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Eddie Felson #1
بیلیاردباز
When it was published in 1959, The Hustler was hailed as the first (and the best)novel written about pool/billiards in the long history of the game. The novel was soon turned into a film that starred Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason. The Hustler is the story of Fast Eddie Felson, a poolroom hustler who travels from town to town conning strangers into thinking they could beat him at the game when in fact, he is a highly-skilled player who has never lost a game. But then he goes off to Chicago and comes face to face with Minnesota Fats, a king of the poolroom, and defeat and the quest to get even presents a gripping read. Tevis was based in Ohio.
206 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
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6850 people want to read
About the author
Walter Tevis
63 books1,302 followersWalter Stone Tevis was an American novelist and short story writer. Three of his six novels were adapted into major films: The Hustler, The Color of Money, and The Man Who Fell to Earth. The Queen's Gambit has also been adapted in 2020 into a 7-episode mini-series. His books have been translated into at least 18 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews
January 21, 2024
I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars for this superb book that was also developed into a superb film featuring Jackie Gleason as Rudolf Walter Wanderone, also known as Minnesota Fats, (a real person), the best pool hustler in the country at the time, at least by reputation, and "Fast" Eddie Felson, but I just finally think this book is about perfect. I have a couple nitpicks, but honestly, you can't ask for much more in a work of fiction: Tightly constructed, with terrific characters and dialogue. And is there a better work of fiction about pool!? Takes place mostly in Chicago, where I have lost a lot of games in some of its famed pool halls, and more than a few dive bars (many of my losses came from my playing my then girlfriend, who was semipro level at the time. A hard case guy came up to me after one of my losses to her and he asked me, tauntingly, “How does it feel to lose to a woman?!” and I replied, “Pretty damned good. Yeah, I like it a lot").
As with Tevis's also superb The Queen's Gambit, which is about the world of chess, there is close attention to intense and highly competitive activities, where questions of drive and character and also addiction factor in. People at the top of their competitive abilities, people who at their best operate "in the zone," those folks interest Tevis, and a few million readers, too, as it turns out. Attention, too, is paid to the relationship between people who operate at the upper echelons of their passions and others they love. Is it possible for superstars to live a normal life, with long-term relationships? Can they ever give up the life and settle down to a white picket fence home, a family, and steady, conventional work? Eddie's girlfriend is graduate student Sarah; is it worth it for her to hang in there with him? Even if she wants to, is it possible for him to hang in there with her?
One interesting aspect in the book is the attention to mentoring. Eddie has Bert, a guide to help him develop into a first class pool hustler (or, shark). Bert also bankrolls his protege. In films about great skill such as Rocky or Karate Kid and on and on, usually there are managers, coaches, family, that are key to any competitor's success, and that's the case here, but with a bit of twist in the end, which is tied to some issues of class and the need for money and winning in this society.
“To beat the other man. To beat him as utterly, as completely as possible: This was the deep and abiding meaning of the game of pool. And, it seemed to Eddie in that minute of thought, it was the meaning of more than the game of pool, more than the five-by-ten-foot microcosm of ambition and desire. It seemed to him as if all men must know this because it is in every meeting and every act, in the whole gigantic hustle of men’s lives.”
So you say you don't particularly care about pool? Well, I'll say the two different episodes between Fats and Fast Eddie are completely engrossing, though really all of the pool scenes make you care about them, truthfully. Fast Eddie is not a completely admirable character, but he is fascinating, and as with any good book about any topic, it is mainly a book about the character of Eddie.
Oh, and if you are bored with your life, wanting to make a sudden change, you get a good idea here how to become a pool hustler! How to fleece other pool players, yes, for fame and profit! Didn't you always want to do this? It reminds me of Richard Stark's Parker books where you get some tips on how to pull off a heist. Not boring!
I can't wait to see the movie again! But this book is terrific.
The Hustler, a film excerpt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ghr...
As with Tevis's also superb The Queen's Gambit, which is about the world of chess, there is close attention to intense and highly competitive activities, where questions of drive and character and also addiction factor in. People at the top of their competitive abilities, people who at their best operate "in the zone," those folks interest Tevis, and a few million readers, too, as it turns out. Attention, too, is paid to the relationship between people who operate at the upper echelons of their passions and others they love. Is it possible for superstars to live a normal life, with long-term relationships? Can they ever give up the life and settle down to a white picket fence home, a family, and steady, conventional work? Eddie's girlfriend is graduate student Sarah; is it worth it for her to hang in there with him? Even if she wants to, is it possible for him to hang in there with her?
One interesting aspect in the book is the attention to mentoring. Eddie has Bert, a guide to help him develop into a first class pool hustler (or, shark). Bert also bankrolls his protege. In films about great skill such as Rocky or Karate Kid and on and on, usually there are managers, coaches, family, that are key to any competitor's success, and that's the case here, but with a bit of twist in the end, which is tied to some issues of class and the need for money and winning in this society.
“To beat the other man. To beat him as utterly, as completely as possible: This was the deep and abiding meaning of the game of pool. And, it seemed to Eddie in that minute of thought, it was the meaning of more than the game of pool, more than the five-by-ten-foot microcosm of ambition and desire. It seemed to him as if all men must know this because it is in every meeting and every act, in the whole gigantic hustle of men’s lives.”
So you say you don't particularly care about pool? Well, I'll say the two different episodes between Fats and Fast Eddie are completely engrossing, though really all of the pool scenes make you care about them, truthfully. Fast Eddie is not a completely admirable character, but he is fascinating, and as with any good book about any topic, it is mainly a book about the character of Eddie.
Oh, and if you are bored with your life, wanting to make a sudden change, you get a good idea here how to become a pool hustler! How to fleece other pool players, yes, for fame and profit! Didn't you always want to do this? It reminds me of Richard Stark's Parker books where you get some tips on how to pull off a heist. Not boring!
I can't wait to see the movie again! But this book is terrific.
The Hustler, a film excerpt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ghr...
April 8, 2021
“The heavy undercurrent of voices, the clicking of many balls, the soft cursing and the dry laughter, the banging of cue sticks on the floor.” There's talk within Bennington's poolroom, Chicago. A kid by the name of “Fast” Eddie Felson is coming to challenge the players where hustler's are made and broken, where the best reside. Let him come, they say. “Because they don't ever come from Mississippi, or Texas, or California and play heads up with a top Chicago hustler and walk out with more on the hip than they walked in with. Never.
So when Eddie comes, and he does come, it is no tale, his pockets are full and his ego is before him. He really is one of the best they've ever seen. When you're good, you take on the giant. That's just the way it is. Minnesota Fats is the giant, truly in form as in the game. Fast Eddie will walk away, but with nearly empty pockets, and certainly without his ego intact.
Although he doesn't know it, something is missing from Eddie's game. It is not the shooting. The shots are perfect. Nor is it the eye, the English applied, or any skill within the man. For now he is lost. Yet, there is always the desire to try again.
I know the game of pool, but I also don't if you know what I mean. I like how Tevis makes the game and the one who plays meet in the middle, for us who would read. Of any game, it is never simply about the game, but also about the person. That's what I like here.
So when Eddie comes, and he does come, it is no tale, his pockets are full and his ego is before him. He really is one of the best they've ever seen. When you're good, you take on the giant. That's just the way it is. Minnesota Fats is the giant, truly in form as in the game. Fast Eddie will walk away, but with nearly empty pockets, and certainly without his ego intact.
Although he doesn't know it, something is missing from Eddie's game. It is not the shooting. The shots are perfect. Nor is it the eye, the English applied, or any skill within the man. For now he is lost. Yet, there is always the desire to try again.
I know the game of pool, but I also don't if you know what I mean. I like how Tevis makes the game and the one who plays meet in the middle, for us who would read. Of any game, it is never simply about the game, but also about the person. That's what I like here.
March 22, 2017
این کتاب همان اثری است که فیلم کلاسیک و مشهور «بیلیاردباز» با نقش آفرینی پل نیومن از روی آن ساخته شد. البته عنوان اصلی کتاب
(The Hustler)
به کسی اطلاق میشود که به عمد تواناییهای خود را در بازی یا رشتهای کمتر از آنچه هست نشان دهد، به این امید که حریفان کم تجربه تر را به دام شرط بندی کلان بیندازد، عملی شبیه به اصطلاح «دان پاشیدن» که در فارسی کاربرد دارد. خواننده در این داستان پا به جهانی میگذارد با ارزشها و اصول اخلاقی کاملاً متفاوت و خاص خود، جهانی آکنده از شیدایی و شیفتگی نسبت به مشغولیت و حرفة خود، قدری یادآور فضایی که در داستان «قمارباز» داستایِفسکی شاهد هستیم. داستان از یک سو گونه ای از «رویای امریکایی» را به بهترین شکل به نمایش میگذارد و از سوی دیگر، نشان میدهد برای تحقق این رویا باید با چه اوضاع و شرایط بیرحمی رویارو شد. فیلم «رنگ پول» مارتین اسکورسیزی (1986)، باز با نقش آفرینی پل نیومن و نیز تام کروز، ادامة همین داستان «بیلیاردباز» است
(The Hustler)
به کسی اطلاق میشود که به عمد تواناییهای خود را در بازی یا رشتهای کمتر از آنچه هست نشان دهد، به این امید که حریفان کم تجربه تر را به دام شرط بندی کلان بیندازد، عملی شبیه به اصطلاح «دان پاشیدن» که در فارسی کاربرد دارد. خواننده در این داستان پا به جهانی میگذارد با ارزشها و اصول اخلاقی کاملاً متفاوت و خاص خود، جهانی آکنده از شیدایی و شیفتگی نسبت به مشغولیت و حرفة خود، قدری یادآور فضایی که در داستان «قمارباز» داستایِفسکی شاهد هستیم. داستان از یک سو گونه ای از «رویای امریکایی» را به بهترین شکل به نمایش میگذارد و از سوی دیگر، نشان میدهد برای تحقق این رویا باید با چه اوضاع و شرایط بیرحمی رویارو شد. فیلم «رنگ پول» مارتین اسکورسیزی (1986)، باز با نقش آفرینی پل نیومن و نیز تام کروز، ادامة همین داستان «بیلیاردباز» است
August 29, 2025
“(…) todo lo que hay que hacer es sentir lástima de ti mismo…y montones de gente aprenden a encontrar satisfacción de ese modo. Es uno de los mejores deportes de interior, la autocompasión (…). Un deporte que le gusta a todo el mundo. Especialmente a los perdedores.”
Magnífica novela negra que se encuentra ya en nuestro archivo de grandes clásicos del género, si no al estilo de Chadler o Hammet, con muertos, disparos y hampones, sí que desde luego con esos bajos fondos y el submundo que se esconde tras el mundo del juego. Es un género que siempre me ha atraído mucho. El tono general del libro que consigue aquí el autor es excelente.
Dentro de ese mundo y vida nocturna que debe presidir siempre este género, diría que “El buscavidas” se adapta al clásico formato de la picaresca adaptado al siglo XX. El pillo o pícaro de origen humilde, que trata de buscar su lugar en el mundo desplumando a cuantos encuentra a su paso. De eso sabemos bastante en España y existe toda una categoría propia de narrativa desde hace siglos (desde el siglo XVI nada menos): esos embaucadores profesionales que tan simpáticos nos caen, siempre y cuando no seamos nosotros los damnificados. Creo que la base de esa simpatía es que en la contraparte se encuentran los avaros que intentan abusar del que aparenta debilidad.
Estupenda novela esta, en la que a diferencia de la literatura general en que inventas el rostro de los protagonistas, aquí diría que el 90% de los lectores le pone a Eddie Felson directamente el rostro del mejor Paul Newman, joven, guapísimo, luciendo como un diamante (que conste que solo he visto la portada del libro).
