Book Review: Out of Luck, by John Perrotta

It is natural to have reservations when a television show or movie is adapted to print. Historically, novelizations fall short of their audiovisual brethren, both creatively and substantively. There are examples, of course, where the inverse has proven successful: Seabiscuit was a well-received book that made a widely-acclaimed transition to the big screen–but we can imagine that the film might have lacked its captivating attention to detail had it not been for meticulously researched groundwork laid by author Laura Hillenbrand. Happily, John Perrotta's Out of Luck is not a mere recapitulation of storylines from HBO's Luck, but is instead an extension of the show's narrative–one that may well provide closure for viewers who were disappointed when the series was canceled after one season in 2012.

Perrotta served as writer, executive editor and co-producer of Luck, an addendum to a long career in the Thoroughbred industry. Even as he turned to authorship, Perrotta continues to work as a horseman and breeder–pursuits that allow him to approach writing from a unique perspective.

As was the case with its television precursor, Out of Luck's characters are developed in the mold of amalgamated personalities from the world of Thoroughbred racing–or as exaggerated-for-effect caricatures of individuals who inhabit that colorful, idiosyncratic sphere. In the case of “Turo” Escalante, readers encounter the embodiment of a rough-around-the-edges trainer who simultaneously elicits well-placed empathy and well-founded skepticism about methodologies as he scrambles and rises through the training ranks. “Old Man” Walter Smith, on the other hand, is a wizened veteran conditioner who has “seen it all” and yet continues to plug away, year in, year out–a trainer-type who might be found on any backstretch across the country. And while a cadre of hardcore gamblers, christened as “Degenerates,” congregate in the grandstand on race days, singular characters like Rosie Shanahan speak to the grit, determination and unobserved labor that comprise everyday operations on the backside.

From Escalante's flirtation with disrepute to the Degenerates' inability to find stable economic and emotional ground, there are plenty of flaws and foibles displayed on the 120 pages of Out of Luck. While this is undoubtedly worthwhile commentary on human nature in the broadest sense, it highlights one of the most constant and compelling aspects of horse racing: the cross-section of humankind and their relationship with equinekind, winners-circle headliners placed alongside backstretch hard-workers, clubhouse high rollers juxtaposed with track apron hard-luck gamblers, all with a shared passion for the ins-and-outs, the ups-and-downs, the wins, the places, the shows–and the inevitable no-shows-of the game.

While Out of Luck generally provides a balanced and realistic glimpse into the world of Thoroughbred horse racing, there is considerable word count dedicated to violence and racing's criminal underbelly. Rogue pickup trucks, pitchforks-in-the-back, unremitting police investigations: Perrotta treads a fine line between lampooning perceived crookedness of the game and elevating it to narrative predominance. Most readers will agree that Out of Luck has a flare for the small screen theatric–perhaps a necessary nod to its HBO roots.

Ultimately, the book will satisfy and entertain Luck loyalists, and its predominate readership will be drawn from a pool of horse racing enthusiasts and those familiar with gambling. Out of Luck's merits, however, extend well beyond this predictable niche. Perrotta does an admirable job of rekindling and carrying the cancelled show's torch, and the rare successful transition from television show to written work should be commended. Although the book concludes on a positive note, last words have not been written in the lives of the characters, suggesting that there may be more stories to tell, more pages to turn, more installments to come, in Out of Luck's engaging boom-and-bust narrative.