Richard Russo's Novel CHANCES ARE - Not Good for a Good Read

Richard Russo is nobody's fool when it comes to writing clever novels.  I'll give it to you straight,  "Chances Are" is a major fall from his previous imperial works.  The novel is about 4 friends whose friendship was forged as freshmen in college during the turbulent Viet Nam years.  Lincoln, Teddy, Mickey, the 3 male musketeers all vie for despite maintaining a motto of all for one.  And, one female Jacy for whom the 3 buddies vie for and would die for.  The individual back stories these four insipid guys are a complete bore.  Jacy's backstory is full incredulous melodrama.  Mickey's number comes up top in the draft.  Can you sing revelie or Oh Canada?   Jacy's determined to steer Mickey to dodge the draft.  The 3 buddies & gal pal plan a last hoorah after graduating at Lincoln's family home in Nantucket before they spread apart in different directions.  The novel is broken up into the 3 Musketeers which all revolve around their love for Jacy.  On the last day of their weekend swan song Jacy departs early leaving a note; never to be seen again nor forgotten.  Therein lies a mystery of what happened to their beloved Jacy.  Could there have been foul play?  The real mystery is how such witty writer could write such a shallow & facetious novel.  The characters are insipid and unappealing.  The payoff of what happened to the damsel that dazzled everyone in college is off-putting and trite.  Russo attempts to be profoundly philosophical about fate comes too late and only irritates.   "What made the contest between fate and free will so lopsided was that human beings invariably mistook one for the other, hurling themselves furiously against that which is fixed and immutable while ignoring the very things over which they actually had some control."  The time  wasted reading "Chances Are" makes me want to hurl.