Friday, November 08, 2019

FFB: THE ODDS, Stewart O'Nan



Another brilliant novel by the master.

A middle-aged couple, headed for divorce, decides to spend their final weekend together (Valentine's Day) at Niagara Falls, where they spent their first one.

They also decide to take the money left in the bank after some disastrous decisions and see if they can solve some of their troubles at the casino tables. This is not a travelogue of Niagara Falls but one that winds through their past a bit. They seldom leave the hotel, restaurants and casino in this book.

Sad, lovely, romantic, despairing, hopeful--all of these in this portrait of a marriage and what can go wrong and right with it. Just great stuff. There are few better writers for me.

7 comments:

Jeff Meyerson said...

Yes, another fine book, right with (well, a little behind) LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER. I thought of George when reading it because of the Heart concert. I really should catch up on the ones of his I've missed.

George said...

I really liked THE ODDS with a setting I'm very familiar with.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I think O'Nan lives in Pittsburgh but he was certainly familiar with this setting.

George said...

Patti, O'Nan got the details right!

Steve Oerkfitz said...

I've only read two books by O'Nan but I liked both-A Prayer For the Dying and Speed Queen. He seems to vary his subject matter a bit.

pattinase (abbott) said...

He does. I have read them all and my favorite is LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER. But A PRAYER FOR THE DYING is right up there as is SPEED QUEEN. Only one I didn't care for.

Clipping Path said...


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