Reviews
I wish I had read this before watching the show because my imagination of the characters and scenery were ultimately limited to what I had seen on the series. Regardless, I enjoyed reading the book and I think that its adaptation may be my favorite work by Netflix.
I loved the ending of the novel where Beth decides to leave the party to play chess at a park where the chess players were simply playing for the love of the game.
Audiobook
i'm not a fan of the writing at all but it looks like i'm in the minority on that one
beth harmon the queen that you are!!!
as someone who didn’t know anything about chess, the writing is actually very compelling. it is a gripping story about one’s success and self-discipline. throughout the story, we witness how beth struggle with different kinds of addictions such as drugs and alcohol abuse. because of that, we’ve seen how it puts a strain on her friendships and relationships with men and the effect it has on her mental well-being. in line with this, i wish that beth’s mental health problems were explored and tackled more in the book.
overall i thoroughly enjoyed reading this and wished i’ve read the book first before watching the show. i am not lying when i say that this is one of the best book to series adaptations ever.
I enjoyed the TV adaptation more than the book. While the book was similar, I wanted to learn more about Beth's life and connect with the characters on a deeper level. Her hardships were easily overcome, so I never questioned if she would prevail. For example, Mrs. Wheatley's death didn't seem to affect Beth much. The focus was mainly on the chess games, which were exciting but repetitive between small glimpses into Beth's life. I was hoping for more character depth and a more satisfying ending that tied up loose ends. I was also shocked by the unnecessary sexual content at the start not included in the show. Overall, it was an uplifting story about Beth's journey to becoming a chess champion, but the book lacked the immersion into her personal struggles that the series captured well.
Biggest regret will forever be watching the show before reading the book. This is not to say I disliked the show, more so I applaud it, for it is the best book-to-“movie” adaptations I’ve ever seen.
3.5 stars
It's an entire world of just 64 squares. I feel safe in it. I can control it; I can dominate it. And it's predictable. So, if I get hurt, I only have myself to blame. Beth Harmon is an orphan with no remarkable out looking. But things about her is changing at the moment she met with chess. She fell in love with the game and became a female chess prodigy, and this is her story. I stumbled into the story and couldn’t stop until I finished the book. The whole story is “too cerebral” yet terrific. It can be your favorite book if you’re a genuine nerd for such stories.
Really enjoyed the Netflix series so bought this on a whim, and very much enjoyed the story all over again. There are only a few changes to the plot that I could tell, but the main thrust of Elizabeth Harmon's rise through the patriarchal world of chess is still a very thrilling journey to witness. I was mainly surprised after I finished the book to realise that Walter Tevis also wrote The Hustler and Color of Money - as well as sci-fi classics such as The Man Who Fell To Earth. Will definitely be reading more of his stuff this year.
If you loved the series, you’ll be blown away by the book. An intricate level of detail characterises this story of a childhood to adolescence growth within a brilliant young girl who is exquisite at chess. The inner workings of her mind and the way it is put onto paper is truly intriguing and entertaining. I loved this book for its passion, sincerity and irregularity.
I'm a big believer that the book is always better than the show. I prepped to watch the Netflix show by listening to an audio version of this book...and it was difficult. It's not a long book, but it took me forever to get through. I ended up listening to it at 1.5x speed just to get it over with. It was dull, flat, and there was no greater meaning or arc. Save yourself some time and skip this one.
I read this back in June and I thought it was phenomenal. that's all the words I can use because this book really did leave me speechless. read it in one sitting I have no clue how though.
TREMENDO
It's been so long since I read an entire book in one sitting like this. This was absolutely amazing and there's something so beautiful about the text, the people, the stories. There are some differences when compared with the Netflix series but I think it gives them both quirks and I can't decide which I like better. Well written and beautiful--especially for a book of this time. And I love the feminist perspectives it took on.
IT WAS AN AMAZING BOOK. GO READ IT NOW
Such a satisfying story. The series is one of my favorites, and this book was such a delight it gave me a newfound appreciation for the adaptation. Must read.
I’m in awe of this book. When I heard my mom gushing about the Netflix series I wanted to read the book before watching the series just because that’s the way I am. This book did not disappoint and I’m so, so happy that I read it. Beth is a very unique character in my opinion. I like her even though she is weird sometimes. It was quite interesting to follow her on her journey and through her addiction and her brilliance. The plot is also great. As a sport psychologist I was fascinated (although it is fiction) to see into Beth’s head and to see her thoughts and doubts and everything that she experienced during a game. I also really like that we get to follow her through her whole life and really get to know her, addiction and all. It’s rare in a book I think. All in all, this is a great book with a great ending and I sure will go and watch the show next.
4.5/5
this book really made me feel like i was a professional chess player but realistically i cheat during every chess game i play and use computer-generated hints for every turn
3,5⭐*
It's taken me an embarrassingly long time to finish this book, mostly because I tried to read fiction only at night, and I would get sleepy after reading five pages. Sometimes this book was boring, and there're too many sections where chess games are narrated. As someone who can play chess but is no expert in the field, those felt dragging and hard to picture. BUT the ending was fantastic, thrilling and exciting. So I'm giving it an extra star just because of that ending. Enjoy.
i wanted to give this book a 3.5 because walter tevis is lowkey a creep, but the writing+ ending were just too good for me to not rate it 4 stars 😔
chess god aka beth harmon, I love you
i am blaming this book for my reading slump. it’s not poorly written but it’s boring… look at least the tv show is so good
Highlights
He was about twenty-five and looked like a pirate. He wore dirty jeans, a black turtleneck and a black wool cap pulled down to his heavy eyebrows
"On Friday, everybody ate fish, Catholic or not"
This time she saw the whole board in her mind and caught every change of balance in the power that shifted over its surface. Each particle of it was neutralized by its counter-particle, but each was ready to discharge itself if allowed and break the structure open.
She had heard of the genetic code that could shape an eye or hand from passing proteins. Deoxyribonucleic acid. It contained the entire of instructions for constructing a respiratory system and a digestive one, as well as the grip of an infant's hand, Chess was like that. Thegeometry of a position could be read and re-read and not exhausted of possibility. You saw deeply into this layer of it, but there was another layer beyond that, and another.
Basically all of the chess notation in the book went over my head but the way Tevis describes genius is just stunning.
She played mentally through game after game, learning new variations, seeing stylistic differences in offense and defense, biting her lip sometimes in excitement over a dazzling move or a subtlety of position, and at other times wearied by a sense of the hopeless depth of chess, of its endlessness, move after move, threat after threat, complication after complication.
Would you care for a cocktail?" he asked pleasantly. She looked around her at the quiet restaurant, at the people eating lunch, at the table with desserts near the velvet rope at the entrance to the dining room. “A Gibson," she said. On the rocks." It came almost immediately. It was wonderful to look at. The tumbler was clear and clean; the gin inside was crystalline; the white onions were like two pearls. When she tasted it, it stung her upper lip, then stung her throat with a sweet tease as it went down. The effect on her tense stomach was remarkable; everything about it was rewarding. She finished it slowly, and the deep fury in her began to subside. She ordered another. Back in the shadows at the far end of the room someone was playing a piano. Beth looked at her watch. It was a quarter to twelve. It was good to be alive.