Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Stewart O'Nan

Quote by Stewart O'Nan

“In frustration she sometimes asked him what he would do if she died first, to which he smugly replied, "You won't," as if it were a joke instead of her worst fear.”

Quote by Stewart O'Nan

Work

Evensong

Evensong is a fictional narrative that delves into the lives of individuals within a religious community. The story examines the complexities of faith, the search for redemption, and the impact of personal beliefs on the characters' lives. more

Author

Stewart O'Nan
Stewart O'Nan

Stewart O'Nan is an American novelist known for his unique narrative style and profound insights into everyday life. His works often focus on the daily lives of ordinary people, depicting the complexity of human nature and the diversity of life through delicate pen strokes. more

You May Also Like

“When the gamblers finally run out of money and credit, or crack under the strain of maintaining a "normal life" while living the life of a compulsive gambler, the gamblers "hit bottom" and reveal the life of lies to the shock of the non-gamblers. The gamblers will promise that this will never happen again, plead for one more chance, and ask for financial help to get out from under the debt.”

“When my husband and I went to the racetrack he handed me his $5.00 ticket “for luck." When he lost, he cursed and yelled. I told him that if he can't lose $5.00 like a grown-up, he shouldn't gamble. The thought that he had bought more tickets never entered my mind. I knew we didn't lie to each other. When he told me I couldn't go to the supermarket the next day because he had a bad business day on Saturday, it never occurred to me that this had anything to do with the evening at the racetrack. It didn't make sense until I came to Gam-Anon.”

“Compulsive gamblers are fantastic liars because they can be relentless and extremely convincing. If caught in a lie, they will try to convince the non-gamblers that they must be mistaken and will argue so strenuously and for so long, that sometimes the non-gamblers just give up out of exhaustion. The gamblers are so convincing, that even though the evidence at hand would convince a jury, gambling will be denied. Even when the non-gamblers know the gamblers are lying because the facts prove that the gamblers spent the money, or bought the lottery tickets, or spent the day at a casino or on a gambling website, the gamblers' denials are unshakable. Non-gamblers walk away from the gamblers knowing that what they know is the truth, knowing that the money is gone, the time is gone, and nothing they can say or do will replace it. Whether the gamblers are believed or not, the gamblers win because the money has already been spent on gambling, and nothing the non-gamblers can say or do will change that. Wearing down the resolve of the non-gamblers is the desired result of this game.”

“For the gamblers' family and friends, the world of compulsive gamblers is an unfamiliar and frightening place to contemplate, and the gamblers use that fear, becoming most convincing when they need money. Gamblers create lies about what could be plausible financial hardships in order to borrow money from unsuspecting concerned friends, relatives and business acquaintances. The gamblers may also plead for money to avoid jail, avoid being assaulted, not lose a job, or not lose a home or a car, even when none of these things are going to happen.”