Odds (Hardcover)

by Patty Friedmann (Author) "I wasn't an asthmatic or allergic or demanding child..." (more)
Key Phrases: poker room, George Duffy, Ansel Adams, New Orleans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Anna Duffy seems clueless as to just how bad things have gotten in her life until she is forced by tragedy and its aftermath to sit up and take notice. Barely out of high school, she married George, a cold and condescending New Orleans lawyer. Their twin sons, born soon thereafter, appear to provide one child for each parent to love. George Junior is a bully like his father and physically normal. Gregor was born without arms and legs but with amazing wisdom and a heart of gold. In a dramatic and fateful moment, Anna is forced to choose between saving the life of only one of her boys, then age six. Anna and George's responses to the loss drive the couple further apart. George turns to another woman while Anna seeks relief in losing herself (as well as her savings) at the casino slot machines. These are dark subjects, certainly, but Friedmann's caustic style is hilariously funny. Best is the priceless and unforgettable characterization of Gregor. Grace Fill
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Review
"Expertly, gracefully, Patty Friedmann overlays topographies of loss and desire, reality and delusion, making fiction as strange-and as sad and funny-as truth." -- Kathryn Harrison, author of The Kiss

"In this elegant and unusual novel, [the odds] are very good indeed." -- Deborah Sussman Susser, The New York Times Book Review, Dec 31, 2000

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Counterpoint Press (September 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158243087X
• ISBN-13: 978-1582430874
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,117,610 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Find, November 30, 2000

By	Jessica Lee (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

ODDS is an amazing new book by a quirky New Orleans writer. Friedmann's writing is full of humor, wit and charm. The book centers around the life of Anna Riggs Duffy, and the after-effect of a choice that she is forced to make in the face of a tragic swimming pool accident. This book is a true rarity-- it will make you aware of the fact that we are all "dealt a hand" in some way or another, and it sheds light on our struggles to survive the odds that life gives us.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Club Selection of the Month, October 8, 2000

By A Customer

Odds should be the next Oprah selection. If not, you should definately choose it for your book club. It is filled with issues near and dear to everyone's heart: how do you react in a crisis? after a crisis? how much is your marriage worth? how well do you know your spouse? what's is the impact of your spouse's parents on your marriage?

All these issues and more are raised through the tale of a woman and her children. While this book is a quick read, it is definately not a story you will soon forget. Buy one for yourself and one for your best friend. Then sit down and talk about it. Honestly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Odds - Best book I have read in a while, September 6, 2005

By	Spring Flower (Frederick, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Odds (Paperback)

I stumbled upon Patty Friedmann a few months ago. This is one of those books that you get consumed in and can't but down. I almost felt if I had to read it in one sitting. There are a few quirks about some of her characters(like the two Georges), but it does not take away if, not add to the theme for the book.