What Is The Plot Of Straight Man?

Straight Man' by Richard Russo is this brilliantly chaotic, darkly comic novel that feels like it’s holding up a funhouse mirror to academic life. The story follows William Henry Devereaux Jr., a middle-aged English department chair at a poorly funded Pennsylvania college, who’s navigating a midlife crisis while the university teeters on the brink of financial collapse. Hank, as he’s known, is sarcastic, self-deprecating, and utterly relatable in his flaws—think of him as a mix of Holden Caulfield’s cynicism and Walter White’s desperation, but with a tweed jacket and a duck under his arm (yes, that happens). The plot spirals from there: budget cuts threaten jobs, colleagues turn into frenemies, and Hank’s personal life unravels as his wife’s patience wears thin. There’s a surreal moment where he threatens to kill a goose on live TV, which becomes this weirdly symbolic act of rebellion against the absurdity of it all.

What makes 'Straight Man' so addictive is how Russo balances razor-sharp satire with genuine heart. Hank’s rants about academia’s bureaucracy are laugh-out-loud funny, but underneath, there’s this poignant exploration of aging, failure, and the fear of becoming irrelevant. The supporting cast—a narcissistic dean, a perpetually offended feminist scholar, Hank’s estranged father (a literary giant he’s forever compared to)—add layers of dysfunction. By the end, you’re left with this messy, human portrait of a guy who’s just trying to keep his head above water while the world insists on dunking him under. It’s the kind of book that makes you cringe and nod in recognition simultaneously, like overhearing your own thoughts in someone else’s voice.