The Wagers

by Sean Michaels

Scotiabank Giller-winner Sean Michaels is back with his widely anticipated second novel, The Wagers, a deeply satisfying story of long odds, magical heists and the dizzying gamble of life. Where does luck come from? What is it worth? And how much of it do you need to be happy?

Theo Potiris is a grocer and a comedian who never repeats his jokes. After 15 years of open mics, he's still waiting for his break--bicycling to the comedy club at night, stacking plums at his family's grand and ramshackle supermarket by day. His girlfriend is halfway around the world, searching for enlightenment with a patron who happens to be the richest man on Earth, and when two other loved-ones get struck by bolts from the blue, Theo decides he can't keep chasing his old dreams any longer. He resolves to trade his wishes in, pursuing a bigger score.
     Here Sean Michaels' novel takes a surprise left turn, away from the price of milk and into a shabby, beautiful, imaginary Montreal where peacocks strut on street corners and gamblers bet on sunny days. Theo uncovers a mysterious association of sports-obsessed mathematicians, The Rabbit's Foot, which is turning probability into riches, and the vigilante No Name Gang, who steal luck from those who have taken more than their fair share. Bursting with sheer story-telling pleasure and stylish prose, The Wagers carries you along on wave after wave of invention--a literary motorcycle chase that soon has you wondering about the randomness of good fortune and all the ways we choose to wage our lives.

• ISBN10: 0735278113
• ISBN13: 9780735278110
• Publish Date: 24 September 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Random House Canada
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780735278110

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 stars

I received a copy of The Wagers through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Wagers is the second novel released by the one and only Sean Michaels. This time around, he’s writing about a comedian, and he needs a major change in his life. Or in his luck. Either would suffice, at this point.

Theo Poitris has been doing standup comedy on the side since he was a teenager. He’s loved the thrill and truth of it, refusing to ever tell a joke more than once. But then one day he realizes that he’s chasing an old dream and not getting anywhere, so it’s time for a dramatic change.


“When Theo went on stage he wanted to be able to trust whatever happened – to get up and tell a joke and to know without a doubt, for a few faint seconds, whether that joke was any good.”


The Wagers is one of those slow-burning, steady buildup novels. Theo’s journey is an eclectic one, but it takes a bit of time before we can truly dive into the insanity that is waiting for us.

Actually, before I begin my review, let me take a step back for a moment. I have a confession to make; the real reason that The Wagers caught my attention? The cover! I’m a sucker for black cats, so this cutie on the cover immediately caught me and made me want to learn more about it. Sadly, that appearance is more thematic than literal. Still a great cover!

Much of Theo’s life has remained static for years, and that does show clearly in this novel. I’ll admit that I had trouble getting into this book, because of how slow the beginning was. I was impressed with the writing – but I just found myself wishing time and again that something more would happen.

The story does start ramping up in time, adding more and more inane bits of humor and reference throughout. It actually gets a bit crazy – in a fun way. But the journey to get there diminished some of that for me.

On the whole, I found that the ending made the read worthwhile. Actually, the writing itself did that. I liked Michaels' way of writing, regardless of what was actually happening on the pages. The humor and conclusion was just icing on the cake.

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