Reviews with content warning for Drug use - The Queen's Gambit

I know nothing about chess, but this kept me hooked from beginning to end. I believe it takes real talent to engage their audience like that.

Amy Landon was able to embody and give life to Beth’s character. The combination of Landon’ narration and Tevis’ brilliant storytelling makes for a wonderful experience.

Content Warnings

sivujensankari's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

iirissr's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed the book, the writing style was beautiful. The characters were somewhat difficult to like but I was still very drawn to Beth. The actual chess playing parts were hard to understand even tho I can play chess, but I still found them fascinating. There very a few things I found unnecessery and it was clear in those bits that it was written by a man. Overall a good and interesting book about addiction and chess.

Content Warnings

ultangill's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Inspired me to learn chess

Content Warnings

zombiezami's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

As someone who doesn't know anything about chess strategy, I found this book fascinating from the very beginning. Even though I barely knew what was going on during the games, they were described in such an exciting way to me. I would highly recommend this.

Content Warnings

elspethmigliore's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

this was actually pretty good. i’ve been wanting to read this for years so i’m glad i finally got around to it, but i don’t know if i would consider it a new favorite.

the beginning of the story felt really odd and tense, and the sa scene with Jolene was very unnecessary and uncomfortable. i liked how we got to see beth slowly start getting back into chess again when she left Methuen, and how Mrs. Wheatley started supporting her in it.

i would’ve liked to see more of each character after beth had established relationships with them and not just randomly hooked up with them and then never spoke to them again (harry, somewhat benny). i feel like there could even been so much more with each relationship. it also seems like the ending was a bit rushed.

the drugs and alcohol were definitely a lot and it became frustrating to keep reading about beth’s addictions, but that did make for a more satisfying ending when she cut out those things.

i don’t play chess and i could still follow this story really well, but it’s mostly chess terms with a plot. i likes the tv series so much better

would probably reread but not definitely ☑️

Content Warnings

breeinreadingland's review

Go to review page

medium-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

4.25

Content Warnings

theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition

Go to review page

I wanted to finish this novel. The narrator, Amy Landon, has a soothing voice, and understood Beth’s emotional remove from others and what that might sound like. The author, Walter Tevis, has given us other important American stories turned into landmark films such as The Hustler, The Color of Money, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

But.

I truly believe you need to understand chess to follow this novel’s progression. Many of Beth’s plays, and tournaments’ rules and activities, are given without any explanation, which is frustrating. Plus, there is so much alcohol abuse, without it pressing forward the story. Both Beth and her mother drink beer like mother, often in physically impossible quantities and in a method of communication with each other and with other people. I am not sensitive to alcohol abuse or alcoholism per se, but even I became very uncomfortable with the frequency of it. I became so hyperaware of it that it took me out of the book.

Content Warnings

More...