Empire Falls by Richard Russo - DNF

I enjoyed the first 50 or so pages trying to take all the backstories in stride, even delighting in the fact that I was actually keeping all the many characters in order. But my interest started waning after about a hundred pages when there just seemed to be no movement in the plot. I kept reading, though, until the middle of the book and then had to abandoned it, borrowing the DVD from the library instead. 3+ hours later I realized that, except for some tension and a few twists towards the end, the story never really goes anywhere.

Miles Roby has been slinging burgers at the Empire Grill for 20 years, a job that cost him his college education and much of his self-respect. What keeps him there? It could be his bright, sensitive daughter, Tick, who needs all his help surviving the local high school. Or maybe it's Janine, Miles's soon-to-be ex-wife, who's taken up with a noxiously vain health-club proprietor. Or perhaps it's the imperious Francine Whiting, who owns everything in town - and seems to believe that "everything" includes Miles himself. In Empire Falls Richard Russo delves deep into the blue-collar heart of America in a work that overflows with hilarity, heartache, and grace. (back cover)