HomeLiterary FictionStraight Man

Cover of Straight Man

Literary Fiction · 2011 · PG-13

Straight Man

by Richard Russo

The acting chair of a small college English department threatens to kill a duck on live TV.

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, Devere

For14+GenreLiterary FictionLength391 pagesRead time~10.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

None

No violence

Language

Some

Strong language throughout

Sexual Content

Barely any

Brief sexual content

Substance Use

Barely any

Drinking

Emotional Intensity

Barely any

Themes of middle age, professional failure, and the comedy of academic life

What this book is about

Russo's 1997 academic comedy follows Hank Devereaux through a chaotic week as his department implodes. Funny, warm, and sharp. Features mild sexual content and strong language. For adults.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Strong language

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