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A review by literaryjunarin
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“She was alone, and she liked it. It was the way she had learned everything important in her life.”
I believe most readers already know about this book because of the hype of the Netflix mini-series. I also bought the book because of the hype btw.
Well, I didn't expect that I'll like it!
The writing style was plain and bare but I loved the storytelling. I know how to play chess but I had a hard time picturing the chess strategies and the tournament scenes. However, it does not take away the experience of enjoying the story.
It was interesting to see how Beth responded to her problems and when she leaned into drugs and alcohol. However, I felt that Beth becoming an alcoholic felt forced just to show her downward spiral to addiction.
As for Jolene, she was painted very badly at the start which doesn't make sense, if you ask me. I wanted to hear more about her, too.
Just one thing I felt weird about is why the author, who's a male, wrote about a woman's struggle in a man's world, which is chess.
I believe most readers already know about this book because of the hype of the Netflix mini-series. I also bought the book because of the hype btw.
Well, I didn't expect that I'll like it!
The writing style was plain and bare but I loved the storytelling. I know how to play chess but I had a hard time picturing the chess strategies and the tournament scenes. However, it does not take away the experience of enjoying the story.
It was interesting to see how Beth responded to her problems and when she leaned into drugs and alcohol. However, I felt that Beth becoming an alcoholic felt forced just to show her downward spiral to addiction.
As for Jolene, she was painted very badly at the start which doesn't make sense, if you ask me. I wanted to hear more about her, too.
Just one thing I felt weird about is why the author, who's a male, wrote about a woman's struggle in a man's world, which is chess.