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Odds Against Tomorrow
McGivern's electrifying and complex crime novel brings together two misfits--one black, one white--with nothing left to lose and nothing but each other. When the two team up for a bank robbery, the losers are about to play a sucker bet with their lives. The classic movie adaptation of Odds Against America starred Harry Belafonte and Robert Ryan.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
1 person is currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
William P. McGivern
124 books26 followersWilliam P. McGivern was a novelist and screenwriter. In his early years he worked as a police reporter for the Philadelphia Bulletin and a reviewer and reporter for the Evening Bulletin in Philadelphia. Prior to his career in the newspaper business he served in the United States Army from 1943-1946.He moved to Los Angeles in 1960. His works include over twenty thrillers and mysteries as well as
Soldiers of 44
, a novel based on his experiences in World War II. His novels turned into movies include The Big Heat, Rouge Cop, Shield For Murder, Odds Against Tomorrow and the bestselling
Night of the Juggler
.In 1952 McGivern received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and served as president of that organization in 1980. He was the master of the hard-boiled detective novel.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 7, 2020
Novela de desesperados y de la desesperación que les lleva a embarcarse en un proyecto para el cual no están preparados.
Los protagonistas están muy bien definidos y están llenos de contradicciones. Aunque al principio no lo parezca, es un canto a la amistad y al antiracismo.
Esta novela tiene uno de los mejores finales que recuerdo. Tan triste y tan bonito a la vez.
McGivern escribe muy bien. Desarrolla a la perfección las "psiques" de los personajes, con sus pensamientos, sus dudas, sus frustraciones, sus deseos. Llegas a conocer íntimamente a los protagonistas. Te metes dentro de sus cabezas tan a fondo que, a ratos, se hace un poco repetitivo.
Novel of desperate and despair that leads them to embark on a project for which they are not prepared.
The protagonists are very well defined and full of contradictions. Although it may not seem so at first, it is a song of friendship and antiracism.
This novel has one of the best endings I can remember. So sad and so beautiful at the same time.
McGivern writes very well. He perfectly develops the "psyches" of the characters, with their thoughts, their doubts, their frustrations, their desires. You get to know the protagonists intimately. You get into their heads so deeply that, at times, it becomes a bit repetitive.
Los protagonistas están muy bien definidos y están llenos de contradicciones. Aunque al principio no lo parezca, es un canto a la amistad y al antiracismo.
Esta novela tiene uno de los mejores finales que recuerdo. Tan triste y tan bonito a la vez.
McGivern escribe muy bien. Desarrolla a la perfección las "psiques" de los personajes, con sus pensamientos, sus dudas, sus frustraciones, sus deseos. Llegas a conocer íntimamente a los protagonistas. Te metes dentro de sus cabezas tan a fondo que, a ratos, se hace un poco repetitivo.
Novel of desperate and despair that leads them to embark on a project for which they are not prepared.
The protagonists are very well defined and full of contradictions. Although it may not seem so at first, it is a song of friendship and antiracism.
This novel has one of the best endings I can remember. So sad and so beautiful at the same time.
McGivern writes very well. He perfectly develops the "psyches" of the characters, with their thoughts, their doubts, their frustrations, their desires. You get to know the protagonists intimately. You get into their heads so deeply that, at times, it becomes a bit repetitive.
September 10, 2015
Better than I thought it was going to be. It's a caper story but there is actually little about the caper. Instead it's more an examination of the men who try to pull it off. Memorable characters.
Read
March 12, 2024Odds Against Tomorrow begins as a typical heist book. As another reviewer wisely noted, this generic narrative mimics the three-act structure: the planning, the crime, and the aftermath (which rarely goes well for anyone). William P. McGivern adds many familiar noir aspects: PTSD (Earl saw heavy combat in WWII and some of his problems -- such as anger -- are clearly a product of that); Post-War Disillusionment (both Earl and John returned from the war to a world where their skills and experience weren't valued -- one eager to move on from chaos and violence rather than dwell on it); an inability to escape from your past (Earl's father was abusive and he has a criminal record); and the inverted version of the American Dream (people work hard for it, but not in any legal way).
Mr. McGivern's intervention is to use generic hard-boiled motifs as an allegory for race relations in the mid-century United States. In 1957, when this book was published, the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, the Supreme Court decision declaring "separate but equal" unconstitutional was three years old, the landmark Civil Rights Act seven years away. This changing, volatile time is confusing to Earl, a poor Southern white men raised to hate Black people. John, on the other hand, has learned the hard way that it's better to just lay low where White people are concerned. The heist brings these two men together. They differ in ethnicity, outlook, and temperament, but what they do have in common (class, war service, difficult fathers) may end up bonding them.
While I appreciated this intervention, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I liked John's subjectivity (the description of a time where he was nearly a target of white violence is particularly strong). While Earl was a hard character to like, it's impossible not to feel sorry for him at times. Finally, the were particularly poignant.
On the other, while I realize that the author is white and that he's writing this in the 1950s, Earl is so awful to John that the latter's . Too often, John is presented as the "magical negro" in service to Earl's needs (Earl's constantly invoking "Sambo" only intensifies this). Again, I'm grateful to the author for giving John a complex backstory and interiority but, by our standards, it isn't enough.
I do recommend this, though, because I really was invested in the characters and felt for them. Interestingly, the movie, which I watched first, adheres to the narrative but not at all to the character dynamics. While Robert Wise's take on race in America is darker, pessimistic, and more realistic, it doesn't allow for character development -- one positive attribute of the book.
Mr. McGivern's intervention is to use generic hard-boiled motifs as an allegory for race relations in the mid-century United States. In 1957, when this book was published, the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, the Supreme Court decision declaring "separate but equal" unconstitutional was three years old, the landmark Civil Rights Act seven years away. This changing, volatile time is confusing to Earl, a poor Southern white men raised to hate Black people. John, on the other hand, has learned the hard way that it's better to just lay low where White people are concerned. The heist brings these two men together. They differ in ethnicity, outlook, and temperament, but what they do have in common (class, war service, difficult fathers) may end up bonding them.
While I appreciated this intervention, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I liked John's subjectivity (the description of a time where he was nearly a target of white violence is particularly strong). While Earl was a hard character to like, it's impossible not to feel sorry for him at times. Finally, the were particularly poignant.
On the other, while I realize that the author is white and that he's writing this in the 1950s, Earl is so awful to John that the latter's . Too often, John is presented as the "magical negro" in service to Earl's needs (Earl's constantly invoking "Sambo" only intensifies this). Again, I'm grateful to the author for giving John a complex backstory and interiority but, by our standards, it isn't enough.
I do recommend this, though, because I really was invested in the characters and felt for them. Interestingly, the movie, which I watched first, adheres to the narrative but not at all to the character dynamics. While Robert Wise's take on race in America is darker, pessimistic, and more realistic, it doesn't allow for character development -- one positive attribute of the book.
December 11, 2024
This was a terrific story and I am anxious to read more by McGivern. This begins as a plan to rob a bank but becomes an evolving character study of two men thrown together as part of the gang formed to do the bank job. One man is black and one is white and it becomes a deeply moving study of how their innate views about race are tested while they are on the run from the law. There are also some terrific supporting characters such as the small town sheriff. This isn't a crime fiction novel. It is real noir fiction as good as any from the 30's and 40's. I didn't see the movie made from this but the cast seems all wrong to me based on the characters in the book.
2024 - I just reread this after almost 8 years and it is still terrific the second time around. I am amazed at the character study of a black man thrown together with a bigoted white man through a robbery attempt. These two characters slowly develop a very interesting relationship that could never have happened under other circumstances. I was born in 1947 and grew up in Philly which is the hometown of the black character. I find the depiction of both characters typical for 1957 but how it changes over time is very interesting and keeps you glued to the book as it develops.
2024 - I just reread this after almost 8 years and it is still terrific the second time around. I am amazed at the character study of a black man thrown together with a bigoted white man through a robbery attempt. These two characters slowly develop a very interesting relationship that could never have happened under other circumstances. I was born in 1947 and grew up in Philly which is the hometown of the black character. I find the depiction of both characters typical for 1957 but how it changes over time is very interesting and keeps you glued to the book as it develops.
July 23, 2020
Odds Against Tomorrow is a classic caper story written with deep existential probing of the main characters worthy of something by Camus or Dostoevsky. The main character, Earl, is a man in search of his identity and is on the brink of existential oblivion following his discharge from the Army in World War II. He wrestles with the angst of raising his criminal definition to a higher level as he realizes that, at the age of 32, he has made nothing of himself;
The novel follows the traditional “caper format” as outlined by Lawrence Sanders in his novel McNally’s Caper: The first third of the story is rounding up the crew and defining their personalities and setting the relationships among them and planning the job.
The second third is executing the job, putting the plan into actual operation.
The final third is everything falling apart due to some chance of fate, clever cops, or conflicts of personalities of the gang who find out they aren’t the criminal masterminds they convinced themselves they were.
Odds Against Tomorrow follows this pattern nicely and again proves that a classic is an example of a form carefully followed but raised to a level of literature through powerful plotting, depth of character, and just good narrative writing.
I believe that this little-known classic genre story ranks right up there with Crime and punishment, and The Stranger. I highly recommend that it be given a serious reading.. It is an example of great American Noir Literature.
It is a worthy read also because of its enlightened look at the destructive effects of
racism despite being written in 1958 America.
The novel follows the traditional “caper format” as outlined by Lawrence Sanders in his novel McNally’s Caper: The first third of the story is rounding up the crew and defining their personalities and setting the relationships among them and planning the job.
The second third is executing the job, putting the plan into actual operation.
The final third is everything falling apart due to some chance of fate, clever cops, or conflicts of personalities of the gang who find out they aren’t the criminal masterminds they convinced themselves they were.
Odds Against Tomorrow follows this pattern nicely and again proves that a classic is an example of a form carefully followed but raised to a level of literature through powerful plotting, depth of character, and just good narrative writing.
I believe that this little-known classic genre story ranks right up there with Crime and punishment, and The Stranger. I highly recommend that it be given a serious reading.. It is an example of great American Noir Literature.
It is a worthy read also because of its enlightened look at the destructive effects of
racism despite being written in 1958 America.
July 9, 2014
Reader: Tom Weiner does a good job with pacing and accents. Adds much to this historical look at racial relations in post-WWII America- ugly thing. Mystery is a bank robbery gone bad.
©text 1957/audio 2008
©text 1957/audio 2008
February 9, 2018
Classic noir. Still holds up. The beauty of the American noir thrillers is that they deal with everyday working class Americans trying to make it after WWII. That's why they are so vivid and real. They are about real people.
May 31, 2016
I would give this book 2 1/2 stars. It had a lot of potential, but it didn't reach it. The ending seemed rushed.
April 6, 2026
Earl. Sentir-se un inútil davant la dona, sense feina, convençut que no saps fer res bé.
Racista fins al moll de l’os. Una profunda animadversió als negres. Un arrelat menyspreu, visceral. A un negre, ell no podria ni donar-li la mà.
Ingram. Negre. Necessita diners urgentment. Sap tractar amb blancs. És el seu dia a dia, i hi està acostumat. Sap perfectament què fer per no provocar, no exitar-los, ―com li va dir el revisor del tren―.
Sempre va amb molta cura per evitar situacions problemàtiques.
No és submissió. És intel·ligència.
Perfectes retrats dels personatges. Mitjançant antecedents. La guerra. L’incident al tren. Al bar, amb el soldat.
També mitjançant el què fan, com es comporten. La partida de cartes, o al bar quan entra el sheriff Burns, que ni el mira. Quina electricitat! Em semblen escenes memorables, d’alta literatura.
I tants secundaris memorables. Començant per el cervell Novak i la seva mà dreta Burke. També Lory, la dona d’Earl, que el manté, disposada a tot per ell.
L’agent federal Kelly. El doctor Taylor.
Comportar-se a base de prejudicis i fòbies, sense cap fonament, sense ni realment conèixer la persona. Un cant a l’amistat, per sobre dels colors, doncs l’important és el que hi ha... sota la pell. Que ben trobat el títol de La cua de palla , penso.
La pel·lícula homònima — “Odds Against Tomorrow” —, de Rober Wise (1959), ens ha semblat inferior a la novel·la. Bona música de John Lewis, director musical i pianista de The Modern Jazz Quartet.
La banda sonora és interpretada per els seus tres companys del quartet, reforçats amb els grans Bill Evans i Jim Hall, així com altres músics. Vibrant i molt expressiva. Potser en certs moments no s’hi adiu perfectament amb l’acció del film, per el meu gust. La trama del film comença semblant a la novel·la, però de seguida hi ha canvis. Tota la part de l’amagatall i recerca s’ha omès, i el desenllaç és diferent.
Manquen personatges que a la novel·la m’han semblat tan ben retratats, com ara el sheriff, l’agent federal, el metge...
Sóc fet a base de materials dolents, com si ja haguessin servit i ara no valguessin res.
Racista fins al moll de l’os. Una profunda animadversió als negres. Un arrelat menyspreu, visceral. A un negre, ell no podria ni donar-li la mà.
Ingram. Negre. Necessita diners urgentment. Sap tractar amb blancs. És el seu dia a dia, i hi està acostumat. Sap perfectament què fer per no provocar, no exitar-los, ―com li va dir el revisor del tren―.
Sempre va amb molta cura per evitar situacions problemàtiques.
No és submissió. És intel·ligència.
Perfectes retrats dels personatges. Mitjançant antecedents. La guerra. L’incident al tren. Al bar, amb el soldat.
També mitjançant el què fan, com es comporten. La partida de cartes, o al bar quan entra el sheriff Burns, que ni el mira. Quina electricitat! Em semblen escenes memorables, d’alta literatura.
Burns era un home com els altres, prou que ho sabia, tot i que hi havia ocasions que trobava que aquest judici era ridículament inadequat. Com si diguéssim que l’Everest és una muntanya com les altres.
I tants secundaris memorables. Començant per el cervell Novak i la seva mà dreta Burke. També Lory, la dona d’Earl, que el manté, disposada a tot per ell.
Però no cauria pas, prou que ho sabia ell: ella sempre sabia quedar-se dreta.
L’agent federal Kelly. El doctor Taylor.
Comportar-se a base de prejudicis i fòbies, sense cap fonament, sense ni realment conèixer la persona. Un cant a l’amistat, per sobre dels colors, doncs l’important és el que hi ha... sota la pell. Que ben trobat el títol de La cua de palla , penso.
La pel·lícula homònima — “Odds Against Tomorrow” —, de Rober Wise (1959), ens ha semblat inferior a la novel·la. Bona música de John Lewis, director musical i pianista de The Modern Jazz Quartet.
La banda sonora és interpretada per els seus tres companys del quartet, reforçats amb els grans Bill Evans i Jim Hall, així com altres músics. Vibrant i molt expressiva. Potser en certs moments no s’hi adiu perfectament amb l’acció del film, per el meu gust. La trama del film comença semblant a la novel·la, però de seguida hi ha canvis. Tota la part de l’amagatall i recerca s’ha omès, i el desenllaç és diferent.
Manquen personatges que a la novel·la m’han semblat tan ben retratats, com ara el sheriff, l’agent federal, el metge...
July 23, 2025
I read this book because the movie of the same name opened questions for me. While the film impressed with its grit-tinted cinematography, setting and tough-guy characterizations, the plot got dumb at about the time the caper got going. This after we are introduced to two characters who both depend upon each other and simultaneously despise one another’s existence. With such fascinating underpinnings, I wondered why this movie didn’t have as much punch as I thought it should, and my answer came when I read the William P. McGivern novel of the same name.
McGivern was a writer of fiction, scripts and adaptations who won an Edgar award in the 1950’s for his mystery writing. In Odds Against Tomorrow he stepped slightly away from form to discuss the problem of racism. While the film uses only about a third of the book, and its ending is pat and unsatisfying, the novel explores with depth and innovation the dynamics of human relationships, and the ironic developments that are sometimes the upshot of common experience.
There was so much more to the story. After reading the book I felt that it was a pity the writers (one of which was McGivern himself) did not use at least some of it’s fascinating and protracted denouement. I still enjoyed the movie, but the book is highly recommended reading for the noir aficionado.
McGivern was a writer of fiction, scripts and adaptations who won an Edgar award in the 1950’s for his mystery writing. In Odds Against Tomorrow he stepped slightly away from form to discuss the problem of racism. While the film uses only about a third of the book, and its ending is pat and unsatisfying, the novel explores with depth and innovation the dynamics of human relationships, and the ironic developments that are sometimes the upshot of common experience.
There was so much more to the story. After reading the book I felt that it was a pity the writers (one of which was McGivern himself) did not use at least some of it’s fascinating and protracted denouement. I still enjoyed the movie, but the book is highly recommended reading for the noir aficionado.
August 26, 2022
I first saw the movie around 1959 or 1960. A super cast: Belafonte, Robert Ryan and Ed Begley. And the sound track was the Modern Jazz Quartet. The book it is based on was not quite the same altho the in-your-face racism was the same. I saw the movie again about 10 years ago and liked it. Reading up on McGovern he also wrote The Big Heat starring Gloria Grahame.
Belafonte chose the blacklisted writer Abraham Polonsky. And he did not get credit for the movie until 1996.
This is a solid noir but I just couldn't help seeing all 3 leads in my head.
Belafonte chose the blacklisted writer Abraham Polonsky. And he did not get credit for the movie until 1996.
This is a solid noir but I just couldn't help seeing all 3 leads in my head.
November 26, 2023
My second McGivern and an excellent hard-boiled tale of a bank job gone South. I look forward to rewatching the classic Robert Wise film noir adaptation having read the source novel and enjoying the excellent Modern Jazz Quartet soundtrack.
December 26, 2025
¡¡¡¡¡¡brutal ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
March 19, 2026
I really liked the ending, and the writing was pretty good, besides for the occasional slur of course.
October 31, 2024
Este libro me produce sentimientos contradictorios. Por un lado, me ha gustado: es interesante, los dos protagonistas son personajes complejos y bien construidos, y la trama está muy bien desarrollada. Pero, por otro lado, me ha costado mucho leerlo. Entiendo que en esto intervienen también mis circunstancias personales, pero dos meses y medio para un librito de menos de trescientas páginas, y que es interesante, ameno y entretenido... Pues no sé.
En cualquier caso, yo os lo recomiendo.
En cualquier caso, yo os lo recomiendo.
March 14, 2015
"Το έγκλημα θα γίνει αύριο", εκδόσεις Λυχνάρι.
Αστυνομικό δράμα της δεκαετίας του '50 που προσωπικά με άφησε αρκετά ευχαριστημένο. Ο λευκός Ερλ Σλέιτερ, που πολέμησε και διακρίθηκε στον Β' Π.Π. αλλά από τότε τίποτα δεν του πάει καλά, και ο μαύρος Τζόνι Ίνγκραμ, χαρτοπαίχτης που μπλέχτηκε μ'έναν τοκογλύφο, επιλέχτηκαν από δυο άντρες για να ληστέψουν μια μικρή αλλά συμπαθητική από οικονομικής απόψεως τράπεζα κάπου στην Πενσιλβάνια. Οι δυο πρωταγωνιστές μας δεν τα πάνε καλά μεταξύ τους, με βασικό λόγο ότι ο ένας είναι λευκός και ο άλλος μαύρος (ξέρετε σε τι υπόληψη είχαν τους μαύρους τότε). Η ληστεία για κάποιο λόγο δεν πάει καθόλου καλά. Οι δυο άντρες θα πρέπει να τα βρουν μεταξύ τους για να επιζήσουν του ανθρωποκυνηγητού από την αστυνομία. Το μίσος πρέπει να γίνει φιλία.
Εκτός από το αστυνομικό κομμάτι της υπόθεσης με την οργάνωση και την αποτυχημένη εκτέλεση της ληστείας, πολύ ενδιαφέρον είναι και το δραματικό, αυτό με την σχέση δυο εντελώς διαφορετικών αντρών σε μια συντηρητική κοινωνία, κάτω από δύσκολες συνθήκες. Μου άρεσε πολύ όλη αυτή η ενδοσκόπηση του συγγραφέα στο κομμάτι αυτό και κει βασίζεται περισσότερο η φήμη του βιβλίου. Οι χαρακτήρες γενικά μου φάνηκαν συμπαθητικοί, ο καθένας με τον τρόπο του, η γραφή επίσης καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, και η ατμόσφαιρα σίγουρα νουάρ και ωραία.
Το βιβλίο μεταφέρθηκε και στους κινηματογράφους το 1959, σε σκηνοθεσία του βραβευθέντα με τέσσερα Όσκαρ Robert Wise (The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Sound Of Music, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Andromeda Strain) και με πρωταγωνιστές τους Robert Ryan (The Dirty Dozen, The Wild Bunch, The Professionals) και Harry Belafonte.
Αστυνομικό δράμα της δεκαετίας του '50 που προσωπικά με άφησε αρκετά ευχαριστημένο. Ο λευκός Ερλ Σλέιτερ, που πολέμησε και διακρίθηκε στον Β' Π.Π. αλλά από τότε τίποτα δεν του πάει καλά, και ο μαύρος Τζόνι Ίνγκραμ, χαρτοπαίχτης που μπλέχτηκε μ'έναν τοκογλύφο, επιλέχτηκαν από δυο άντρες για να ληστέψουν μια μικρή αλλά συμπαθητική από οικονομικής απόψεως τράπεζα κάπου στην Πενσιλβάνια. Οι δυο πρωταγωνιστές μας δεν τα πάνε καλά μεταξύ τους, με βασικό λόγο ότι ο ένας είναι λευκός και ο άλλος μαύρος (ξέρετε σε τι υπόληψη είχαν τους μαύρους τότε). Η ληστεία για κάποιο λόγο δεν πάει καθόλου καλά. Οι δυο άντρες θα πρέπει να τα βρουν μεταξύ τους για να επιζήσουν του ανθρωποκυνηγητού από την αστυνομία. Το μίσος πρέπει να γίνει φιλία.
Εκτός από το αστυνομικό κομμάτι της υπόθεσης με την οργάνωση και την αποτυχημένη εκτέλεση της ληστείας, πολύ ενδιαφέρον είναι και το δραματικό, αυτό με την σχέση δυο εντελώς διαφορετικών αντρών σε μια συντηρητική κοινωνία, κάτω από δύσκολες συνθήκες. Μου άρεσε πολύ όλη αυτή η ενδοσκόπηση του συγγραφέα στο κομμάτι αυτό και κει βασίζεται περισσότερο η φήμη του βιβλίου. Οι χαρακτήρες γενικά μου φάνηκαν συμπαθητικοί, ο καθένας με τον τρόπο του, η γραφή επίσης καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, και η ατμόσφαιρα σίγουρα νουάρ και ωραία.
Το βιβλίο μεταφέρθηκε και στους κινηματογράφους το 1959, σε σκηνοθεσία του βραβευθέντα με τέσσερα Όσκαρ Robert Wise (The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Sound Of Music, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Andromeda Strain) και με πρωταγωνιστές τους Robert Ryan (The Dirty Dozen, The Wild Bunch, The Professionals) και Harry Belafonte.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews