The Queen's Gambit

Walter Tevis

From Shelf: Books I’ve finished and loved

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 STARRING ANYA TAYLOR-JOYWhen she is sent to an orphanage at the age of eight, Beth Harmon soon discovers two ways to escape her surroundings: playing chess with the janitor and taking the little green pills given to the children to keep them subdued.Before long, it becomes apparent that hers is an unusual talent, and as she progresses to the top of the US chess rankings she is able to forge a new life for herself. But as Beth 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 . . .'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'Few novelists have written about genius - and addiction - as acutely as Walter Tevis' The Telegraph