Reviews

Chess Story by Stefan Zweig

r0sem4rie's review

5.0

This story just kept getting better and better and better. Soo good

jerikareads's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My first Zweig book and needless to say this was brilliant. Chess and Nazis. A character’s descend into madness. Concise and unforgettable. 

prog51's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

paola_mobileread's review against another edition

2.0

I was somewhat disappointed with this book - it reads very well, but the narration sounds fake to me. Everything sounded too over the top: the champion is portrayed as some kind of idiot savant, but as the story develops these is less and less credible; the comparison between the psychological torture and what happened in concentration camps is sails perilously close to being downright offensive, and the nervous breakdown in the dilettante is also far from being credible, at least for me. To round it all off, the narrator displays some self satisfaction (the only person to realise what is really going on) which I found rather irritating. In short, I would not recommend it.

lottes_library's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

redempta's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Torture

Minor: Antisemitism, Classism, and War

sky353's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

fmft's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

4.5

platosdad's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

riverss's review

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25