The Odds: A Love Story

by Stewart O'Nan

The beloved Stewart O'Nan, author of the bestselling Last Night at the Lobster and Emily, Alone, returns with another bittersweet gem.

Jobless, nearly homeless, and with their marriage on the brink of collapse, Art and Marion Fowler flee their Cleveland home for one last Valentine's Day hurrah at Niagara Falls. Their days are spent sightseeing, but at night they risk what dwindling resources they have left at the roulette wheel to fix their finances.

A tender yet honest exploration of faith, forgiveness and last chances. The Odds is a reminder that love and life are always a gamble.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Book Club, Contemporary, Marriage, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction

179 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Stewart O'Nan is the author of eighteen novels, including Emily, Alone; Last Night at the Lobster; A Prayer for the Dying; Snow Angels; and the forthcoming Ocean State, due out from Grove/Atlantic on March 8th, 2022.

With Stephen King, I’ve also co-written Faithful, a nonfiction account of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and the e-story “A Face in the Crowd.”

You can catch me at stewart-onan.com, on Twitter @stewartonan and on Facebook @stewartONanAuthor

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with Elyse, our first buddy read. We decided to read one by Stewart O’Nan because we both wanted to read more by him. At first we were going to try to write a joint review, but couldn’t quite decide on how to do that, so we decided we would each write our own review and also talk about our experience discussing it and post them together. As you might suspect, the discussion points were many, some very pertinent to the story and others, well pertinent to our lives, but what the heck - Goodreads friendships can be about more than books !

My thoughts :
It’s a short book, but packed with a whole lot as it about a marriage on the edge of falling apart after 30 years. It’s Valentine’s Day and Art and Marion are broke, about to lose their house and each other, so they take their last savings to a casino in Niagara Falls, Canada to gamble, a gamble about more than just money. I loved the setting, the place where they honeymooned. I live only an hour and 45 minutes drive from Niagara Falls, Canada, less than that to the US side and have been to both locations numerous times. I’ve even been to the casino they go to a couple of times . (Elyse doesn’t gamble . I like to play the penny slots.)The sights they see were familiar to me and I could picture them there . One of my questions for Elyse was whether or not she had ever been to Niagara Falls. She has not, so I told her a little about it.

Financial problems are just one of the issues facing Art and Marion. There are also past infidelities, one having a hard time getting over and one not ever revealed. Art is hoping for the best outcome - wanting to win her back , what they had - not the money - that didn’t matter . He had hope. Marion seemed to lack that hope. These were flawed and fabulous, realistic characters. I liked Art at times and didn’t like him at others . I liked Marion at times and didn’t Ike her at others. I can’t even say I was rooting for one outcome or another, but I was totally engaged in wanting to know where things would go for them. This was pretty introspective, but I never really knew where they would end up until the end. I thought for a while that the point was that everything is a gamble but later wondered - is it ?

“The happiest she’d ever been was with him, and the saddest . Was that the true test of love ?”

“You couldn’t relive your life, skipping the awful parts , without losing what made it worthwhile. You had to accept it as a whole—like the world, or the person you loved .”

Elyse and I also talked about sexy shoes vs comfy shoes, whether we had ever asked our husbands which shoe to wear, (we both prefer comfort to style); getting stoned, (we both have ); our thoughts on the infidelities ( neither of us have experienced it in our marriages) - all of which were very related to the novel. We also texted and talked about a lot of other things, which made for an interesting discussion that cemented our long Goodreads friendship.

It’s very well written, so much here in this short book - the ups and downs of a thirty year marriage. Great writing style with alternating points of view. Loved the the odds before each chapter about numerous things : “Odds of a married couple reaching their 25th anniversary 1-6” , “Odds of seeing a shooting star 1 in 5,800”. Throughout, I couldn’t help but wonder what the odds were that this marriage will survive. Odds that I’ll read more by Stewart O’Nan , 1 -1.

Thanks, Elyse !
Elyse’s terrific review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update….

Odds that Angela and I talked about family, marriage, shoes, friendships, furniture, lunches, baseball, gambling, weed, aging, laundry, even the weather….
…..besides “The Odds: A Love Story”, by Stewart O’Nan
Yep….easy odds: 1 in 1

Angela is a wonderful book-buddy: a huge added treat to my reading!!!

Before our phone conversation to discuss this book (almost a 2 hour discussion)…I sent Angela a text asking a very important question…
Angela, “Have you ever asked her husband which shoes 👠 👞 to wear when going out to dinner? Ever? Sexy or comfortable walking ones?”
Angela and I had some great laughs….
Nope….
….Neither of us had ever asked our husbands the ‘shoe’ question. Sometimes which dress he preferred- but shoes - never.

There is a funny scene in this book - where Marion asks Art, her husband, this shoe question.
I/we won’t spoil O’Nan’s ‘shoe’ scene any more than this….but there was something about it that stands out—in readers mind.
It’s charming and endearing.

Angela and I talked about Art and Marion Fowler, the middle-age couple in the midst marital hell.
Their going to Niagara Falls is where they hope to find their way out of their financial and marital crisis….leaving from their home in Cleveland, for a pre-divorce- three day-Valentine’s Day weekend > where they honeymoon twenty-five years ago.

Angela asked me if I had ever been to Niagara Falls. I haven’t.
It was fun listening to Angela describe her visits —the difference from the U.S side and the Canadian side (Canadian side wins, hands down, Angela said). I believe her! It was the side that Art and Marion visited also.

Angela and I both loved the setting, the clever styling of ‘The Odds’…..the wonderful cleverness.
We also both liked the narrative, dialogue, descriptions, and the entire pint size-fully-packed-novel.

Stewart O’Nan is a dynamite skillful author. I’ve yet to read a book he’s written that I haven’t liked.

O’Nan captured my heart through Art and Marion. The humor and inner musings are wonderful-
-but the issues they were dealing with were serious. They’d lost their jobs, their house back in Cleveland was under water, and the thirty years of marriage under their belts had some bad blood flowing —their nitpicking bitterness (mostly Marion towards Art for having cheated years ago), infiltrated their every waking hour.
It annoyed Marion that Art seemed to do anything to please her…she wanted out. Art wanted to win Marion back.
Art had a plan…a crazy plan to get them out of debt and win Marion back…..at the roulette table in the casino.
I was clear Art never wanted a divorce-and cared almost zilch about the money…but he was sure his financial plan would work. Marion, had doubts with every step she took.

Both Art and Marion had their quirks & flaws—with shaky marriage history. Their vacation was a last effort gamble: divorce or not.
The storytelling could have gone in several directions…..In fact, it could have gone on longer…..I enjoyed the entire journey….
There were really funny OH MY GOD scenes (on a bus, at dinner, in a hotel room, etc.)….
I really hadn’t a clue how the story would end, other than hope…as it looked like the odds were stacked against them…
but ….then again…..this was a love story. It says so right on the title.

So….what were the odds that by Art and Marion gambling their future 🎰 …..both wishing different outcomes, would both leave the weekend a winner?

Wonderful writing, storytelling love that was never too mushy.

Thanks, Angela….you made this soooo much FUN!!!
So….I not only recommend this book — I recommend all of us pick a buddy on Goodreads to read with occasionally. The experience is always elevated…. And our many friendships are undoubtedly valuable!!!

5 stars from me -
4 from Angela -
[We both loved it]

5 stars for book buddy reading. Adds icing to the cake!!



Old post:
Update: For PURE FUN…. Angela and I will write a joint review— (in a few days after we’ve had time to chit/chat this little hidden gem)… we both loved it!

Buddy-reading-with Angela :)
.....review in a day or two. I thought it was WONDERFUL & ADORABLE!!! (gotta be married many years to say this) -haha!

What are the ODDS of a Stewart O'Nan novel 'being' *adorable*?
1 out of 1

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The odds of surviving going over Niagara Falls in a barrel: 1 in 3

The odds of married people reaching their 25th anniversary: 1 in 6


This little book (just 179 pages), The Odds: A Love Story, by Stewart O'Nan is one that I just read for the second time. Anyone who knows me is aware that I love Stewart O'Nan's storytelling, but the first time I read this book years ago, I was less than impressed with it. I'm not sure why I decided to revisit the book but I'm happy I did. I found that this time the story had quite a lot to say to me. This story is about Art and Marion Fowler, a middle-aged couple with two grown children who on the eve of their 30th wedding anniversary, are on the brink of losing everything. Both are jobless, their home is approaching foreclosure and their marriage is in tatters.

It was Valentine's Day weekend and Art, struck by the fact that he and Marion had nothing much to lose, hatched a plan to liquidate what remained of their savings and travel to the fanciest casino they knew at Niagara Falls.... the place they had spent their honeymoon. Art's plan involved he and Marion trying their luck at the blackjack table... maybe they would finally capture some luck and win enough money to put their balance sheets back in the black. After a bit of cajoling, Marion agreed to Art's scheme and the two boarded a bus near Lake Erie for their trip to Niagara Falls.

What struck me about this story was that from the beginning of the weekend, Art and Marion had very different expectations and ideas of what would happen during their days together. Art looked at the trip as a "mission to recapture, by one daring, reckless gesture everything they'd lost." Art was hopeful and willing to roll the dice one more time... not only for monetary gain but to maybe gain back something in their marriage that had been lost. Art's hopefulness was in stark contrast to Marion's feelings of resignation and that the weekend was a mere formality.. a weekend she felt she owed Art before they returned home and proceeded to divide up what little was left of their life together.... "Marion was just hoping to endure it with some grace and get back home so she could start dealing with the paperwork required to become for the first time in her life, a single-filing taxpayer."

At the hotel, Art and Marion went sightseeing during the day like any tourists would and at night checked out the casino. Art had devised what he thought of as a fool-proof plan to at least double their money and endlessly spoke of his plan to Marion, wearing his hopefulness on his sleeve and an unasked question in his eyes... 'can I have just one more chance?'. Marion was skeptical and didn't try to hide her feelings and often fell into what seemed her practiced role as aggrieved spouse, often cruelly reminding Art of his infidelity (and somehow managing to put her own infidelity out of her mind.. perhaps because she had not confessed nor had been caught). I could see the complex dance these characters had engaged in and perfected over the 30 years they had been together.. the dance that represented how each had learned to relate to each other and yes, sometimes manipulate and control each other. And although the scenes between Art and Marion filled me with sadness, I had to admire Stewart O'Nan's seemingly effortless ability to demonstrate the stark realities of a marriage.. a relationship.. which had worn itself out.

I can't say that Marion and Art Fowler were sympathetic characters and often I felt like a voyeur.. eavesdropping on their most intimate conversations and private pain. But the two were often petulant and accusatory toward each other and although THEY seemed to believe that their financial problems were their greatest and most pressing problems, I couldn't help but disagree. But I have to also admit that there was something powerful still at work between these two embattled spouses. Being privy to their conversations and the ways in which they related to each other reminded me of what a powerful hold a shared history can have on people. Sharing a history with someone.. good times and bad ..has a way of taking the memories people share and turning them into shapes that are often softer and sweeter and maybe just a bit faded around the edges; and just below the surface, Art and Marion were still held together by their powerful shared memories.. even if they weren't always aware of it. Marion, who could barely contain her impatience with Art and the weekend was not immune to the memories she shared with her husband. She admitted to herself.. "The happiest she'd ever been was with him and the saddest. Was that the true test of love?"
And Art... ever hopeful that they could rekindle what they had once shared .. couldn't help but remember his wife as she had been when he met her... "He liked to believe that when he first met her, when she was completely foreign and even more inscrutable, a solemn blond sociology major freshly graduated from Wooster with granny glasses and a tennis player's shapely legs, a girlish love of James Taylor and Dan Fogelberg, a cedar chest full of pastel sweaters and a shelf crowded with naked neon-haired troll dolls, she had believed in things- luck, goodness and the inexhaustible possibilities of life... "

The closing pages in this story play out in the casino... this is the climax and the ending of Art and Marion Fowler's story. Do they get a happily-ever-after? Or does their fairy tale come to an end? The truth is that the ending is ambiguous. I'm not at all sure how this story ended. I have an ending in mind but read the story and decide for yourself. What I DO know is that Stewart O'Nan has crafted a story rich in symbolism. What better symbol for a marriage than time spent at a blackjack table? Because really.. isn't deciding to marry someone one of the biggest gambles a person can make?

[Tooter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded down.

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Odds A Love Storyis the first of Stewart O’Nan’s thirteen novels that I have read and I could almost dismiss it, but . . .. My thoughts after the last page were questions about whether or not I had read something worthwhile, even profound.

The story is simple to summarize: after 30 years of marriage and two affairs, one acknowledged and one kept secret and looming bankruptcy due to lost jobs and overextending on a house and a kitchen remodel, Art and Marion wager all they have left on Valentine’s Day weekend in Niagara Falls. They book an expensive honeymoon suite, visit tourist attractions, and eat and drink with abandon before they hit the casino to see if they are luckier at the tables than they have been during their marriage and the recession of 2008.

O’Nan does more than tell this story, though. He draws the reader into Art and Marion’s lives and experiences, opens up their intimate thoughts and interactions, and chronicles authentic aspects of our society.

In an interview with the author for Open Salon , Jonathan Evison writes, “O’Nan is not without his critics, and they almost always seem to say the same thing, at least in recent years: Nothing happens in his stories. His fans might argue that’s precisely the point. What O’Nan has done perhaps better than anybody else the past 10 years is deliver us the complexity, heartbreak and human drama of everyday people living everyday lives.”

I will definitely read more by O’Nan.

[Vonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am most likely biased based on a recent personal "adventure" with the misgiving of relationships and the perils of love... If I know what it is. O'Nan wrote, as always, with grace, admirable description, & his near unique ability to make the ordinary extraordinary. All his novels take an everyday event, usually covering a very brief period of time, and paint a picture of a working class, typical, seemingly everyday relationship, day at work, small-town event, etc.

I found The Chapter Titles very intriguing ("Odds Of 25th Marriage Anniversary: 1 in 6; Odds of Sex On Valentine's Day 1 in 5; Odds Of "Funny Valentine Playing In A Jazz Band On The Day: 1 in 1; Odds Surviving Fall Down Niagra In A Barrel: 1in 3)... I doubted the accuracy of some of them, but it might be because I have never thought of it in those terms before.

This novel, in particular, painted a very accurate pictureof a relationship- a romantic relationship in particular- whether it be a marriage, a partnership, an engagement, a boyfriend/girlfriend couple just beginning. He shows how a couple can have their inside jokes; how in public they can act (and often do) vastly different than how they do behind closed doors. Again, I may be biased due to personal events in my own world as of late, but this is probably the best example I can think of that shows the complexities of a romantic relationship... Yet, at the same time, just how similar & simple romantic relationships are, across generations, cultures, time, & space. Many of us think our relationships are unique; we wonder that no one else argues as we do... but that would be inaccurate. iIn one scene, A "Just Married" couple is seen arguing to the point of tears, hours after vows are read. This, readers, is exactly how it is in real life, unfortunately. O'Nan artfully shows his readers how complicated a relationship is- especially when complex personalities are placed together, living together, depending on each other financially, emotionally, physically, day in and day out. It's never simple, a relationship... let alone a marriage. Nobody ever said it was easy. Nobody ever said there wouldn't be moments we question our sanity. Nobody ever said both parties would make their mistakes; that we wouldn't have affairs, stray from our loyalties, regret decisions, lose everything dear to us. All we can do is do our best to keep the relationship flourishing... keep our eyes on the ball; the goal... And try to remember that every relationship has its problems; every potential significant other his/her flaws... What we choose to do with this information; how hard we fight to keep what we once knew, to some degree, was exactly what and everything we wanted in life- is where our character shines.

As cliche as it is, Love sucks. Relationships are hard. All we can each do is fight for what we believe in; for those that we love; for what we love. At the end of the day, it is those close to us that matter.

Mr. Stewart O'Nan, I appreciate your writing from the bottom of my porcupine heart.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

ODDS OF WRITING AN NYT BEST SELLER: 1 in 220

Stewart O’Nan is “the man” with his wildly imaginative, poignantly rendered portrayals and he never fails to astound me. In Emily, Alone, he took an ordinary old woman – the kind of person you pass by without a glance nearly every day – and revealed the extraordinary life that lies right beneath the surface. Now again, he lasers in on an ordinary couple, heavily in debt – Art and Marion Fowler – who retreat to Niagara Fall as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage and save themselves from smashing over the rocks into insolvency.

Married 30 years, the couple arrives at the Niagara Falls bridal suite with different expectations. Art is a romantic at heart; Marion has “a genius for self-pity that defeated even his” and views the trip as a sort of farewell gift to him He is betting the proverbial ranch that he can beat the odds in the roulette parlor and “win back the girl” with an opulent second engagement win. Both are high-stake bets.

As in his previous books, Mr. O’Nan is not about flaunting dazzling prose or displaying sleights of hand that will astound and amaze his readers. Rather, he slowly and painstakingly peels the layers back on the marriage that has lost its bearings, both financially and emotionally. As the two navigate the tacky Niagara tourist attractions and the kitschy roulette tables, they begin to join together “on a mission to recapture, by one dashing reckless gesture, everything they’d lost.” Slowly but surely, the reader begins to lose objectivity and root for them to win although it’s anything but a sure bet that they will.

The situations that contribute to their estrangement – Art’s long-past affair with a younger woman Marion’s indiscretions with a female colleague from work – can feel a little forced, particularly Marion’s. I never quite believed it. Mr. O’Nan does far better with the couple’s “ballet of accommodation”, which rings far truer.

Still, this is a novel that once again establishes Stewart O’Nan as an oracle for the so-called ordinary person, a novel that holds out the hope of exhilarating possibilities when we think all is lost. The headlines that accompany each chapter (“Odds of a couple making love on Valentine’s Day: 1 in 1.4., Odds of vomiting on vacation: 1 in 6), add a wryness and humor. It’s a gamble that succeeds.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to first say this: I love Stweart O'Nan. I love him as a 'magnify the details of life and make them wonderful' writer, the classic 'nothing happens but it's well written so who cares' guy. I also had the opportunity to meet him and I think he is the most fantastic person ever. And I thought Wish You Were Here was just great, and The Good Wife changed my whole way of thinking, and the one with the Red Lobster was probably the most understated, poignant read in life.
But this latest one seemed to be the extreme version of his strengths, and ultimately left me cold.
The Odds has a gimmick going that really is quite clever even if it quickly became annoying; a couple is having one last romp to Niagra, their honeymoon spot, before officially divorcing. The husband, Art, is still hoping for a second chance, Marion is ambivalent leaning toward disgust. Each chapter begins with a 'odds of X, 1:3' or whatever, and the whole time they are planning some kind of quasi gambling heist using odds to make a killing at Roulette since Art recently had to declare bankruptcy.
So in truth this set up is lovely, in that we are also seeing if the couple can beat the odds, and all that. But it just dragged. I see now why people didn't take to his other books, even though I totally loved them, because they must have seen them to be the way I saw this one: a lot of nothing happening, people going to the bathroom and popping antiacids and complaining about thyroids and dinner reservations. Also, I really didn't like or sympathize with either character. They were in that god awful I hope this doesn't happen to me middle age marriage place of each person annoying the other simply by breathing. Art tries to be nice? It's cowardly and crowding. He asserts himself? Marion is hurt and annoyed. Gaah! Marion was a total nag and Art was basically whipped. O'Nan definitely portrayed a realistic image but maybe you need to be living through that to want to be bothered, and thankfully I'm not and I hope I never will.
I also think his last line was over the top and he should have ended it the sentence before. Just saying.

[JanB · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was very good but since I read this immediately on finishing Emily, Alone, comparisons were inevitable and I enjoyed Emily, Alone more.

That said, he writes beautifully about ordinary people leading ordinary lives but scratches beneath the surface to reveal the hidden interior life.

I'll definitely read more O'Nan novels but not so close together.

[Mmars · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first O'Nan. Unfortunately, I had a lot of difficulties with this book.

On the positive and was drawn to the theme. Also enjoyed the chapter headings.

Even though I dislike writing negative reviews, even more annoying are negative ratings without justification. So, here goes.

Mundane details. "Her phone rang, a quick trill to let her know she had a Facebook message. Usually it was nothing pressing. Distant friends posting something amusing on her wall, a forwarded YouTube video or a link to a site they thought she might like." Really?

Characterization void. What did the husband look like? Paunchy? Balding? Tall & thin? Not til the near end was there a physical description? Again, really?

Her affair with another woman? Why? Never explained. Clueless. Vague.
Product promotion. Was he paid to mention Ruby Tuesday's, Pepto-Bismol, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Bentley, American Express, SeaWorld, AIG, Countrywide, IMAX, Kroger's, Rolaids and more? Yes, readers, sadly companies will pay authors to mention them in their books. Can't even get away from commercialization in books. Ugh!!!!!!!!

Finally, I just didn't buy it. The story, the couple's problems - just surface sh***t. Where were the deep feelings that drove this couple to the brink? Was it only money, and if they could solve that problem by winning big, then everything would be A-okay???? How many lives have been ruined by this exact gambling strategy?

Oh, and I think they could have died from alcohol poisoning from the amount they drank in one night.

I could only gather that O'Nan doesn't drink, doesn't gamble, and has never had marital problems or he would have written a much different book.

Spare writing. But vapid. Man, writing this, I realized I really hated this book. Dropping it from 2 stars to 1.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

O'Nan has a singular knack of making the commonplace and mundane of vast interest and importance. Loved the odds statistics he gave at the start of each chapter. The hidden meanings he derives from everyday events, especially those that occur within a long marriage where each character has his or her own secrets, longings and expectations. Another very good read from this author.

[Felice · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I crave the chubby novels with 58 main characters, 130 subplots and a heft that guarantees the reader Popeye sized forearms by page 500 I do find the quiet, small, I’m-not-sure-anything-ever-happens-until-suddenly-it-has-happened novels very impressive. Stewart O’Nan is a master of such novels. He leads the reader through the lives of the people they live next door too with the dexterity of a spellbinder.


The Odds is O’Nan’s new novel. It tells the story of Art and Marion Fowler’s marriage. Their 30th anniversary is looming along with their impending divorce and the foreclosure on their home. In a last ditch effort to maybe save their marriage and home Art and Marion take a bus trip they cannot afford from Ohio to Niagara Falls. They honeymooned there and a return trip might bring a miracle that could change to their situation. Once in Niagara, Art and Marion are surrounded by young newlyweds and couples their age celebrating anniversaries. It is all a reminder of what was and what has been lost and of Art’s optimistic fantasy and Marion’s middle age inertia.


Thirty years of hard work and careful financial choices have not saved Art and Marion from a devastating economy. Art, the fixer, thinks he has a handle on that problem. He’s been practicing on online gambling sites. He thinks he knows how to beat the house. O’Nan takes advantage of that plan by heading each chapter of the novel with the odds on: a married couple making love, on Heart playing Barracuda at a concert, on vomiting while on vacation, etc.


O’Nan alternates the chapters between Marion and Art but The Odds is never a she said, he said Can This Marriage Be Saved piece. There is too much reality, too much recognizable everyday in The Odds. It also helps that O’Nan respects his characters. He reveals their story, their sadness without sarcasm or superiority.


I don’t have the skills to properly convey how Stewart O’Nan makes the minutia of normal lives, the concerns and experiences of people like all us fascinating, funny, romantic and heartbreaking in a novel without any of the traditional elements of drama but he does. Read The Odds and you read transcendent writing

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

No other author packs so much into so few words. O’Nan’s
stories are always sparse, but taut, filled with
undercurrents of thought and feelings.
What on the surface seems a simple story, a marriage on the
skids, with dissolution looming, is so much more. In a last
ditch attempt to spin the wheel, role the dice and possibly
beat the odds, Art and Marion Fowler liquidate their assets,
book a room at a plush casino in the most romantic place on
earth, Niagara Falls, and hold their breath. Here, they’d
go for broke, possibly spending their last days as man and
wife.
The Odds with its many themes to explore; love, friendship,
commitment, hope, trust, betrayal, forgiveness, has all it
takes for a good book group discussion.
What are the odds? That is that Stewart O’Nan could write
another winner. If I had taken the bet, I’d be all the
richer.

[David Abrams · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to putting American culture under a microscope, few novelists succeed as well as Stewart O’Nan. Time after time, novel after novel, O’Nan has focused tightly on particular microbes of our society—people like you and me, to be blunt about it—and examined the foibles, the follies, and the flaws of the Way We Live. In Songs for the Missing, he turned his attention to the grief of a family whose teenage daughter goes missing; in Last Night at the Lobster, it was the disappointment of the American economic dream; in Emily, Alone, it was the solitude of the elderly.

In his newest novel, The Odds: A Love Story, O’Nan puts a troubled marriage in the petri dish. As we're told in the first sentence, Art and Marion Fowler are headed for Niagara Falls on "the final weekend of their marriage, hounded by insolvency, indecision, and, stupidly, half-secretly, in the never-distant past rule by memory, infidelity." It's bloated with a few too many commas, perhaps, but that sentence works hard to jam a lot of information into the reader's head. This is O'Nan's forte: economizing language while filling his sentences with details. Here's another one just a couple of paragraphs down the page: "They weren't good liars, they were just afraid of the truth and what it might say about them."

