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Odd Man Out
An Irish Republican Army plot goes horribly wrong when its leader, Johnny Murtah, kills an innocent man and is himself gravely wounded. As the police close in on Johnny, his compatriots must make a daring bid to rescue him. But they are not the only ones in pursuit: an impoverished artist, a saintly priest, a sleazy informer, and a beautiful young woman all have their own reasons to be desperate to find him. Meanwhile Johnny wanders the streets injured and alone, trapped in a delirious nightmare, surrounded on all sides by betrayal and faced with the realization that he may die that night with the stain of murder on his soul. As the action unfolds over eight hours of a cold Belfast night, the suspense builds towards an explosive conclusion.
Both a critical success and a bestseller, F. L. Green's masterful thriller Odd Man Out (1945) is best known today as the basis for the classic 1947 film adaptation directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason. This edition, the first in over 30 years, features a new introduction by Adrian McKinty.
'A spellbinder . . . takes hold before the first shot is fired' - New York Times
'Rarely does a tale about pursuers and pursued reach the intensity of fear, uncertainty and apprehension' - New York World-Telegram
'Of unusual interest and distinction . . . very moving . . . produces effects of high and painful excitement' - Spectator
Both a critical success and a bestseller, F. L. Green's masterful thriller Odd Man Out (1945) is best known today as the basis for the classic 1947 film adaptation directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason. This edition, the first in over 30 years, features a new introduction by Adrian McKinty.
'A spellbinder . . . takes hold before the first shot is fired' - New York Times
'Rarely does a tale about pursuers and pursued reach the intensity of fear, uncertainty and apprehension' - New York World-Telegram
'Of unusual interest and distinction . . . very moving . . . produces effects of high and painful excitement' - Spectator
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1945
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 20, 2015
Despite the fact that I live in the suburbs of Belfast, it was only relatively recently that I heard of the 1947 James Mason movie 'Odd Man Out', which features many famous Belfast landmarks, and later still that I found out that the movie was based on this novel. Having read a couple of good write ups on the book, I thought that I'd give it a go, and I'm glad that I did.
The narrative deals with the aftermath of a raid on the wages office of a large linen mill in the city by a gang from the 'Organization', led by Johnny, an escapee from Crumlin Road jail. While the raid is successful in its aim of gaining funds, the consequences for the activist are great as he is left behind by his getaway driver.
It's hard to say any more plot wise without spoilers, but I have to admit that, based on what I'd heard of the movie, I was surprised with how the narrative panned out, with Johnny featuring rarely, instead the two parts of the novel featuring characters from the 'Organization' and the city's underbelly searching for him. The geography of the city features heavily (in contrast, Belfast isn't actually named in the film), the portrayal of the long disappeared Sailortown, where the hunt takes place, being of particular interest to me. And to cap it off, the twist at the end was one I wasn't expecting.
All in all, a very enjoyable thriller that, while evidently written nearly 70 years ago, still packs a punch and is well worth checking out should anyone have an interest in literature based in NI / Belfast.
The narrative deals with the aftermath of a raid on the wages office of a large linen mill in the city by a gang from the 'Organization', led by Johnny, an escapee from Crumlin Road jail. While the raid is successful in its aim of gaining funds, the consequences for the activist are great as he is left behind by his getaway driver.
It's hard to say any more plot wise without spoilers, but I have to admit that, based on what I'd heard of the movie, I was surprised with how the narrative panned out, with Johnny featuring rarely, instead the two parts of the novel featuring characters from the 'Organization' and the city's underbelly searching for him. The geography of the city features heavily (in contrast, Belfast isn't actually named in the film), the portrayal of the long disappeared Sailortown, where the hunt takes place, being of particular interest to me. And to cap it off, the twist at the end was one I wasn't expecting.
All in all, a very enjoyable thriller that, while evidently written nearly 70 years ago, still packs a punch and is well worth checking out should anyone have an interest in literature based in NI / Belfast.
June 2, 2021
Three stars feels a little harsh but four would be too generous.
Excellent in parts this may be but the parts don't hang together seamlessly.
This is one of those instances of the film version improving upon the source material.
By all means read the book but Carol Reed's film version is the masterpiece that keeps the book alive.
Excellent in parts this may be but the parts don't hang together seamlessly.
This is one of those instances of the film version improving upon the source material.
By all means read the book but Carol Reed's film version is the masterpiece that keeps the book alive.
December 14, 2025
Odd Man Out written by F.L. Green and R.C. Sherriff, directed by Carol Reed, with James Mason in the leading role has been included on The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list, it won the 1949 BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film, it was also nominated for an Oscar – for no good reason I am going to send you to my blog and YouTube channel, where there are more than five thousand notes on films from the aforementioned NYT and other web pages, together with thousands of reviews of magnum opera from The Greatest Books of All Time and other sites https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
9 out of 10
Carol Reed was one of the greatest film makers, his adaptation of The Third Man is one of The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... just like Odd Man Out, the latter is set in Dublin, while the former takes place in Vienna
There is one memorable line – well, more than one, but this also funny – ‘In Italy, for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed. But they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo clock!’
Odd Man Out is a tragedy, there are a couple of rather amusing figures in the plot, but the whole thing is dramatic – James Mason has the leading role of Johnny McQueen, an Irish nationalist leader, who takes his men to rob a bank, and in the course of the escape, he has a short blackout and then he is attacked on the steps, before getting in the car
James Mason has been nominated for three Oscars and many other prizes, perhaps he is best known for Lolita https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and North by Northwest, albeit he has been in more than a hundred movies – that is my estimate, easy to check it on the net
I was surprised to find a peculiar analysis of Lolita, in a book of essays by Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis – ‘Do not misunderstand me if I say that one of the troubles with Lolita is that, so far from being too pornographic, it is not pornographic enough…’ there is more, and Kingsley Amis was not satisfied with Vladimir Nokokov’s style
What Became of Jane Austen? And Other Questions is a formidable, often hilarious book of essays https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... - now back to Odd Man Out – Johnny McQueen kills a man in front of the bank they have been robbing, gets to the runaway car…
Nonetheless, as they speed up, he falls and then has to hide in a shelter, the police look for him, and a girl stumbles upon the wounded runaway, we have a priest in here, an artist, a painter who tries to capture the image of man before death, this is not just one of those mystery motion pictures, it is a complex work
Since I am pretty sure nobody reads these last lines – just a s the chances of readers for the above are (as) small – I will put in a spoiler alert here and say that I am impressed by the unhappy ending, announced somehow by the heroine – Maureen was her name, I think, I looked it up on IMDB, and there is no photo, so I am unable to ‘identify’ the suspect
Maureen (if that is the name) loves the fugitive Johnny, to the point where she is ready to end his misery, if there is no salvation in sight, and what is fundamental, she will die with him, not before trying her best to arrange an escape, which proves to be impossible: this is credible, unlike the huge majority of features where we have a happy ending
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence
Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
9 out of 10
Carol Reed was one of the greatest film makers, his adaptation of The Third Man is one of The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... just like Odd Man Out, the latter is set in Dublin, while the former takes place in Vienna
There is one memorable line – well, more than one, but this also funny – ‘In Italy, for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed. But they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo clock!’
Odd Man Out is a tragedy, there are a couple of rather amusing figures in the plot, but the whole thing is dramatic – James Mason has the leading role of Johnny McQueen, an Irish nationalist leader, who takes his men to rob a bank, and in the course of the escape, he has a short blackout and then he is attacked on the steps, before getting in the car
James Mason has been nominated for three Oscars and many other prizes, perhaps he is best known for Lolita https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and North by Northwest, albeit he has been in more than a hundred movies – that is my estimate, easy to check it on the net
I was surprised to find a peculiar analysis of Lolita, in a book of essays by Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis – ‘Do not misunderstand me if I say that one of the troubles with Lolita is that, so far from being too pornographic, it is not pornographic enough…’ there is more, and Kingsley Amis was not satisfied with Vladimir Nokokov’s style
What Became of Jane Austen? And Other Questions is a formidable, often hilarious book of essays https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... - now back to Odd Man Out – Johnny McQueen kills a man in front of the bank they have been robbing, gets to the runaway car…
Nonetheless, as they speed up, he falls and then has to hide in a shelter, the police look for him, and a girl stumbles upon the wounded runaway, we have a priest in here, an artist, a painter who tries to capture the image of man before death, this is not just one of those mystery motion pictures, it is a complex work
Since I am pretty sure nobody reads these last lines – just a s the chances of readers for the above are (as) small – I will put in a spoiler alert here and say that I am impressed by the unhappy ending, announced somehow by the heroine – Maureen was her name, I think, I looked it up on IMDB, and there is no photo, so I am unable to ‘identify’ the suspect
Maureen (if that is the name) loves the fugitive Johnny, to the point where she is ready to end his misery, if there is no salvation in sight, and what is fundamental, she will die with him, not before trying her best to arrange an escape, which proves to be impossible: this is credible, unlike the huge majority of features where we have a happy ending
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence
Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
Read
April 8, 2009http://nhw.livejournal.com/1035830.html[return][return]My write-up of this book is very much based on the differences with the film, of which three seemed to me pretty significant.[return][return]The first, which concerns me most in a way, is that where the setting of Reed's film is somewhat ambiguous, Green's book is absolutely firmly set in Belfast in 1944. The city centre streets are named - Royal Avenue, Dublin Road, Victoria Street; and the tram that in the film is heading up the Falls Road is going up the Shankill in the book. Green therefore also catches the sectarian picture a bit more than the film does (or could); the youths on the tram chant "No Surrender!" at the police, the two ladies who care briefly for the fugitive Johnny are respectable Protestants, which adds an extra poignancy.[return][return]Second is the book's structure - whereas the film continually cuts between Johnny and his various pursuers, in the book he is almost absent from the first half after his colleagues abandon him, so that by the time we reach the mid point we are wondering what on earth has happened to him. Since he is then reintroduced to us half-way through the book, Green can be pretty clear about the fact that Johnny is dying as soon as he reappears; in the film there is a bit more suspense on this matter.[return][return]Third of course is the nature of the drama, culminating in the ending. It is inevitable, of course, that Johnny will die. But Green has Agnes and Father Tom more complicit in the manner of his death - and redemption, according to the last paragraph - than Reed. Throughout, Green talks about souls, faith, belief, where Reed concentrates more on character and action.[return][return]Altogether, it makes for a convincing package. William Hartnell's character, Mr Fancy, is here the sinister Fencie, ten years older: difficult to choose between them or some of the other differences in characterisation. But basically, as so often, the film is very good but the book is even better.
June 28, 2017
An old book, and with a very unusual format, being split into two distinct parts.
In the first part, a gang (known as "The Organisation") carries out a botched robbery, during which the gang's leader, Johnny, kills an innocent victim. The gang ends up scattered; some arrested, some killed, and the narrative switches between viewpoints, with all the gang's members featuring heavily except Johnny.
Then, the second part is all about Johnny's fortunes, being taken in by various people, including - later on - a character called Lukey who is also an artist and wants to draw Johnny's portrait. We are told quite early on that Johnny is also dying.
While the narrative felt a bit too long-winded at times, I was interested by the way that, as well as showing multiple points of view, the book turned all of the gang's members, particularly Johnny, into loveable rogues, and the authority characters into dislikeable characters. Johnny's story seems to be ultimately about redemption and about seeking acceptance from society. Some of the characters who take him in contemptate turning him over to the authorities, but I found myself very quickly hoping they wouldn't. I was reminded just a bit of Jean Valjean's story in Les Miserables.
I found the narrative structure a bit unusual, especially since I got the impression that both individual parts roughly took place over the same time period, but overall was glad I read this. The ending was something that I would never have predicted; it was completely unexpected, but overall felt right for the characters.
In the first part, a gang (known as "The Organisation") carries out a botched robbery, during which the gang's leader, Johnny, kills an innocent victim. The gang ends up scattered; some arrested, some killed, and the narrative switches between viewpoints, with all the gang's members featuring heavily except Johnny.
Then, the second part is all about Johnny's fortunes, being taken in by various people, including - later on - a character called Lukey who is also an artist and wants to draw Johnny's portrait. We are told quite early on that Johnny is also dying.
While the narrative felt a bit too long-winded at times, I was interested by the way that, as well as showing multiple points of view, the book turned all of the gang's members, particularly Johnny, into loveable rogues, and the authority characters into dislikeable characters. Johnny's story seems to be ultimately about redemption and about seeking acceptance from society. Some of the characters who take him in contemptate turning him over to the authorities, but I found myself very quickly hoping they wouldn't. I was reminded just a bit of Jean Valjean's story in Les Miserables.
I found the narrative structure a bit unusual, especially since I got the impression that both individual parts roughly took place over the same time period, but overall was glad I read this. The ending was something that I would never have predicted; it was completely unexpected, but overall felt right for the characters.
September 11, 2024
I read a much earlier edition than this one, published in 1946 by "The Book Club" in Charing Cross Rd., London. It came to me from the library at Grand Valley State University via what we used to call interlibrary loan, and there's no indication that it was ever checked out; tipped inside the back cover is an old "Date Due" slip, with no dates stamped on it.
I'm looking forward to seeing the movie again.
I'm looking forward to seeing the movie again.
August 13, 2024
The book was adapted to become my favorite movie, so I had to read it. Well, it's not as good as the book - often overwritten, run-on sentences, a sort of hysteria of mind throughout. I didn't dislike it - but the movie's spare beauty was self-generated, not a result of the book.
Read
October 30, 2025Pretty great thriller with a conscience
March 12, 2023
Griping psychological novel with noir elements set in post-war Belfast besieged by sectarian crime. It explores the philosophical "prisoners' dilemma": will the diverse characters aid a critically wounded IRA man and thus act morally; abandon him to his fate; or, deliver him to the authorities to cash in on the reward? Supurb sensory descriptions and interior monologues.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews