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A review by iabouzied
The Hustler by Walter Tevis
4.0
The Hustler follows the story of a talented pool player on a quest to prove that he's the best player to ever do it. I picked up this book because it was said to be a parable on the importance of playing to win. It was fascinating to see Tevis explore the different complexes characters had to keep them from winning, whether it be relaxing whenever they had a lead, protecting their ego, feeling like they have to win a certain way, etc.
The book is filled with pool jargon than flew over my head. I imagine it would have been better if I understood what was happening in the games, but I was still able to read the journey through the characters reactions.
Tevis has a distinct writing style. His scenic and character descriptions are incredibly descriptive, going as far as to describe how a character might sigh or set down a glass of water. It feels busy for me, but I can see others falling in love with his style.
The romantic subplot completely eluded me. I could not understand it nor make sense of how it served the story.
I would recommend this book to any fans of pool, or anyone interested in a fictional exploration of sport psychology. Upon finishing the book I found out that the Tevis also wrote The Queen's Gambit, but despite the success of the Netflix adaptation, Tevis didn't leave me excited to rush to his other works. But if he had written a book about a sport I was into, I would be all over it.
The book is filled with pool jargon than flew over my head. I imagine it would have been better if I understood what was happening in the games, but I was still able to read the journey through the characters reactions.
Tevis has a distinct writing style. His scenic and character descriptions are incredibly descriptive, going as far as to describe how a character might sigh or set down a glass of water. It feels busy for me, but I can see others falling in love with his style.
The romantic subplot completely eluded me. I could not understand it nor make sense of how it served the story.
I would recommend this book to any fans of pool, or anyone interested in a fictional exploration of sport psychology. Upon finishing the book I found out that the Tevis also wrote The Queen's Gambit, but despite the success of the Netflix adaptation, Tevis didn't leave me excited to rush to his other works. But if he had written a book about a sport I was into, I would be all over it.