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Queen's Gambit (Paperback)

by Walter S. Tevis (Author)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Macmillan (Aug 10 1984)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0330282417
ISBN-13: 978-0330282413
Shipping Weight: 504 g

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Eight year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she’s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as she hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Engaging and fast-paced, The Queen’s Gambit speeds to a conclusion as elegant and satisfying as a mate in four. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

“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 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews

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4 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars 4 Stars from a Dummy who likes Rocky Too?!, Jun 16 2004

By	Graboidz (Westminster, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Queen's Gambit: A Novel (Paperback)

This novel is not my usual reading fare. My father read and recommended it so I figured why not (I still had a week before Steven King's next Dark Tower novel came out). The story of chess prodigy Beth Harmon is a fantastic underdog / fish out of water type story, that will keep you riveted. I have little to no experience playing chess, but Tevis writes out the gameplay in a way that is easy to follow. Chess comes off more as a sport in this novel, and Beth Harmon's competitive nature is addictive. You will find yourself rooting for Beth as you would a favorite football team that has the odds stacked against them. There is plenty of suspense involved in the novel as well, as you really get sucked into the story and whether or not this "girl" can compete and win in a "man's" game. The only reason I did not give "The Queen's Gambit" a higher rating, it that I felt it dragged in places concerning Beth's struggle with addiction. And despite what another reviewer says regarding this novel as a "Rocky for smart people", trust me, this novel can be enjoyed by the legions of dumb people like me as well. I had no problem reading this novel, then putting it down in time to watch WWE Wrestling on my movin' picture box.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An great story - not just a chess story, Aug 1 2003

By	M. Rosen (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Queen's Gambit: A Novel (Paperback)

I read Tevis' brilliant "Mockingbird" many years ago, went looking for his other books, and found this one. No one had read it or heard of it, and I always considered it a lost gem, re-reading it every few years. I'm glad it's being reissued. This isn't a book about chess, you don't have to know a thing about the game to enjoy the story. It's about Beth, a young orphan who discovers her chess genius by accident, nurtures it, uses it as a lifeline to pull herself into the real world after her adoption and painful adolescence. Without her, the book would be a magazine article about a chess prodigy. With her, it's a story of a young woman who doesn't really know how to live in the world, but finds a way through the pain of an incomplete childhood. If you enjoyed books like "She's Come Undone" or "The Liar's Club" you will love this one. You want to root for her, no matter what she's doing.

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books, Jul 15 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Queen's Gambit: A Novel (Paperback)

This is the book I reach for most often to relieve a sleepless night. I'm probably the world's most careful reader, least hard on my books, with 10 years old paperbacks that look brand new, but this book is falling apart. I finally tracked down a hardbound copy to replace my tattered paperback.

I know enough of chess to follow the action, and in fact it deepened my interest in chess. But the main attraction is the main character, the young orphan girl who discovers chess and that this ancient game and her brain are made for each other. Perhaps partly I could identify with discovering a native talent (no, not chess) not usually associated with girls/women and/or the very young.

But primarily this is a story of the triumph of a unique human spirit housed in the form of an ordinary looking young girl with an unusual number of strikes against her. Fascinating, inspiring, a great read.

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5.0 out of 5 stars "Rocky" for smart people
It was the spring of 1983. On a long plane trip, I started THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT by Walter Tevis, a just-published novel I'd bought on impulse. And I was gobsmacked. Read more

Published on May 23 2003 by Jesse Kornbluth