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melissaa123 's review for:
The Hustler
by Walter Tevis
Another win by Walter Tevis. After reading (and LOVING) The Queen’s Gambit, I was excited to read another one of his books that happened to also be about an obscure game of skill and precision. Walter is such a talented author and has mastered the art of creating drama and excitement around a game that might not be familiar to the audience.
Fast Eddie, the main character, battles addiction and his own ego as he hustles his was through pool halls and life. While the books are very different, I couldn’t help but notice similar themes within The Hustler and The Queen’s Gambit. Both main characters suffer from addiction, experience difficulty navigating personal relationships, and have an unrelenting need to win. Both Beth (Queen’s Gambit) and Eddie have unbeatable skill sets, yet their own self-destructive behaviors constantly get in the way of the one thing they love more than anything - winning.
Walter Tevis is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m sad to learn that he constructed some of his main characters as fictional versions of himself, as he, too, spent much of his own life battling alcoholism and addiction, which is likely why he writes about it with such clarity and understanding.
Fast Eddie, the main character, battles addiction and his own ego as he hustles his was through pool halls and life. While the books are very different, I couldn’t help but notice similar themes within The Hustler and The Queen’s Gambit. Both main characters suffer from addiction, experience difficulty navigating personal relationships, and have an unrelenting need to win. Both Beth (Queen’s Gambit) and Eddie have unbeatable skill sets, yet their own self-destructive behaviors constantly get in the way of the one thing they love more than anything - winning.
Walter Tevis is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m sad to learn that he constructed some of his main characters as fictional versions of himself, as he, too, spent much of his own life battling alcoholism and addiction, which is likely why he writes about it with such clarity and understanding.