Book Chatter

The Odds
By Stewart O’Nan
(Viking Adult, Hardcover, 9780670023165, January 19, 2012, 192pp.)

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.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher via Net Galley.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

I am in the middle of a reading frenzy and when I find myself in that position, I tend to not want to write about it. That leaves me open to discuss other topics. That said, I have gotten a few comments lately (mostly from non-bookish folks) that have called my reading or bookish habits…weird. I don’t think they are weird but they might be annoying to booksellers as the first two deal with my in-store experience.

*I have been known to rearrange books on a shelf to more prominently display a hidden gem. You know how books sometimes face out at the bookstore? Well, sometimes I choose which ones should face out. I do this with all books but probably do it a little bit more with children’s books or Young Adult. YA, because I tend to always see the same books showcased. Come on, mix it up a little!

*I have also been known to move a classic to the bestseller’s table, just to remind folks that there are other books besides the latest Josh Grisham, although I have nothing against John. I know this might be slightly irritating to those in retail but I worked retail for years and years so I get why you might be irritated, I just can’t help myself. I also straighten stacks and alphabetize books that need it so I figure it all evens itself out in the end.

*I will pretty much contort my body any which way to see what a person is reading. This is harder to do with eReaders, but not impossible. Just takes a bit more effort on my part. I can tell that they notice me sometimes and they don’t seem to mind, but then why not just put the book down and tell me what you are reading? Would be so much easier for everyone.

*The books on my shelf are in the order in which I plan to read them. This helps me keep a visual of what’s coming up. Sure, I add stuff to it all the time but I always consider the order first and then position the title accordingly.

*If I pack an actual book in my bag, then I wrap it in a large zip lock bag to keep it from getting bent or messed up in some way. This did not save my copy of The Art of Fielding (The Girl’s water bottle found it in my car) but for the most part, it keeps books in pretty good shape.

These aren’t weird, right? What do you do that could be considered a bit weird by non-readers?

Chatting with friends about books and life…