A modern classic about a troubled chess prodigy and her battle to survive --- a coming of age story of feminism, chess and addiction
A modern classic about a troubled chess prodigy and her battle to survive --- a coming of age story of feminism, chess and addiction
NOW A MAJOR GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING NETFLIX SERIES
'Superb' Time Out 'Mesmerizing' Newsweek'Gripping' Financial Times'Sheer entertainment. It is a book I reread every few years - for the pure pleasure and skill of it' Michael Ondaatje 'Don't pick this up if you want a night's sleep' Scotsman When she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings, albeit fleetingly: playing chess and taking the little green pills given to her and the other children to keep them subdued. Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is a prodigious talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But she can never quite overcome her urge to self-destruct. For Beth, there's more at stake than merely winning and losing.'I loved it. I just loved it, it really drew me in and I know nothing about chess... The writing about addiction is just fantastic. I underlined so many bits of it... I didn't want it to end' Bryony Gordon on BBC Radio 4'Few novelists have written about genius - and addiction - as acutely as Walter Tevis' Telegraph“Gripping reading . . . Nabokov's The Defense and Zweig's The Royal Game are the classics. Now joining them is The Queen's Gambit - FINANCIAL TIMESMesmerizing - NEWSWEEKDon't pick this up if you want a night's sleep - SCOTSMANMore exciting than any thriller I've seen lately; more than that, beautifully writtenWhat Walter Tevis did for pool in The Hustler , he does for chess in The Queen's Gambit - PLAYBOYA psychological thriller - NEW YORK TIMESWalter Tevis is famous for writing The Hustler and The Man Who Fell to Earth , but this is my favorite book of his. It is about a girl who, guided by her somewhat unreliable mother, becomes a child prodigy at chess. Even if you do not know how to play chess, it is a great thriller - Literary HubTevis was a great storyteller”
"The Queen's Gambit is sheer entertainment. It is a book I reread every few years--for the pure pleasure and skill of it." --Michael Ondaatje
"Compelling. . . . A magnificent obsession." --Los Angeles Times
"Beth Harmon is an unforgettable creation--and The Queen's Gambit is Walter Tevis's most consummate and heartbreaking work." --Jonathan Lethem
"Gripping reading. . . .Nabokov's The Defense and Zweig's The Royal Game are the classics: now joining them is The Queen's Gambit." --The Financial Times
"More exciting than any thriller I've seen lately; more than that, beautifully written. " --Martin Cruz Smith, author of GorkyPark
"It's advisable to tape your fingers before opening The Queen's Gambit. Otherwise, the suspense may bring on nail-chewing right to the elbow." --Houston Chronicle
"Tevis traps us in the breathless drama of the moment and makes us feel the same intense involvement his characters feel." --The Plain Dealer
"There's more excitement in Beth than in the collected works of Robert Ludlum." --Forth Worth Star-Telegram
Walter Tevis was an American novelist and short story writer. Whilst a student at the University of Kentucky, Tevis worked in a pool hall and published a story about the game for an English class. He would later revisit his love for pool in the novels THE HUSTLER (1959) and THE COLOR OF MONEY (1984), both of which would be adapted into multiple award-winning films starring Paul Newman. Among his other works, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1963) and MOCKINGBIRD (1980) are considered masterpieces of science fiction. Tevis died in 1984.
NOW A MAJOR GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING NETFLIX SERIES ' Superb ' Time Out 'Mesmerizing ' Newsweek ' Gripping ' Financial Times ' Sheer entertainment. It is a book I reread every few years - for the pure pleasure and skill of it ' Michael Ondaatje ' Don't pick this up if you want a night's sleep ' Scotsman When she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings, albeit fleetingly: playing chess and taking the little green pills given to her and the other children to keep them subdued. Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is a prodigious talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But she can never quite overcome her urge to self-destruct. For Beth, there's more at stake than merely winning and losing.' I loved it. I just loved it, it really drew me in and I know nothing about chess... The writing about addiction is just fantastic. I underlined so many bits of it... I didn't want it to end ' Bryony Gordon on BBC Radio 4 'Few novelists have written about genius - and addiction - as acutely as Walter Tevis' T elegraph
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.