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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The story was good enough, but would have been more compelling if not for the egotistical, cocky, smug, arrogant, woman-hating, racist main character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism
Minor: Homophobia
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's a very well written book. However, due to my lack of interest in the subject matter, I did not enjoy reading it much.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wish this had been the first book I'd read by Walter Tevis; I probably would have enjoyed it much more. But it wasn't—I read The Man Who Fell to Earth first (twice), then The Queen's Gambit, and those books are flawless. This one was Tevis's first novel, and he just seemed to get better. But this one is still good (just not my favorite of his)! I could read Walter Tevis all day.
He brushed his teeth with icy water, violence, and a stinging mint confection from a battered tube.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
I liked the movie, and I liked this book.
Both had Paul Newman in it.
The writing is smooth and fast, he nails the characters and the settings. It's great.
Both had Paul Newman in it.
The writing is smooth and fast, he nails the characters and the settings. It's great.
The game of pool has been my favorite hobby since I was 11 years old. I've seen the movie adaptation of this book more times than I can count so I figured it was time I gave the source material a shot. I'm glad I did because this book is phenomenal. The Hustler is considered a great film partly because it wisely uses scenes and dialogue directly from the novel. Tevis is an expert at building atmosphere and characters. The fantastic prose paints such a vivid image of what a late 1950s gambling poolroom must have been I could practically smell the mix of chalk, talcum powder, and cigarette smoke as I read. Add to that scenery some incredible but very damaged characters you can be hooked even if the story beats aren't twisty or surprising. Also as a pool player it's very clear that Tevis knew his subject matter well, it is not at all important to be a pool player to enjoy this story. This is a story really about big themes of character, what it means to be a winner, overcoming self-pity, and substance abuse that can hold your attention even if you have never picked up a cue.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes