Richard Russo's novels Empire Falls and Nobody's Fool examine the relationships between individuals in a small town environment. In Empire Falls, Miles Roby and his family have been in Empire Falls for much of their lives with no foreseeable changes in the future. In Nobody's Fool, Donald "Sully" Sullivan has lived in North Bath, New York since he was a child and seems to have deteriorated with the town. In both novels, the towns have declining economic prospects and the residents have little involvement in events outside their towns. The landlocked geography of Empire Falls, Maine, and North Bath, New York, has a profound impact on each character's ability to grow personally and intellectually. Empire Falls is located several hours from a major metropolitan area and is described as being very inclusive, in that many residents are unfamiliar with the geography of neighboring towns. The city is described as “imbued with an atmosphere of resignation, depression, and decadence” (Allen 259). The geography of Empire Falls inflicts an attitude of fatalism on its victims, causing isolationism and depression. One of these victims is Miles Roby. Early in the novel, Miles states, “No matter how well you planned something, God always planned better. If he was feeling stingy that day and didn't want you to have a little thing you had your heart set on, then you weren't going to get it and that was all there was to it. » (Russo, Empire Falls 5000). Miles' attitude is a recipe for laziness and failure, as it encourages the deflection of responsibility for the able-bodied human's state of progress toward a higher power. Assuming Miles is referring to Christianity, Miles would be advised to seek God's guidance for the plan rather than believe middle of paper......5-56. Print. Prager, Michael. "Run-of-the-Mill? Not Empire Falls." Boston Globe [Boston] June 27, 2001: D13. Rep. in contemporary literary criticism. Flight. 181. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 256-57. Print.Prose, Francine. “Smart Small-Town Alecks.” New York Times June 20, 1993: 1. Print. Proulx, Annie E. "What It Takes to Endure the Lost and Stubborn Citizens of Upstate New York by Richard Russo." » Chicago Tribune Books May 30, 1993: 1. Rpt. in contemporary literary criticism. Flight. 181. Detroit: Gale, 1993. 235-36. Print.Russo, Richard. Falls of the Empire. New York: Vintage, 2002. Print.Russo, Richard. Nobody is stupid. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print. Smith, Wendy. "Richard Russo: The novelist once again explores the crucial impact of place on individual destinies." Publishers Weekly June 7, 1993: 43-44. Rep. in contemporary literary criticism. Flight. 181. Detroit: Gale, 1993. 237-40. Print.