[superstar18]

If anyone has read Donkey greedy donkey gets punched from the best american short stories can someone please give me an explanation of it and a reaction towards the book.

[odinn7]

Is this a homework assignment? Did you read it?

[superstar18]

Yeah I read it, it was confusing.

[Wondergirl]

From Between the Tracks and the River: Short Story Review: Donkey Greedy, Donkey Gets Punched, by Steve Almond --

Almond's story is pretty good, but there's a lot of trendy snark here, so be warned. It's also about poker, so it's not for everyone. "Donkey" is the story of a bald, middle-aged psychotherapist, mildly addicted to Texas hold-'em. He's referred to, somewhat derisively, as Oss, a name pretentiously close to loss, which is what he does as a poker player. As Almond says: "He mucked 80 percent of his hands, bluffed only on the button, and lost a little more than he won."

Soon enough, Oss begins counseling a professional poker player, also with a ridiculously symbolic name: Gary "Card" Sharpe. Sharpe is an : arrogant, childish, taunting. He goads Oss for a year or so, until he comes to the brink of a deep revelation, then he quits coming. Then, a while after Sharpe has left therapy, they meet up at a Texas hold 'em table, and they settle their differences over one fateful hand.

I think this story works best as a quick-hit sport story, forgotten a few minutes after you read it. The characters are shallow and cartoony, the therapy a caricature of therapy, the plot forced and formulaic. Because let's face it, in sports stories, there are only two possible outcomes: Oss defeats Sharpe, or Sharpe defeats Oss. The odds change as the cards turn over, and Oss is pretty sure he has a winning hand, but can he be sure? Only people who like poker really care.

Mostly missing in this story is an emotional response generated by actually caring for the people involved, an aspect which was consistently undercut by Almond's condescending attitude toward all his characters. There's no one to like in this story, so no one to root for. It was kind of like this year's World Series, which was best described as That one team with the guy with the stupid beard against That team who managed to beat the Yankees. What kind of choice does that leave the casual fan with? Not much.

Look at this blog too--

Steve Almond's "Donkey Greedy, Donkey Gets Punched" | A Reading Writer