Are you familiar with the term straight man? He is normally the butt of the joke, or the one to set it up. The clown gets the laughs while the straight man gets a pie in the face.
William Henry "Hank" Devereaux Jr. is also a straight man. Only he's in the middle of his very own clown college, and the pies are coming from all around him.
Hank is the acting English department chair of a lower rate university in the town of Railton, Pennsylvania. The whole department is in a tizzy out of fear of being victims of the impending budget cuts. They are afraid Hank has the control to make those cuts and continually bombard him with questions and rumors.
Hank's position normally wouldn't be that interesting. However, his father is none other than William Henry Devereaux Sr., the renowned author and legendary guest professor of many acclaimed institutions. The only thing bigger than the Senior's brain is his ego. Now, with his glory days of praise and worship behind him, Henry Sr. is returning to Railton to live out his final years.
More pies come from the home front as well. Hank's wife, Lily is convinced there is something wrong with him. She is leaving for a Philadelphia trip and fully expects her husband to be in jail or the hospital before she returns home. Hank's youngest daughter is spending money she doesn't have and her marriage is falling apart because of it.
Now, before you start thinking So What?, let me tell you how completely funny
Straight Man is.
Richard Russo doesn't write humor. He merely points out how funny the events in one's life really are. In the case of Straight Man, the life in question is Hank's.
Russo does a superb job of creating a genuine college environment. There is one male feminist professor who adds "or she" to every sentence that has a "he" in it. Because of this annoying habit, he has been given the nickname "Orshee". There is another professor who has a suspicious Ph.D. from an unaccredited institution near the Mexican border. Hank sometimes addresses the man in Spanish just to get a rise out of him.
Russo has added some stereotypical college students, as well. In the background are bored kids who are just taking classes to get their diplomas. Hank also has one student who is beyond overachievement. He is obsessed with becoming a writer, and continually bombards Hank with his stories on necrophilia.
One day at the university pond, for the pleasure of a local television news crew, Hank grabs a goose by the neck. While the tape is rolling, Hank threatens to kill a duck a day until he gets a budget for his department. This throws the university in an uproar. Half the people support his actions, the other half are outraged. Everyone, of course, thinks he's entirely serious about killing ducks.
Straight Man. does have its dark elements. Hank's relationship with his father is strained. He also has a hard time sitting back and watching his daughter screw up her life. Russo's gift is that he can weave hilarity through these difficult times just as others do in real life.
This review would not be complete without discussing the numerous references to Occam's Razor in Straight Man. This is a reference credited to William of Occam, a 14th century logician. Basically, the principle says that if you have two theories that arrive at the same conclusion, the simpler theory is the best choice. In Straight Man I'd say Occam's Razor applies to Hank's desire to make life, and its elements, as simple as possible. There is no need for hysteria and overcontemplation, which are two favorite pastimes at the university.
This is not your typical no-brainer novel. Those of you who enjoy dark comedies with a dose of sarcasm will appreciate this book. It is fresh. It is unique. Just when you think you are reading a complex novel, Russo ends the books by pointing out just how simple life really is.
I would recommend this book to about half of my friends. My mother, who likes political thrillers, probably wouldn't appreciate it. My sister, who likes fiction off the beaten path, would enjoy it. If you can appreciate a witty, dark book that will make you think, then by all means pick up Straight Man.
