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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Eddie lives and breathes pool, hustling as he goes. Highly recommended.
“When the bottles hit they tinkled and jangled noisily; but Eddie did not hear them because of the overriding - yet distant, detached, far-off - sound of his own screaming.”
I saw The Hustler for the first time recently, I love the atmosphere and the mood that drifts from nihilism to hope, Paul Newman struggling with the anger and hatred inside of himself in between long silent brooding takes. And I knew within the first chapter of reading the words of Walter Tevis that all of it stemmed from here.
“We go from disappointment to disappointment, from hope to denial, from expectation to surrender, as we grow older, thinking or coming to think that what was wrong was the wanting, so intense it hurt us, and believing or coming to believe that hope was our mistake and expectation our error, and that everything the more we want it the more difficult the having it seems to be.” This comes from the work of Alfred Hayes and it could quite easily have been written about Fast Eddie and his companions on the outskirts of society but at the heart of pool hustling in Chicago.
The subject matter is treated without hysteria, without glamour, nobody really attempts to demonstrate that there's a better or more moral life out there somewhere, like the very best books of its kind there is no other world for these characters, you hustle pool or you stop living it's that simple and Tevis doesn't think so little of his readers that he feels the need to tack on a happy ending either. This is an elegant, beautifully written novel with flawed, fully realised characters, there's no good guys, there's no bad guys, there's just guys. And Sarah.
I saw The Hustler for the first time recently, I love the atmosphere and the mood that drifts from nihilism to hope, Paul Newman struggling with the anger and hatred inside of himself in between long silent brooding takes. And I knew within the first chapter of reading the words of Walter Tevis that all of it stemmed from here.
“We go from disappointment to disappointment, from hope to denial, from expectation to surrender, as we grow older, thinking or coming to think that what was wrong was the wanting, so intense it hurt us, and believing or coming to believe that hope was our mistake and expectation our error, and that everything the more we want it the more difficult the having it seems to be.” This comes from the work of Alfred Hayes and it could quite easily have been written about Fast Eddie and his companions on the outskirts of society but at the heart of pool hustling in Chicago.
The subject matter is treated without hysteria, without glamour, nobody really attempts to demonstrate that there's a better or more moral life out there somewhere, like the very best books of its kind there is no other world for these characters, you hustle pool or you stop living it's that simple and Tevis doesn't think so little of his readers that he feels the need to tack on a happy ending either. This is an elegant, beautifully written novel with flawed, fully realised characters, there's no good guys, there's no bad guys, there's just guys. And Sarah.
***1/2: my second time reading this after a multi-decade lay-off. Still an excellent read but I was less enamored with the prose this time.
Pretty good story, shame that they ruined the ending for the story in the tagline on the cover
The Hustler is similar in many ways to the one other novel I've read by Walter Tevis "The Queens Gambit." In both books the lead character is more of an antihero, both have themes of addiction to a greater ot lesser degree and just like The Queen's Gambit gives a lot of attention to detail with regard to chess The Hustler does the same for pool.
Eddie Felson or "Fast Eddie" is a pool hustler and not really a very nice person but we become gripped by his attempt to make a killing in his chosen role and his attempt to beat the man who becomes his nemesis Minesota Fats.
The book really takes you into the world of the pool halls of Chicago, you can almost smell the smoke and stale whisky. But although the story seems to be about pool it's probably not about pool at all but about Eddie and his relationships with people. Everyone who he comes into contact with he uses one way or another and it would probably be true to say they use him too. That been said the pool scenes are gripping. Tevis makes you interested in them whether or not you like or know anything about the game.
It has made me want to read the sequal "The Color of Money" which was written 25 years after this book to see what happened to Fast Eddie in thr years that followed. Really good read. I'm also going to have to check out the 1961 film version now starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.
Eddie Felson or "Fast Eddie" is a pool hustler and not really a very nice person but we become gripped by his attempt to make a killing in his chosen role and his attempt to beat the man who becomes his nemesis Minesota Fats.
The book really takes you into the world of the pool halls of Chicago, you can almost smell the smoke and stale whisky. But although the story seems to be about pool it's probably not about pool at all but about Eddie and his relationships with people. Everyone who he comes into contact with he uses one way or another and it would probably be true to say they use him too. That been said the pool scenes are gripping. Tevis makes you interested in them whether or not you like or know anything about the game.
It has made me want to read the sequal "The Color of Money" which was written 25 years after this book to see what happened to Fast Eddie in thr years that followed. Really good read. I'm also going to have to check out the 1961 film version now starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.
This was more fun than I initially expected :D. I had no idea The Color of Money (starring Paul Newman) had a prequel, let alone that the two movies were based on a book series!
A pretty fun and well-paced sports drama that's easy to read and doesn't bore you. I never really cared much for pool but picking this up prompted me to really look into all the different types of pool, the rules, and its extensive history. I love stories about gamblers and hustlers so despite the main character, Eddie, being a bit of a sleaze and not the most easy to root for, this was still an engaging read for me. I can’t guarantee that it will stick in my memory all that much, but it’s definitely worth it if you’re looking to get out of a reading slump or something. Give it a go!
I've already started the sequel :D.
A pretty fun and well-paced sports drama that's easy to read and doesn't bore you. I never really cared much for pool but picking this up prompted me to really look into all the different types of pool, the rules, and its extensive history. I love stories about gamblers and hustlers so despite the main character, Eddie, being a bit of a sleaze and not the most easy to root for, this was still an engaging read for me. I can’t guarantee that it will stick in my memory all that much, but it’s definitely worth it if you’re looking to get out of a reading slump or something. Give it a go!
I've already started the sequel :D.
Another fantastic member of the noir canon. A reasonably straightforward tale of flash young pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, and his quest for glory (and a pocket full of cash). It is a book about winning and losing, self-reflection and what it takes to know oneself.
As with many books of the genre and era, the only female character of any note – Sarah, Eddie’s damaged and fragile love interest – is weakly realised. She exists purely to advance our understanding of Eddie, but to that end, she serves as a useful device to move the story along at a cracking pace.
This is one that can be knocked over in a single sitting, and – gender politics aside – does not feel dated or antiquated in the tone or moral of the tale. I would recommend this most favourably if the testosterone does not hinder your enjoyment!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
As with many books of the genre and era, the only female character of any note – Sarah, Eddie’s damaged and fragile love interest – is weakly realised. She exists purely to advance our understanding of Eddie, but to that end, she serves as a useful device to move the story along at a cracking pace.
This is one that can be knocked over in a single sitting, and – gender politics aside – does not feel dated or antiquated in the tone or moral of the tale. I would recommend this most favourably if the testosterone does not hinder your enjoyment!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
My favorite movie of all time is now one of my favorite books of all time. Brilliant and beautiful.
Excellent. Engaging. Fantastic all the way around.