A review by sofiya
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I'm not exactly sure how I want to rate this book, in complete honesty. I think it is a generally well-written (not always, but usually) book with an interesting plotline. I watched parts of the show before reading this book, and I think I'm on the side where it's not that worth it to read the book with/rather than watching the show. The book was written by a middle-aged man in the 1980s and that shows, particularly with how the author portrays Beth's inner monologue (considering she is 8-19 years old in the book). I didn't find the tone exactly right for who she was, but it wasn't awful.

What was awful was
a SA scene that happens in one of the first few chapters (when Beth is 8 years old). It's so unnecessary and doesn't get brought up again or shown to have repercussions. The author actually uses it as a way to build a bond between two characters and it made me sick and disappointed to read. After finishing the book, I still have no idea what the purpose was.

An additional problem I had was how quickly Beth seemed to overcome her addiction. Maybe I'm thinking about how addiction is dramatized in media, but it felt too simple. We hear her thoughts while she's struggling a bit, but she doesn't really fall off the bandwagon at any point.

Overall, interesting book, but I wouldn't really recommend anyone reading it over watching the show unless they're more interested in the chess details themselves.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings