Gambler’s Fallacy

Although Judith Cowan’s characters in Gambler’s Fallacy all muddle through life in Trois-Rivières, their experiences could not be more individual and unique. Judith Cowan, here in her second collection of short works, introduces us to her perception of this small French city through the personalized experiences of lone story tellers. Cowan’s passionate, and complex personal feelings towards life in Trois-Rivières is beautifully translated here, resounding with the reader a feeling of the ups and downs of small town hardships including regrets induced by life in the shadow of big town successes.rnrnCowan’s intimate style which effortlessly merges the sentimental with the cynical, embeds the men and women we meet here in a meaningful context. They are not wholly likeable, or hateful. Cowan dulls the standard dichotomous personality (bad vs. good) by layering her characters in a realistic way that reflects thoroughly our human experience. This stripping motion is a refreshing and satisfying way to tell a story. Cowan understands our need to be discovered, and subtly fulfills this through her slow and steady character revelations.