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thebookscientist 's review for:
The Queen's Gambit
by Walter Tevis
Orphan Beth Harmon discovers two escapes from her bleak surroundings: chess and tranquilizers. One opens her mind; the other numbs it. She climbs the US chess rankings with the kind of cold, methodical brilliance that should be fascinating—but somehow isn’t. Her story is less about the excitement of the game and more about her ongoing tug-of-war with addiction and isolation.
It’s well-written, sure, but also surprisingly boring. The emotion never really hits, and even the high-stakes matches feel like they’re being told from a distance. Beth's rise and near-fall should be interesting, but the book holds everything at arm's length.
On the bright side, Amy Landon’s narration in the audiobook is sharp and steady—arguably more compelling than the story itself.
It’s well-written, sure, but also surprisingly boring. The emotion never really hits, and even the high-stakes matches feel like they’re being told from a distance. Beth's rise and near-fall should be interesting, but the book holds everything at arm's length.
On the bright side, Amy Landon’s narration in the audiobook is sharp and steady—arguably more compelling than the story itself.