In their early fifties and traveling along the time-worn ruts of their marriage, the Fowlers avoid the hard realities of their fizzled romance--to the point where this novel could be subtitled What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Love. The marriage is pocked with craters, a minefield of secrets which have brought them to the brink of divorce and, by consequence, the edge of bankruptcy. They're $250,000 in debt, Art is six months out of work, and they're facing foreclosure on their home in Cleveland. Now they're literally gambling on the future of their relationship in the casinos at the Niagara resort where Art has booked them a room on Valentine's Day. They spend the mornings playing tourist at hokey stops like Ripley's Believe It Or Not with disastrous results as they desperately try to rekindle the romance of their honeymoon 30 years earlier. At night, they make plans to gamble in the resort's casino (bright and "achime with ringing slot machines") with the last of their savings--the $40,000 they've smuggled across the border of Canada.

Both have cheated on the other. Art has confessed his affair to Marion, but she has kept hers buttoned-up inside (perhaps because it was with another woman). The adultery is the painted backdrop, but it's not the main action on the stage--the marital salvage effort is.

Art believes the marriage can be saved; Marion is less convinced, but is willing to give it one last shot. Art latches on to the smallest sign of her yielding to his plan. O'Nan masterfully illustrates a husband's delusion even in the face of disaster: "If, as he liked to think, his greatest strength was a patient, indomitable hope, his one great shortcoming was a refusal to accept and therefore have any shot at changing his fate, even when the inevitable was clear to him." This becomes abundantly clear when the day of the big gamble comes as Art sits down at the roulette table, systematically playing the black, refusing to budge in the belief that things would get better: "Because eventually, with near even odds, they'd win. It was a question of patience and the willingness to lose big." Marion thinks "his strategy was exactly like him, methodical to a fault."

O'Nan uses a telephoto lens, rather than a wide-angle, to zoom in on this one particular couple facing the romantic torpor common to so many long-term relationships. The Odds is a short book--less than 200 pages--but it says as much about marriage as any doorstopper the size of Anna Karenina or Madame Bovary.

This is essentially a two-character novel--three, if you count the "tireless" Falls with their "monolithic roar" thundering and hissing outside their hotel window. You can bet O'Nan mines the Falls for every ounce of symbolism he can get: the marriage as a river, the precipice-and-plunge of adultery, the misty crash on the rocks below--it's all there, and told in grand literary style:

Here, hard by the rushing current, with a view of the rapids upstream, she could appreciate this wasn't just a river but a whole great lake pouring over a cliff. Feet from the edge, gulls stood on rocks as whitecaps surged past. The blue water turned a sea-green like the curl of a wave, broke and flew, foaming in overlapping sheets as it fell away, constantly, endlessly. She'd forgotten the raw force of it--the exhilarating danger the reason they were all there.

O'Nan also gets good mileage out of romantic metaphors. Niagara is, of course, the kitschy-tacky destination of honeymooners and is never more potent than on this Valentine's Day weekend. Then there's Art's first name, a truncation of "heart." Heart also shows up--the rock band, that is--putting on a show at the resort. And you can hardly turn around in this novel without bumping into the color red--in the nighttime floodlights on the Falls, in the rose Art buys for Marion, in the wine they drink, on the roulette wheel itself.

Like the ball skipping along the slots on the spinning wheel, O'Nan moves the novel's point of view between Art and Marion, gradually filling us in on clues to their past and what brought them here to the point of dissolution. Of the two, Marion seems the most recalcitrant and unforgiving. Art garners our pity, but also our dislike because he can be too passively inert. It's easy to understand why Marion is fed up with his non-committal, eager-to-please behavior. In truth, neither is a wholly likable person, but O'Nan gives just enough detail to make us sympathetic to their plight. By novel's end--which comes quickly and abruptly--we're rooting for this marriage to be saved. For such a short, 200-page relationship, I found myself incredibly moved by what happens to Art and Marion Fowler as they float down the river, calling for help from their barrel just before they go over the edge of the Falls.


This review originally appeared at The Quivering Pen blog.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accidentally deleted my review so here it is again, but I tweaked it because the first draft needed work.

In this bittersweet, spare novella, a Cleveland couple returns to the scene of their honeymoon in Niagara Falls to gamble on their declining thirty-year marriage and bet on their collapsing net worth. Victims of the economic recession, Art and Marion Fowler are unemployed professionals with a quarter-million-dollar debt and a three-decade balance sheet of reproaches, recriminations, and regrets.

As a last gasp venture, Art takes Marion on a Valentine Special Getaway to the Canadian Falls and liquidates their life savings to try and beat the odds at the casino roulette wheel. Art has practiced a mathematical method to this madness and is convinced that they will profit from their return. With a mixture of Art's indomitable hope and hopelessly romantic longing and Marion's brittle skepticism and ephemeral desire, they step, like destiny, into the imminent future to recapture the eternal past.

"The scene had the strange familiarity of a dream or fairytale, as if the place had waited thirty years for them to return to learn their fate, the time in between a blink in the face of eternity."

The slender thread between Art and Marion is achingly evoked by O'Nan's interior, intimate narrative and lingers fluently in his constrained prose. In more cynical writers, this sad couple would crumble or flatten out in a single, oppressive note. However, O'Nan's characters murmur with a disobedient warmth that repudiates their chilly restraints. Back and forth, the sublime choreography of Art and Marion's swan song weekend reveals a muffled ardor beneath the unsettling discomforts and inertia of their lives. Naked compassion juxtaposes cringe moments, and an almost imperceptible heartbeat flutters with melancholy desire. Like a fluid dance, the couple's emotions shift organically through the author's prose in effortless concatenation.

In this subdued but surprisingly epic domestic drama, a lot happens within the quiet but bracing pages. Two people are exposed and recognizable to any couple that has gone through stress or torment in a long relationship. And O'Nan's compassion for his characters echoes a humanity that will be recognizable to everyone. Each short chapter begins with a playful statistic, such as "Odds of a married couple reaching their 25th anniversary: 1 in 6" or "Odds of surviving going over the Falls in a barrel: 1 in 3" and "Odds of a couple taking a second honeymoon to the same destination: 1 in 9." Moreover, the author's use of Niagara Falls as extended metaphor and symbol of natural (the Falls themselves) and artificial (the colored lights, the casino, the consumer attractions) plays out against the Fowler's marriage.

Occasionally, reader weariness sets in due to the inability to release or escape from Art and Marion. And the sudden ending is not as strong as expected by this O'Nan fan.

Thank you to netgalley for providing this book to me on my Kindle.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story, we follow fifty-somethings Art and Marion on a second honeymoon that spans Valentine’s Day, a last chance to save their rocky marriage. Set just after the financial crisis, they have lost their jobs, accumulated debt, and will likely have to file bankruptcy. They set off on an excursion from their home in Ohio on a bus destined for Niagara Falls. They stay on the Canada side at a Casino-Hotel. Art is hoping to win enough money to offset their debts, though they are both novices at gambling. He has read of a “system” he plans to use at the roulette table. In an extravagance they cannot afford, they get the bridal suite. Art hopes the trip can save their marriage, but Marion is not sure it is possible.

Each chapter begins with a probability that provides the odds of a certain event occurring. I enjoyed these little tidbits. The two main characters are deeply drawn, and the reader gets a good idea of what each one thinks the trip will accomplish. The author provides scenes of the two interacting, as well as insight into their individual thoughts. I felt like I was right there with them, accompanying them on their trip. It is the story of a marriage at a crossroads. I enjoyed this book. It is more understated than dynamic, but the people seem very real.

[Crystal (VanillaHearts62) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had some issues with this book.

1. The main characters, Art and Marion, seem to think that winning a huge amount of money will fix their marriage.
2. Many couples divorce because of finances, and this book reinforces the thought that a successful marriage is linked to how much money you have.
3. The affairs were dim, and only offered a small glimpse of what they were missing emotionally from the marriage.
4. Each chapter started off with a fact about the odds of something happening. These were spoilers for the chapter to come.
5. When their daughter Emma called about her proposal, Art and Marion were happy but both were too preoccupied with their own state of affairs to truly cherish the moment. What kind of parenting message is this?
6. Miscommunication is a bigger problem than finances, and although the miscommunication was clear between the characters, it just didn't get resolved. Yeah, they win big at the end but they still don't know how to talk to each other.
7. The characters both got the shits from eating bad seafood. Is this a metaphor I missed? They cared for each other when it happened, but other than that I didn't really see the significance.

I did like the first couple of chapters because the writing really gave a sense of longing and it was emotional. But as the story progressed, I just lost interest and found myself disagreeing more than emphasizing.

[Mari Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stewart O'Nan seems to be one of those uniquely talented writers that never has a blockbuster. I have read several of his books and I think I might know why. He is undeniably a very talented writer and I always enjoy his books... to a point. Every book of his that I have read has always been missing something. Sometimes it's better character development, sometimes a better plot. His novels always JUST seem to miss the mark. In this novel I was really enjoying the story and was really thinking this was the best O'Nan yet... until I reached the end. The characters, while not particularly likable, were interesting. The plot had huge holes in it, a device frequently used by O'Nan, seemingly to creat intrigue,but was still interesting. O'Nan tends to focus on the mundane and leave the bigger picture a little blurry. Even that didn't bother me so much. It was the ending that killed the whole book for me. It was abrupt and jarring. His last line, an attempt to sound profound, came off as trite to me. I was just beginning to connect with the characters and the difficult decisions that had led them to Niagra Falls and their trying to save themselves, when O'Nan ended the book. His cutting the reader off from the "rest of the story" left me feeling like the book was unfinished. Sadly I cannot recommend this one.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art and Marion Fowler are going under., financially and emotionally. Their marriage is falling apart and they are in debt up to their ears, on the verge of losing their home. Art has developed a plan to make some money by playing roulette on the Canadian side of the border at Niagara Falls. This is where they spent their honeymoon. Art has been studying a particular methodology of playing roulette and he sees it as no-fail. They have brought $8,000 with them and need to triple it in order to get free and clear of what they owe.

Up until recently, Marion worked as a case worker in an assisted living facility and Art worked in the insurance business. Because of the economy, both of them have been laid off. Their house is in danger of foreclosure and their savings have dwindled along with the stock market. They are in dire straits.

Marion is haunted by an affair that Art had about twenty years ago with a woman named Wendy. Marion won Art back but she questions if that is what she really wanted. She, too, has had an affair but Art doesn't know anything about it. It was with another woman who she worked with and it ended very badly. It is a secret that weighs her down.

Going to Niagara Falls, the site of their honeymoon, is supposed to be a way for both of them to reconnect. However, Marion sees it as a prelude to divorce while Art sees it as a chance at romance. He has even purchased an expensive ring for Marion that signifies recommitment. He has rented the honeymoon suite and is charging everything on his American Express, expecting to declare bankruptcy in the future.

We watch the two of them try to meet their own needs while attempting to read their partner's needs and wishes. Marion is passive and Art is awkward, neither of them good at asserting what it is they want when they even know what that is.

This is a book about second chances and endings. It is about two mismatched people who have shared a life together and are now on the cusp of having to decide whether to continue life each other or start anew, alone.

The book is short and reads more like a novella than a novel. However, a lot is said in the 179 pages that the book encompasses. It examines relationships and the types of bitterness that never heals, the kinds of hopes that can never be met, and the yearning for something so ideal that it is impossible to attain.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Odds by Stewart O’Nan

If you are looking for a fast-paced, full of excitement, lots of action book, this is not the one for you. If you are looking for a story about a marriage that is ordinary and dying this is it.

Sound like a boring read? Well, it is not boring. It is a funny and sad, simple and complex, honest and like real life, love story.

Marion and Art have been married for 30 years. Thirty years of working, loving, raising a family, and now falling apart. They have lost jobs, are going to lose their home, and are about to lose each other. In a last effort to save it all they take the last of their savings and go to Niagara Falls for a second honeymoon and to play roulette. The odds are against them but they are going to take the chance that they might win.

The Odds is a realistic look at a marriage and what ordinary everyday life can do to people who do not pay attention to what is most important. It is definitely not boring and very much worth reading. It will make you take a deeper look at your relationships.

O’Nan writes books that surprising in the quiet intensity, compassion, humor, and generosity that he gives his characters. This is the third novel of his I have read, Last Night at the Lobster and Emily, Alone are the other two, and they were also well-written, and unexpectedly in the end, love stories.

[Nancy Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love is a gamble, and so is marriage. Marion and Art know this all too well as their marriage has undergone lots of upheavals (affairs, loss of jobs, and possibly the loss of their home because of the economy). One Valentine's Day, they return to their honeymoon spot, Niagara Falls, for one last weekend together to gamble away what is left of their money, knowing they may be heading for bankruptcy and divorce. Art has a plan, though, and maybe, just maybe, his gamble will pay off for them both.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stewart O’Nan’s novel, The Odds -- A Love Story, has many strengths and a few weaknesses, though perhaps the weaknesses are more important than the strengths.

