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Sep 25, 2019CL_kcls rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I was fascinated but mildly disappointed in 'Chances Are...', however that will NOT prevent my eager hope and expectation of and for whatever Richard Russo writes next. He's in my top 5 of favorite authors. It was difficult for me to see where 'Chances Are...' was going. However the character development is fascinating. That they did not recognize their own growth nor each others (and, sometimes, their lack of it), and their limited understanding of it, is compelling. "Was this what we wanted from our oldest friends? Reassurance that the world we remember so fondly still exists? That it hasn't been replaced by a reality we're less fully committed to?" It takes this reunion weekend and a haunting mystery of their youth to allow them to examine themselves, their relationships - especially with their parents, their fathers in particular, how they got where they are and how they will go forward with this knowledge. "How many times as a boy had he asked his parents for help only to have them snatch the paper or pen out of his hand and just do whatever it was that he needed help with, as if his presence in their lives and incessant demands on their lives were just too exhausting for words. Clearly, he wasn't worth their effort. If he had been, they'd have gladly spent time with him." I sincerely hope that quote, nor any of the characters family histories did not come from the author's experience. 4.5 stars