Tras intentar en varias ocasiones hacerme con la película, decidí finalmente leer el libro…y creo que ha sido acertada la decisión, ya que continuaré con la saga en papel y después en la pantalla.
Toda la narración nos la va regando Walter Tevis con pequeñas píldoras de filosofía de barrio, que acaban por formar un mensaje potente (tal vez sea esa la mejor filosofía, la del saber popular del barrio o el pueblo), no solo en relación con el juego, sino que yo lo extendería a la vida. Este párrafo que entresaco, y en general el capítulo 16 es magistral, el maestro shaolín dando toda una lección de vida al joven dotado de todas las capacidades técnicas, pero carente por completo del conocimiento que da la experiencia de los años:
“Yo. Tú y cualquier maldito jugador queréis ser héroes. Pero para ser un héroe, hay que firmar un contrato contigo mismo. Si quieres la gloria y el dinero tienes que ser duro. No quiero decir que te desprendas de la compasión, no eres un timador ni un ladrón: esos son los que no pueden vivir si sienten compasión. Yo mismo la siento. Tengo momentos blandos. Pero soy duro conmigo mismo y sé cuando no hay que ser débil. Como cuando tienes que entregarte a una mujer, hay que darlo todo, sin contenerte. Duda después. O antes. Pero con una mujer haces un contrato; no sé cuáles son todas las palabras de ese contrato, pero están ahí y si no lo entiendes no eres humano, no me importa lo que digan todos esos cretinos y los hijos de puta y los que defienden el amor libre. Y cuando se lo das a una mujer o cuando haces el contrato que dice: voy a darte la gran paliza en esta partida de billar, no te contienes. No dejes que te convenza la voz que dice: libérate, no te comprometas. Haz callar esa voz (…). Y cuando llegues a ese momento determinado de la partida en que te diga: no arriesgues el cuello, sé listo, retírate, no porque quiera salvar tu dinero, sino porque quiere perderte, no quiere ver que pones tu maldito corazón en el juego. Quiere que pierdas, quiere verte sentir lástima de ti mismo, quiere que busques compasión”.
Buaaahhh…Se nota perfectamente que este tipo W. Tevis conocía a la perfección sobre lo que escribía: que conocía la vida de los billares, de la noche, de las apuestas, de los buscavidas, y de los profesionales. Podía haber escrito toda una enciclopedia de varios tomos sobre el tema del billar, pero se conformó con esta breve perla que es “El buscavidas”.
Magnífica novela negra que se encuentra ya en nuestro archivo de grandes clásicos del género, si no al estilo de Chadler o Hammet, con muertos, disparos y hampones, sí que desde luego con esos bajos fondos y el submundo que se esconde tras el mundo del juego. Es un género que siempre me ha atraído mucho. El tono general del libro que consigue aquí el autor es excelente.
Dentro de ese mundo y vida nocturna que debe presidir siempre este género, diría que “El buscavidas” se adapta al clásico formato de la picaresca adaptado al siglo XX. El pillo o pícaro de origen humilde, que trata de buscar su lugar en el mundo desplumando a cuantos encuentra a su paso. De eso sabemos bastante en España y existe toda una categoría propia de narrativa desde hace siglos (desde el siglo XVI nada menos): esos embaucadores profesionales que tan simpáticos nos caen, siempre y cuando no seamos nosotros los damnificados. Creo que la base de esa simpatía es que en la contraparte se encuentran los avaros que intentan abusar del que aparenta debilidad.
Estupenda novela esta, en la que a diferencia de la literatura general en que inventas el rostro de los protagonistas, aquí diría que el 90% de los lectores le pone a Eddie Felson directamente el rostro del mejor Paul Newman, joven, guapísimo, luciendo como un diamante (que conste que solo he visto la portada del libro).
Tras intentar en varias ocasiones hacerme con la película, decidí finalmente leer el libro…y creo que ha sido acertada la decisión, ya que continuaré con la saga en papel y después en la pantalla.
Toda la narración nos la va regando Walter Tevis con pequeñas píldoras de filosofía de barrio, que acaban por formar un mensaje potente (tal vez sea esa la mejor filosofía, la del saber popular del barrio o el pueblo), no solo en relación con el juego, sino que yo lo extendería a la vida. Este párrafo que entresaco, y en general el capítulo 16 es magistral, el maestro shaolín dando toda una lección de vida al joven dotado de todas las capacidades técnicas, pero carente por completo del conocimiento que da la experiencia de los años:
“Yo. Tú y cualquier maldito jugador queréis ser héroes. Pero para ser un héroe, hay que firmar un contrato contigo mismo. Si quieres la gloria y el dinero tienes que ser duro. No quiero decir que te desprendas de la compasión, no eres un timador ni un ladrón: esos son los que no pueden vivir si sienten compasión. Yo mismo la siento. Tengo momentos blandos. Pero soy duro conmigo mismo y sé cuando no hay que ser débil. Como cuando tienes que entregarte a una mujer, hay que darlo todo, sin contenerte. Duda después. O antes. Pero con una mujer haces un contrato; no sé cuáles son todas las palabras de ese contrato, pero están ahí y si no lo entiendes no eres humano, no me importa lo que digan todos esos cretinos y los hijos de puta y los que defienden el amor libre. Y cuando se lo das a una mujer o cuando haces el contrato que dice: voy a darte la gran paliza en esta partida de billar, no te contienes. No dejes que te convenza la voz que dice: libérate, no te comprometas. Haz callar esa voz (…). Y cuando llegues a ese momento determinado de la partida en que te diga: no arriesgues el cuello, sé listo, retírate, no porque quiera salvar tu dinero, sino porque quiere perderte, no quiere ver que pones tu maldito corazón en el juego. Quiere que pierdas, quiere verte sentir lástima de ti mismo, quiere que busques compasión”.
Buaaahhh…Se nota perfectamente que este tipo W. Tevis conocía a la perfección sobre lo que escribía: que conocía la vida de los billares, de la noche, de las apuestas, de los buscavidas, y de los profesionales. Podía haber escrito toda una enciclopedia de varios tomos sobre el tema del billar, pero se conformó con esta breve perla que es “El buscavidas”.
August 5, 2019
“Fast” Eddie Felson, a brilliant young pool hustler, travels from California to Chicago to take on the best player in the country: Minnesota Fats. Will the young up and comer beat the old pro? Of course - there’s no story otherwise!
And that’s about my only criticism of Walter Tevis’ The Hustler: the predictability of the story. I’ve been trying to pin down why I didn’t outright love this book like The Queen’s Gambit and I think that’s the only aspect of it that sticks in my brain craw: you can see the narrative structure too nakedly and Tevis doesn’t throw any curveballs to make you sit up and pay attention.
Eddie metaphorically falls, then we gotta wait for him to recover and finally defeat the dude at the end. And Tevis’ writing style doesn’t lend itself to simply blitzing the chapters, though that’s not a criticism in itself - he writes beautifully - just that getting through particularly that middle part made it easy for me to put the book down. I’m realising more and more that the most important part of fiction is how a story’s told rather than the content of the story itself - but that doesn’t mean the story isn’t important either.
Otherwise, I loved The Hustler - Walter Tevis does it again! Tevis worked briefly in a pool hall and he really captures the atmosphere of those places where he must’ve seen real life Eddie Felsons come through and hustle the locals. The scenes where Eddie’s playing pool are genuinely gripping - like in The Queen’s Gambit, even though I couldn’t mentally picture what was happening, I got a good sense of what the characters were experiencing to understand the meaning of the scene.
And, while the story arc is familiar and unoriginal, I enjoyed seeing Eddie get back on his feet and build up towards the rematch with Fats. His learning what it takes to beat someone higher up than him in his profession is actually quite inspiring - in a sense, the novel works indirectly as a fictional self-help manual, urging you to dig deep to find the strength and confidence to keep pushing forwards, overcome obstacles, etc.!
The characters are great - Tevis never lets you know them too well so their behaviour can surprise you. That works especially well with Eddie and Sarah’s romance, which was moving and convincing for being realistic and very undramatic, and Bert, Eddie’s manager, with that scene at the end.
It’s amazing that The Hustler is Tevis’ first novel because it’s so well-written and displays such confident storytelling - what a talented writer he was! It’s not as flawless as The Queen’s Gambit but it is another excellent Walter Tevis novel - and I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Color of Money!
And that’s about my only criticism of Walter Tevis’ The Hustler: the predictability of the story. I’ve been trying to pin down why I didn’t outright love this book like The Queen’s Gambit and I think that’s the only aspect of it that sticks in my brain craw: you can see the narrative structure too nakedly and Tevis doesn’t throw any curveballs to make you sit up and pay attention.
Eddie metaphorically falls, then we gotta wait for him to recover and finally defeat the dude at the end. And Tevis’ writing style doesn’t lend itself to simply blitzing the chapters, though that’s not a criticism in itself - he writes beautifully - just that getting through particularly that middle part made it easy for me to put the book down. I’m realising more and more that the most important part of fiction is how a story’s told rather than the content of the story itself - but that doesn’t mean the story isn’t important either.
Otherwise, I loved The Hustler - Walter Tevis does it again! Tevis worked briefly in a pool hall and he really captures the atmosphere of those places where he must’ve seen real life Eddie Felsons come through and hustle the locals. The scenes where Eddie’s playing pool are genuinely gripping - like in The Queen’s Gambit, even though I couldn’t mentally picture what was happening, I got a good sense of what the characters were experiencing to understand the meaning of the scene.
And, while the story arc is familiar and unoriginal, I enjoyed seeing Eddie get back on his feet and build up towards the rematch with Fats. His learning what it takes to beat someone higher up than him in his profession is actually quite inspiring - in a sense, the novel works indirectly as a fictional self-help manual, urging you to dig deep to find the strength and confidence to keep pushing forwards, overcome obstacles, etc.!
The characters are great - Tevis never lets you know them too well so their behaviour can surprise you. That works especially well with Eddie and Sarah’s romance, which was moving and convincing for being realistic and very undramatic, and Bert, Eddie’s manager, with that scene at the end.
It’s amazing that The Hustler is Tevis’ first novel because it’s so well-written and displays such confident storytelling - what a talented writer he was! It’s not as flawless as The Queen’s Gambit but it is another excellent Walter Tevis novel - and I can’t wait to read the sequel, The Color of Money!
March 15, 2021
5 Stars for The Hustler (audiobook) by Walter Tevis read by Joe Barrett. Walter Tevis is a wonderful story teller. There is a reason why so many of his books were made into movies.
September 15, 2022
کتاب بیلیارد باز نوشته والتر تویس ، نویسنده آمریکایی روایت جوان بیلیاردبازی ایست که برای مشهور شدن ، قهرمان شدن و دریک کلام در قمار بیلیارد برنده شدن یاد می گیرد که باید خود را بسازد و شخصیت خود را . باید هدف بازی را بشناسد و به پیروزی در آن اطمینان داشته باشد . باید مطمئن باشد که حریف را تمام و کمال شکست خواهد داد .
ادی در پایان کتاب درک می کند که زندگی خود یک قمار است و برای بازی کردن در آن باید به زندگی عشق ورزید و برای داشتن شخصیت باید از یک قاعده و فرمان پیروی کرد : پیروز شدن
معروفیت کتاب والتر تویس بیشتر به سبب فیلم بیلیاردباز به کارگردانی رابرت راسن و بازیگری غول هایی مانند پل نیومن و جرج سی اسکات بوده والبته فیلم هم نسبت به کتاب تغییرات زیادی داشته است . به نظر می رسد که کارگردان بیشتر به جنبه قمار بیلیارد توجه داشته و با پر رنگ کردن نقش سارا ، تغییرات روحی ادی را نادیده گرفته است .
تماشای مجدد فیلم به بهانه اتمام کتاب ، فرصت خوبی شد برای تماشای پل نیومن ، بازیگر افسانه ای و تکرار نشدنی دوران طلایی هالیوود . ترکیب چشمان آبی او با چهره معصوم ، آرامش ، راحتی و خونسردی جذاب او به همراه لبخندی بی نظیر که به پوزخند طعنه می زند از پل نیومن شمایلی جاودان ، همیشگی و فراموش نشدنی آفریده است .
ادی در پایان کتاب درک می کند که زندگی خود یک قمار است و برای بازی کردن در آن باید به زندگی عشق ورزید و برای داشتن شخصیت باید از یک قاعده و فرمان پیروی کرد : پیروز شدن
معروفیت کتاب والتر تویس بیشتر به سبب فیلم بیلیاردباز به کارگردانی رابرت راسن و بازیگری غول هایی مانند پل نیومن و جرج سی اسکات بوده والبته فیلم هم نسبت به کتاب تغییرات زیادی داشته است . به نظر می رسد که کارگردان بیشتر به جنبه قمار بیلیارد توجه داشته و با پر رنگ کردن نقش سارا ، تغییرات روحی ادی را نادیده گرفته است .
تماشای مجدد فیلم به بهانه اتمام کتاب ، فرصت خوبی شد برای تماشای پل نیومن ، بازیگر افسانه ای و تکرار نشدنی دوران طلایی هالیوود . ترکیب چشمان آبی او با چهره معصوم ، آرامش ، راحتی و خونسردی جذاب او به همراه لبخندی بی نظیر که به پوزخند طعنه می زند از پل نیومن شمایلی جاودان ، همیشگی و فراموش نشدنی آفریده است .
December 1, 2020
Eddie Felson el Rápido es un tiburón del billar, un buscavidas que recorre las salas de billar del país en busca de los mejores, cuyas partidas son las más jugosas, las que llevan las apuestas a lo más alto. También se dedica a timar a los incautos, haciéndose pasar por un jugador mediocre. Pero Eddie es bueno, muy bueno, un talento del juego, que se va a encontrar con la horma de su zapato, otro grande, Minnesota Fats.
‘El buscavidas’ (The Hustler, 1959), de Walter Tevis, es una magnífica novela, con brillantes diálogos y una estupenda ambientación, mostrando las partidas de billar, pero sin abusar en detalles. Aparentemente parece una prosa sencilla, pero Tevis deja poso. La adaptación cinematográfica es bien conocida, con una interpretación magistral de Paul Newman, si bien varía en su final.
‘El buscavidas’ (The Hustler, 1959), de Walter Tevis, es una magnífica novela, con brillantes diálogos y una estupenda ambientación, mostrando las partidas de billar, pero sin abusar en detalles. Aparentemente parece una prosa sencilla, pero Tevis deja poso. La adaptación cinematográfica es bien conocida, con una interpretación magistral de Paul Newman, si bien varía en su final.
February 6, 2022
“It was important who won and who did not win. Always. Everywhere. To everybody.”
The Hustler is a 1959 novel about a twenty-something rising pool hustler known as Fast Eddie Felson. Eddie dreams of being the best, hitting the big time, beating the best in the country at shooting pool.
The story is set in the 1950s with a moody tone and Eddie all smiles and swagger. I got a vivid feel for the environment in the hall. The colors, smells, and sounds. Of course, the text followed the games but with a wide enough scope to appreciate the tension or fatigue or attitude of the players without getting bogged down in tedious play-by-play descriptions.
The audio by Joe Barrett was a wonderful way to experience the story. The rough quality of his voice fit with the atmosphere. Great pacing. Recommended.
The story opens with Eddie playing Minnesota Fats prematurely and losing. It isn’t until Eddie meets Bert Gordon, a professional gambler who teaches him how to avoid being beat by himself, that Eddie learns he must have the right mindset to go with the skill. Bert acts like a manager to Eddie and takes his cut of the earnings.
