The Queen's Gambit Audiobook By Walter Tevis cover art

The Queen's Gambit

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The Queen's Gambit

By: Walter Tevis
Narrated by: Amy Landon
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Engaging and fast-paced, this gripping coming-of-age novel of chess, feminism, and addiction speeds to a conclusion as elegant and satisfying as a mate in four.

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 16, she's competing for the US Open championship. 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.

©2018 Walter Tevis (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Funny Feel-Good Inspiring Scary Thought-Provoking Emotionally Gripping

Featured Article: The Best Chess Audiobooks


If you've been following popular culture, you know that one of the most popular shows of the last year is The Queen's Gambit, which debuted on Netflix in October of 2020. Adapted from the 1983 novel by Walter Tevis, the stylish miniseries starring Anya Taylor-Joy is about the life of fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon. Due to the popularity of the show, the gaming industry saw an unprecedented interest in chess; sales of books about chess and chess boards skyrocketed! Whether you are a theory nerd or hungry for a lesson in the game’s history, these chess-related listens are a great opener.

Featured Article The Best Chess Audiobooks
Compelling Narrative • Complex Protagonist • Engaging Storytelling • Thrilling Chess Matches • Psychological Depth
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I have all my books sped up to .09x. It was by accident but the reads sound great. I couldn't stop listening to the book.

Loved it

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What a great book!!! The only issue I have is that the narrator sounds similar to an AI type voice. Like Siri or Alexa. Void of real feeling... which sort of works in the beginning for the main character but gets old after awhile. Grating actually. Seems un-human at times.
But I glad I pushed past that to finish the book.

Great story... odd narration...

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I watched the Netflix show first and loved it. I read the book and loved the story even more! I really think the book is worth 4.5 stars. Other reviews have mentioned that it is obvious this was a book about a female character that was obviously written by a male. There are nuances and concepts that demonstrate the author couldn't truly relate to being a young female. The main character could have been a male and it wouldn't really change the story at all. But then the story would not have been so exceptional. I would love to read more about Beth Harmon!
I really wish audible would force people to disclose if their review has spoilers. I was debating whether or not to get the book and read another review with a pretty annoying spoiler. No spoiler here, but it's about Beth and Jolene's relationship. The reviewer said that they were so bothered by the incident in the book that they didn't even finish the book. I almost didn't get the book, but I'm glad I did. If that reviewer had actually finished the book they might have been surprised by what happened later. They complained of stereotypes, but then made assumptions that were later proved incorrect.

The book is even better than the show!

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I love it when you watch a show or movie of a book then read the book and the book be so much better. like I understand why the show had to move things around or else the show would have been way longer than it was but I'm thankful when I buy the book and its way better. Great job and great story

way better than the show

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I never thought a book about a girl playing chess could capture my attention so thoroughly! The overall imagery and view into the lives of the characters made this book hard to put down. I had no interest at all in chess before this book but Beth's passion and dedication is contagious. This book is definitely one of my all time favorites now.

Now One of my Top 10 Favorite Stories!

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I loved the Netflix series and so when I saw this book was in the included catalog I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I did see a fair amount of hate for the narrator but her talking in a very aloof, calculated voice really captured Beth’s essence in my opinion. My only beef with the plot is that sex is so randomly thrown in and then like never brought up again. As in it doesn’t ever seem to matter down the road so it’s almost like “why bring it up”. SPOILER: What the f*ck was up with the forced masturbation scene between Beth and Jolene? And again it was a “sex” scene never brought up again.

Just like the show

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The story was stunning and I just couldn't stop! But the reader was so boring. Her inflections were so annoying that I had to keep convincing myself to get over it and enjoy the story. It was worth it!

WORTH IT

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That's about it. The reader is awful but the book is fantastic. Totally recommend it.

Amazing book. Terrible narration

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Loved Netflix series and then loved this audiobook! Enjoyed having strong visual images supporting the text...

COMPELLING...

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I think the background story was good, but I don’t play chess, so there were long sections that I tuned out. Also, she thought the exact same thing each time she discovered a way to win the game and the repetition of the exact wording got a bit under my skin. I suppose in our minds we may use the same or similar terms over and over when we see that we are going to accomplish things, but the narrator saying “It was BEAUTIFUL!” is on a constant loop in my head now. Definitely catchy for sure. I do still plan on watching the show. I think that might help with the parts that were hard to get through, seeing them instead of hearing her play everything out in her head.

Would be better if I played chess

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