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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
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:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I might have enjoyed this book more if I hadn’t already seen the show.
The actual writing style is simplistic which works with the topic and setting, but falters when it comes to the characters. The characters all felt a bit half formed. Reading it, you almost Felt as though the whole world was muted by the green pills.
Even some of the most climactic scenes felt muted, like the emotions were behind a locked door and we were just reading a summary of them later. Winning was fine, dying was fine, drinking was fine, sex was fine. The whole book was trapped in a half formed commitment to distress.
We were told that Beth was angry or drowning in addiction or wanting to sleep with certain people, but it never really committed to showing that. You got snippets, but ultimately, the story was a bit pale In places it should have been full of vibrant language and scenes
The actual writing style is simplistic which works with the topic and setting, but falters when it comes to the characters. The characters all felt a bit half formed. Reading it, you almost Felt as though the whole world was muted by the green pills.
Even some of the most climactic scenes felt muted, like the emotions were behind a locked door and we were just reading a summary of them later. Winning was fine, dying was fine, drinking was fine, sex was fine. The whole book was trapped in a half formed commitment to distress.
We were told that Beth was angry or drowning in addiction or wanting to sleep with certain people, but it never really committed to showing that. You got snippets, but ultimately, the story was a bit pale In places it should have been full of vibrant language and scenes
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Better than the series?
“The Queen’s Gambit” centers the journey of an orphan girl named Beth from age eight to nineteen. Beth as a character is wonderfully complex, resilient and unrelenting, terribly stubborn in her own opinion. She tends to lash out at people who try to get close to her, but always feels terribly alone. She pushes herself to the brink of insanity and tips over in the end, but refuses to stay down. She is the epitome of the overlooked scrappy underdog, fierce and furious with the world for letting her down over and over again. The book is about chess and is also about Beth’s struggles with addiction, the keen pain she feels with the world that she buries with pills and liquor and her love for chess which at times balances on the knife’s edge of an addiction of its own. Tevis’s writing sings. He creates tension and suspense masterfully for each match, leaving me on the edge of my seat reading about Beth going up against grandmasters like Luchenko, painting a vivid picture of her in her bed at Methuen, going over matches in her head on the ceiling. The plot, like its main character, is relentless and flawless, always moving forward, never leaving the reader a chance to get bored. Pacing is excellent considering we see Beth through about eight years of her life.
Beth makes many terrible choices in her life, turns away old friends, self-sabotages time and time again, yet never once can the reader hate her. We just want her to fucking win! She wants to fucking win. And if Beth Harmon is anything, she is most definitely not a loser.
Like many others, I’m a fan of the show, and to my pleasant surprise, it has to be one of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptions I’ve ever seen, with word-for-word quotes straight from the book. (Yes, I checked after I finished. Yes, the show is still fucking amazing.) The only reason it isn’t a five-star is because Beth doesn’t like to linger on emotions that the book doesn’t feel as satisfying as it should. Even the ending with everything she’s accomplished, she doesn’t feel entirely sated. There’s always a next journey for her, a next hunt. I kind of like the fact that we’re left hanging, that we’re in the same unpredictable waters that Beth is in, yet at the same time it leaves me craving more. What happened to Jolene? To Benny? But that’s wishful thinking, and I get what Tevis is going for, and it works.
One thing’s for sure though: Beth Harmon is, as she always has been, a one of a kind.
Beth makes many terrible choices in her life, turns away old friends, self-sabotages time and time again, yet never once can the reader hate her. We just want her to fucking win! She wants to fucking win. And if Beth Harmon is anything, she is most definitely not a loser.
Like many others, I’m a fan of the show, and to my pleasant surprise, it has to be one of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptions I’ve ever seen, with word-for-word quotes straight from the book. (Yes, I checked after I finished. Yes, the show is still fucking amazing.) The only reason it isn’t a five-star is because Beth doesn’t like to linger on emotions that the book doesn’t feel as satisfying as it should. Even the ending with everything she’s accomplished, she doesn’t feel entirely sated. There’s always a next journey for her, a next hunt. I kind of like the fact that we’re left hanging, that we’re in the same unpredictable waters that Beth is in, yet at the same time it leaves me craving more. What happened to Jolene? To Benny? But that’s wishful thinking, and I get what Tevis is going for, and it works.
One thing’s for sure though: Beth Harmon is, as she always has been, a one of a kind.
Truly enjoyed being in Beth's mind. If you loved the show the book will not disappoint you. Definitely not for everyone, but I loved it!
Trigger warning for child abuse, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
Trigger warning for child abuse, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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