This is a book about a couple whose children are out of the house, who have lost everything in the financial meltdown, and who have decided that they will go to Canadian casinos bordering Niagara Falls to try to win enough money to ease their forthcoming bankruptcy proceedings and inevitable divorce.

The desperate improbability of this scenario is eye-catching, to be sure. O’Nan’s strength is that he makes it real through minute, accurate observations of the couple’s interactions (from both perspectives) in the context of a two-day visit to an appalling tourist destination (not Niagara Falls’ fault).

As I followed what occurs between Art and Marion during their sojourn into reckless gambling, including bedroom, whirlpool, and bar scenes, I couldn’t help thinking of some of John Updike’s Rabbit books and Richard Ford’s Independence Day. Updike was able to make American commercial shlock and meaningless sex sparkle with his dancing style. Ford generally is a more sour and flat critic of contemporary culture in the USA; there’s more overt pain in his work than in Updike’s. O’Nan clearly knows our lifestyle is both thin and dangerous to our souls and wallets, but neither he nor his characters take much issue with the general erosion of civilization that leads, somewhat inevitably, to lots of troubled marriages. Things don’t look good; but they are what they are; and who can do anything about it?

The backstory is that Art had an affair twenty some years ago, and Marion never forgave him. She did, however, have her own affair with a woman, and continues to keep that secret. This tit-for-tat seems to lie at the core of Art’s neediness and Marion’s somewhat generous ambivalence toward him. She’s expert at turning away from him when he wants sex, but she feels guilty about it. So she gives him what he wants, which he tends to think is his gift to her, and then wishes she hadn’t because she knows what she really wants is to separate, live free, get her own place and disentangle herself from him, their past, and their financial crisis.

The brevity, quick pace, good dialogue, insightful details that abound in The Odds compensate to a certain extent for the fact that the really important events in these two lives are only remembered in snatches. We don’t know why Art had his affair. We aren’t really with Marion when she goes through the full stages of a relationship with another woman. We aren’t in the kitchen when Art and Marion are hit in the face by the reality that they really will, having lost their jobs, lose their home. This is the big stuff, not the entertaining but essentially unimportant issue of whether they win or lose playing roulette according to Art’s carefully devised method.

In newspaper jargon, O’Nan has buried his lead. This would be a more compelling book if it took us step by step through the insults and injuries that have brought Art and Marion to emotional and financial ruin. Once we had that in hand, we’d care more about the edgy gamble they undertake to somehow keep them off the streets and in touch with one another as life goes on.

[Ti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Short of It:

A brutally honest look at a marriage in crisis.

The Rest of It:

In all my years as a reader, I’ve never read an O’Nan novel. Boy, have I been missing out.

Art and Marion Fowler ditch their soon-to-be foreclosed home for Niagara Falls, hoping to recoup enough money to save their home and their marriage. The odds are against them, in more ways than one but as they rent the “bridal” suite for one last Valentine’s hurrah, one remains hopeful where the other has totally and utterly given up hope.

From the very first page, it’s clear that Marion is going along with Art’s plan as a way to humor him, or perhaps…she feels obligated to give it one last shot just so she can say that she tried everything in her power to make it work. Regardless, what she is is a broken woman at the end of her rope, hoping to close this chapter so she can move on to the next stage of her life. She’s not entirely convinced that gambling can save them, but she gives it a go for Art’s sake.

Art however, is the opposite. Inside, he knows that the marriage is coming to a close but he’s not ready to throw in the towel. Not quite yet. He’s optimistic to a fault but somehow, you can’t hold that against him. Jobless and wanting nothing more than to provide for his family, he sees this trip as a solution to their problems. Additionally, he has decided to ask Marion to marry him all over again. To start fresh, even if they can never go back to the life they knew so well.

Since the odds of recouping what they need to save the house are slim to none, they continue to squander money by way of their maxed-out credit card, living it up until they are basically told that they no longer can. Fine dinners, champagne and visiting all of the tourist traps that looked much more appealing the first time around. It’s heartbreaking, really.

But as sad and heartbreaking as so much of it was, I adored it. This story is all about second chances and when O’Nan goes into the heads of these characters, he must come out exhausted because these characters are complex characters with real worries and pressures. Ink on paper one second, living and breathing creatures the next. Amazing.

I can’t compare this book to his others since this was my first experience with O’Nan, but if the character development in his other books is anything like it was here, then I will be reading more of his books in the near future.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unabashedly, I'm declaring the Stewart O'Nan fan club is back in session.

In The Odds Stewart O'Nan explores a marriage in crisis. Art and Marion Fowler have lost their jobs, are heading for bankruptcy, about to lose their home, and are on the brink of divorce. In a last ditch effort to salvage something, Art and Marion withdrawal all their remaining savings and book a bridal suite at a Niagara Falls casino. They are telling others it is a second honeymoon. They actually plan to gamble their money into enough cash to save them.

This is a bittersweet novel. Art and Marion are also taking all sorts of emotional baggage with them from their almost thirty years of marriage. It soon becomes clear that Art is a hopeful optimist, sure that their marriage and life can be salvaged. Marion is more pessimistic, and trying to simply humor Art for one more weekend before she begins her single life. The desperation of their plan, combined with a thread of optimism, underpins their weekend.

Setting The Odds in Niagara Falls was really a brilliant move. The tourist trap feeling combined with the romance and grandeur of the falls plays off Art and Marion's personal emotional drama. Will this gamble save their marriage, their lives? What are their odds?

The title of the book, The Odds, is emphasized with each new chapter of the book giving the odds that pertains to some event in the chapter. For example, the opening is: "Odds of a U.S. tourist visiting Niagara Falls: 1 in 95." Others include: "Odds of a married couple reaching their 25th anniversary: 1 in 6"; "Odds of seeing a shooting star: 1 in 5,800"; "Odds of a 53-year-old woman being a grandmother: 1 in 3."

While the novel is short and the setting and action are deceptively simple, The Odds is a complex character study. The novel works based on the strength of O'Nan's writing. This is an honest, intimate, emotional novel. These are real people with all the anxieties, desires, faults, and pressures that many people face. They have both made mistakes. Through O'Nan we are privy to all of Art and Marion's thoughts and emotions. O'Nan is a master at character studies.

Very Highly Recommended - one of the best. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stewart O’Nan is a master at looking at the ordinary, everyday and everyman and presenting readers with a story that is both beautifully executed and insightful. O’Nan’s latest, The Odds: A Love Story certain doesn’t disappoint. Covering Valentine’s Day weekend in 2006, The Odds tells the story of Art and Marion Fowler, a middle aged couple facing not only bankruptcy, but also the end of their marriage. In an act of desperation the Fowlers liquidate their finances and head to a casino in Niagara Falls in a last ditch effort to bet everything they have in an attempt to save both their financial future as well as their marriage. During the day the couple goes sightseeing, attempting to recapture their first visit to the Falls on their honeymoon, and in the evenings they prepare for their last night when they will bet it all. Having been married almost thirty years the two have faced many difficulties, including Art’s infidelity that did not end their marriage but left it greatly damaged. O’Nan not only captures the intimacies of a couple that have been together for so long, such as the private language that develops, but also the emotional complications of marriage. At times deeply touching, humorous, and always realistic, readers can’t help but relate to O’Nan’s characters. The Odds is also a beautiful homage to Niagara Falls, and readers familiar with the area will agree that O’Nan’s observations are precise. Let’s hope the wait for O’Nan’s next novel isn’t a long one!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first O'Nan book I have read. I saw that his novels receive consistently good reviews, and a short novel works great w/ my business travel.

He seems to be somewhere in between High Literature and Popular Reading, and the setting and plot are very "contemporary". In that, he reminds me a bit of John Updike - the contemporary, the details, the use of items from that particular time.... OK, I loved the Heart concert! O'Nan really did nail a 50+ couple going to see a band from their youth. He did keep my interest, and the way he slowly but surely provided us with details regarding the characters' lives and marriage was very well done.

I will read more by him (especially the equally short and slim "Red Lobster"), but I can't help but wonder what he could do if he took the time to write a novel over 2 or 3 years, rather than churning out a book a year. In the end I enjoyed the novel, but came away feeling it was rather "slight" - and I just absolutely HATED the last line of the book and have to wonder why he let it stand. It came off as an "Awww, isn't that sweet?" kind of line.

[Betz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really shocked to see that people gave this book a 5 star rating. I hope to even the playing field with my one star rating. I think O'Nan wrote this book over a weekend--or maybe just on a Friday night. One reviewer said she almost dismissed the book but then thought O'Nan's other works were so good, that perhaps she was at fault and was missing something more profound. Nothing profound here! I felt the entire time I was reading the book that I had read this book before--a typical "we are middle aged and washed up and our marriage stinks and our kids are gone and we've got no money BUT perhaps there is still something left here after all!" depressing as all get out story, which I am personally tired of. Is middle age that bad? Do I have NOTHING to look forward to? And the conclusion--where did it come from? I won't ruin it for those who want to read this (it is a QUICK read so reading it will not make you feel like your needlessly took time off the clock for no good reason) but if you do read it tell me how that conclusion was arrived at? How was ANYTHING resolved?

[Sterlingcindysu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odds of my giving Stewart O'Nan a good review--1 in 2.

Beginning each chapter, O'Nan lists a statistic. I don't understand how the odds of a proposal being accepted is 1 in 1.01. Does that mean sometimes the one being proposed to says "yes" without being asked?

This is a short book. When I picked it up from the holds shelf at the library I was tempted to read it while ripping some CDs and save a return trip. I'm glad I took it home because I really studied the gambling technique Art uses and it sounds really possible!

Sad to say, I saw bits of myself in Marion--after all, after 34 years of marriage I'm just as peevish and snappish at times and we have the same shorthand for our issues as they did. But Marion would drink me under the table.

O'Nan does a great job capturing the Niagara Falls tourist traps. Some things never change. Our honeymoon was in Williamsburg, VA so I know that hasn't changed!

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to make of this one. A married couple are simultaneously let go of their jobs. After 30 years of comfortable middle-class existence supported by two incomes. They are now unemployed, with a large second mortgage, on the verge of foreclosure, bankruptcy and divorce. They make this strange pack to go to their honeymoon gambling hotel in Canada and decide to roll the dice to save their marriage and their finances. The story moves back and forth in time letting the reader know what is going on in their heads, including the grudges they have harbored against each other. The things each has done and regretted. The characters felt real and I liked them. The plot and ending were too unrealistic for me to buy.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a book by Stewart O'Nan, though I have heard good things about him. His latest novel, The Odds: A Love Story, tells the story of Marion and Art, a middle-aged married couple on their way to Niagara Falls.
They are in severe financial trouble, about to lose their home to foreclosure and have a plan to hit a casino, with Art's sure-fire system to win enough money to save them.

As the story quietly unfolds, we find that Art and Marion are planning on separating, but I wasn't clear if it was related to the finances or because Marion was unhappy. We learn that Art had an affair a long time ago, and Marion has never really forgiven him. Marion recently had an affair with a woman, but Art is unaware of that.

Each chapter begins with a statistic, like the "odds of getting sick on vacation 1 in 9", and each statistic relates to the chapter. In this one, Marion gets food poisoning. It's a clever way to tie everything into the gambling theme.

This is basically a two-person story, and as I was reading it, I thought it would make a good stage play. We spend much of time getting to know this couple, and the insight into each character is revealing, like this passage of Art describing himself:
"If, as he liked to think, his greatest strength was a patient, indomitable hope, his one great shortcoming was a refusal to accept and therefore have any shot at changing his fate."
Marion says of herself:
"What had she done with her life? For a moment she couldn't think of anything. Become a wife and a mother. A lover, briefly, badly. Made a home, worked, saved, traveled. All with him. For him, because of him, despite him. From the start, because she was just a girl then, she'd thought they were soul mates, that it made them special, better than other couples they knew. She'd learned her lesson. She swore she'd never be fooled again, not by anyone, and yet she's fought for him as if he were hers, and then, having won, didn't know what to do with him."
That passage just blew me away. I found the writing to be concise, and so profound. Marion and Art each take chapters sharing their thoughts and moving the story along. The overwhelming tone of the novel is sadness, with Art hoping that his gamble can make this last trip together something memorable, that he can be a hero, and they can regain the intimacy they lost.

Marion does not appear to want to reignite their marriage, she sees this as one last reluctant fling. She is an unhappy woman, and the only time she shows any sign of joy is when they get drunk at a Heart concert, reliving her youth.

The one nitpicky thing that bothered me about this book is the character names. Art and Marion are about the same age as me, but their names make them sound like they are 70 years old. I don't know anyone my age named Art or Marion. I wonder if the author intentionally did that?

Their literal gambling to win enough money to save themselves is a metaphor for the gamble they are taking on their marriage. Can they win at either? Anyone who has been married may see themselves in certain parts of this book. It is an insightful look at a marriage in crisis, and the writing is so brilliant, you'll feel like you are eavesdropping on this couple.