancy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I attended school in Providence during the time this book is set, and have returned to Rhode Island from my New England home many times over the past 50 years. The author captured the atmosphere. He captured the class distinctions, the strong ethnic influences, the odors, the geography. A very evocative read. The influence of organized crime was even more pervasive than portrayed.
Even today, the influence of the sea, the smells, the reflected light, the weather, dominates everything. The author captured that well also. The language is so idiomatic, that even I had a hard time understanding all the dated references and nuances of the conversation. Kudos for all these things.

The book jacket says this book is as hilarious as it is tragic. I didn't find the lightness at all. The whole story is dark, desperate, despondent, despairing. Some of the players are trapped by occurences out of their control, some make choices leading only to disaster. Life is hopeless. Not sure if even adding a lighter story line would have done much to alleviate the heaviness.

I think I would have been less enthusiastic about this book if I did not have such a strong Providence connection. Not for everyone.

[Marty Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this but did not know the subject. Very gritty raunchy side of Providence.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Providence by Geoffrey Wolff
Wanted to read about this book because it's our states capital city and I like the locale.
Story starts out with Adam and he's a lawyer and his brother Asa, the doctor has just informed him he's got several months left, he's dying of leukemia.
Story goes back in time to when he was dating Clara. They sit down and try to come up with a plan so she and their son, Ike will have enough money to live on. He wanted to get a clean bill of health from his brother so he could purchase more insurance.
Then their house is broken into and Adam rides around with a local cop and find and get the boys bike. no sign of the boat models.
Story also follows Lisa, a waitress. These people are all entwined with common crooks...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Samuel Snead · Rating 3 out of 5]

My nostalgic side indulged in the references to Providence. I enjoyed the well developed characters.