Customer Reviews

My Name Is Russell Fink

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are a fan of Ray Blackston, you are going to want to check into Michael Snyder.

With fresh and humorous storytelling, Snyder dumps us into the world of Russell Fink. Russell oozes dysfunction what with being named after his imprisoned grandfather and doomed to inherit his father's double chin. Russell fears the notoriety of both male role models and bad genes have pretty much cooked his own goose. After all, he's already killed once and just awaits the cancer that will surely be his reward.

With a sharp wit and troublesome tongue Russell both severs relationships and endears himself to a quirky cast of characters. Can Russell shed his wacky fiancee so that he can embrace true love? Will Russell ever find faith instead of empty religion? Does Russell deserve anything good or satisfying?

I wanted to hug Russell and make him a homemade meal, or at least pour him a bowl of cereal.

I found myself surprised with a completely unexpected revelation within the story which was nice. My only non-rave, but not big enough to keep it from a five star read, is that the end felt a little rushed with the unraveling of the details. But this was definitely a minor concern. If you must have "all your ducks in a row" in your endings you might have an issue with some ambiguity.

Russell is a satisfying and introspective read. Fans of Annette Smith's A Bigger Life should find it appealing also.

I am a Snyder fan, and am anxiously awaiting the next release. I wouldn't mind a follow-up to Russell, I wasn't quite ready to leave him.

"My Name Is Russell Fink" is about an average, quirky guy who faces unpredicatable changes in his life while negotiating the complexities of relationships. It is a book written from a Christian worldview though it is not blatantly so. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and would compare the writing style to that of Douglas Coupland. The characters are quirky and the story is interesting complete with love, loss, mystery, and a basset hound that gives sage advice. Overall, a light and fun read!

I loved the book as very funny and creative character-driven fiction. I hate using the word "quirky" to describe his characters, so I won't use it. I'll call them extra-human; they are flawed but goodness shines through in unexpected places. I couldn't classify this under a genre such as chick-lit, lad-lit, dog-lit, or chicken-soup-for-whatever-group-lit. I mean, how many books besides this one have a clarvoyant dog, a family named "Fink", and will genuinely move you while tickling your funny bone?

In creating Russell Fink, Michael Snyder has crafted something unique that reflects the influence of writers such as Douglas Coupland, Nick Hornby, Ray Blackston, and Carl Hiassen. I'm looking forward to what the author does next.

this was one of the many books i get sent in hopes that i'll read and review them on my blog. i love that, but can't get to many of them (many are on my "to read" pile in the hope that i will, eventually, get to them!). but this one, from my own parent company, zondervan, caught my eye as a potentially unique book of christian fiction. and i was right in that -- it is not like most (or any?) christian fiction. which is probably a major reason i loved it.

russell fink is a slacker, to put it bluntly. really, just a loser with a loser job, and a horrible fiance, and a closeted alcoholic mother, and a disgraced faith healer father, and... the list goes on. oh, and an old dog russell likes to get drunk on whiskey-soaked doggie biscuits and who, russell is convinced, is somewhat prophetic or clairvoiant when doggie-drunk. yeah. did i say it's christian fiction?

oh, and the story has a doggie murder mystery in it. and a roomate who's engaged to an astronaut.

ok, i'll stop with the details, because i might scare you off. michael snyder (the author) is one of those writers who makes me jealous. while truly enjoying the story, i was regularly distracted with the thought, "oh, man, that was a great sentence -- i wish i could write a sentence like that." and, of course, there are some wonderful and noble themes, some coming-of-age stuff, some coming to terms with one's own parents and past stuff, some relational stuff, and -- mostly -- some "what to do with a god who just doesn't make sense to me" stuff. not a bunch of pretty and easy resolve, as you might expect from christian fiction. more great questions than great answers.

I loved this book! Very interesting characters. Great dialog. Spiritually real... Russell struggles with the same doubts and dilemmas as all Christians. Never before have I felt the Holy Spirit move while reading a fiction book, but with this one I felt it twice! I highly recommend this book! If you love John Irving or Nick Hornby give Michael Snyder a try.

Russell Fink's world is so much fun. In his debut novel, Michael Snyder has created a classic. What else can you call a story that prominently features an alcoholic basset hound with drunken tendencies toward clairvoyance?

Some reviewers have classified Russell Fink as chick-lit. If so, this non-chick just discovered a new favorite genre. To me, a guy who doesn't really know what chick-lit is or isn't, MY NAME IS RUSSELL FINK reads like a timely work of literature, coming-of-age in a world that makes no sense. It's a post-post-modern manifesto, a declaration that the system is broke and we're all just supposed to do the best we can to survive it without losing hold of who we are in the process.

Russell Fink is an everyman. Every reader is likely to see themselves in the title character. There are so many plot points that make one stop and think. The relationship with an incarcerated grandfather who has become the family's black sheep. The self-centered finance who dictates the rules in a highly choreographed, passionless relationship. The real love of Russell's life, who he's afraid to acknowledge, and who is afraid to be loved in return. The quirky friend who operates by his own set of rules and can't seem to fit in with proper society but doesn't seem to care. The career-driven parents who see Russell as a roadblock to their success. And, of course, that timeless bond between boy and dog that death can't even break.

This is a Christian book, and nearly all of the characters in it--even the most random, unlikely characters--display a spiritual wisdom that seems lacking in so many Christian circles these days. But far from being preachy, Snyder explores issues of faith, service, and forgiveness honestly through the eyes of a smart-alack slacker (the character, not the writer). God is a present force in this book, popping up at times when least expected and even unwelcomed, but popping up nonetheless.

RUSSELL FINK is also an exploration of the celebrity-driven church, a tender glimpse beneath the idyllic mask of spiritual perfection at the things that lurk behind the public face of big-time ministry. Here, good and bad coexist, held together by mercy and love. There's something almost perfect about the imperfection of a fallen evangelist's dysfunctional family, and how that family loves even when the way they show that love doesn't look like love at all.

The only thing that would have made RUSSELL FINK a better novel is if the story had continued on for another three hundred pages or so.

Michael Snyder's has written a brilliant debut novel. It's funny, thoughtful, with one great character after another. But for me, what made My Name Is Russell Fink a cut above the rest, was the way it managed to juggle its themes and storylines seamlessly and to such a satisfying end.

It's true to life in that way. Russell is a struggling salesman, trapped in a narcissistic loveless engagement, he continues to deal with guilt over the loss of his sister, and he's investigating the murder of his clairvoyant basset hound (which, come on, how cool is it to have a pet that can see the future?).

Any of these would plotlines would be more then enough for your average book.

But Snyder's story is smarter then that. He understands that in life problems don't come to us one at a time--so why should they in our stories? Russell is just starting to understand one issue when another pops up. It seems that it'd be easy for him to drown everything around him but he doesn't. And for that he's heroic. He continues to search for who murdered his dog, to find true love, to find faith, to reconcile family, and maybe in the own process to regain his soul.

His journey is unique, funny, sometimes sad, but always engaging and worth the read. I saw a lot of myself in Russell and imagine you will too. I think that's why he's such a memorable character and this is such a memorable book.

Now stop reading this and get yourself a copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! And that's saying something cause i don't read books very often. Who could not love a book that has ..'whispy biscuits'? The hockey stick incident was over the top, FUNNY! I cracked up laughing! You'll fall in love with Russell and his basset hound. It's funny, it's mysterious, it's dog gone hilarious!! Pick up your copy today.

"Here's the church. Here's the steeple. Read this book and enjoy it, people!"

My Name is Russell Fink is a must read for anyone who loves a witty, heart-warming adventure that will bring laughter and tears. Michael Snyder's unique style of writing is so refreshing and inspiring that I couldn't put it down!

By exploring Russell Fink's trials, relationships, and mysteries, I found my own faith uplifted. This quirky character is neurotic, scarred, and loyal to a fault. His best friend in the world is his alcoholic dog, Sonny, whose murder takes Russell on a spiritual journey leading to family unity and true love.

Reading this wonderful book left me wanting more. I'm hoping for a sequel, so I can find out what the future holds for Russell, his true love, and his family.

Michael Snyder's, Russell Fink, is one of those books that, well, the stranger it becomes, the more sense it makes...if that makes sense. But that's the beauty of it! Well, you'll just have to read it to see what I mean. And I can't tell you how great it is to read a Christian character who isn't 1) a consummate do-gooder, or 2) a closet phsyco, or 3) a hypocrite in general. Russell Fink is a perfectly quirky, sort of weird guy...which...gosh...he sounds like 'people.'

One note...I was a little insulted by the editor's review on this page. Apparently, we Christian ladies might be too easily befuddled by this novel to enjoy it. Yeah, right.

Nice work, Mr. Snyder. You wrote a hoot of a book!