Between hustles, Eddie becomes acquainted with Sarah, who has baggage of her own, and has a relationship with her despite telling himself he does not care about her. Being young, Eddie is impatient and doesn’t make the wisest choices, especially when he tries to hustle a local pool shark. At times, he doubts himself, yet he is resilient and persistent.
The focus is on Eddie and Bert in the story. Details of the side characters like Sarah, Eddie’s partner Charlie, and Minnesota Fats are barely sketched in. It works though because the story is about Eddie and his growth as a player and Bert’s the one who shows him the path.
I watched the 1961 film adaptation starring Paul Newman as Eddie. Newman made a perfect Eddie. Overall, the movie was enjoyable but the changes the film made in Sarah’s mental behavior and the ending felt melodramatic. I preferred Sarah in the background and the book’s ending which left things in mild limbo.
Entertaining story that has the right amount of grit. No need to be a pool fan to enjoy it. Now, I am encouraged to try more by this author.
The Hustler is a 1959 novel about a twenty-something rising pool hustler known as Fast Eddie Felson. Eddie dreams of being the best, hitting the big time, beating the best in the country at shooting pool.
The story is set in the 1950s with a moody tone and Eddie all smiles and swagger. I got a vivid feel for the environment in the hall. The colors, smells, and sounds. Of course, the text followed the games but with a wide enough scope to appreciate the tension or fatigue or attitude of the players without getting bogged down in tedious play-by-play descriptions.
The audio by Joe Barrett was a wonderful way to experience the story. The rough quality of his voice fit with the atmosphere. Great pacing. Recommended.
The story opens with Eddie playing Minnesota Fats prematurely and losing. It isn’t until Eddie meets Bert Gordon, a professional gambler who teaches him how to avoid being beat by himself, that Eddie learns he must have the right mindset to go with the skill. Bert acts like a manager to Eddie and takes his cut of the earnings.
Between hustles, Eddie becomes acquainted with Sarah, who has baggage of her own, and has a relationship with her despite telling himself he does not care about her. Being young, Eddie is impatient and doesn’t make the wisest choices, especially when he tries to hustle a local pool shark. At times, he doubts himself, yet he is resilient and persistent.
The focus is on Eddie and Bert in the story. Details of the side characters like Sarah, Eddie’s partner Charlie, and Minnesota Fats are barely sketched in. It works though because the story is about Eddie and his growth as a player and Bert’s the one who shows him the path.
I watched the 1961 film adaptation starring Paul Newman as Eddie. Newman made a perfect Eddie. Overall, the movie was enjoyable but the changes the film made in Sarah’s mental behavior and the ending felt melodramatic. I preferred Sarah in the background and the book’s ending which left things in mild limbo.
Entertaining story that has the right amount of grit. No need to be a pool fan to enjoy it. Now, I am encouraged to try more by this author.
May 26, 2023
Tevis, in his first novel here, tells the tale of the 'up and coming' hustler "Fast" Eddie Felson. Although he hates the term, Fast Eddie is a pool shark, born and raised in California, but now looking to go big time. This starts off with Fast Eddie and his 'coach' Charlie making their way to Chicago. Fast Eddie is a great pool player, but part of the hustler gig is to get the marks, so he and Charlie have certain scams to reel them in, like playing sloppy at first, then upping the ante later.
Fast Eddie thinks he is the best, and wants to prove it, and the best way to do that is to take on the best, like Minnesota Fats, who hangs out in a 'famous' pool hall in Chicago. He gets his first chance early in the book, which leads to an epic 40 pool marathon which leaves Eddie broke. Basically, the story revolves around Eddie's struggles with his own ability and worth.
Definitely a product of its time, The Hustler was written when women were 'girls' and men were men, but nonetheless, Tevis manages to tell and almost timeless tale here. Stuck in Chicago with little money, Eddie meets a 'girl' and seduces her; their relationship is interesting to say the least, as Sarah presents a more 'normal' slice of life in the 50s than Eddie. What does it take to make a winner? That is something Eddie will have to learn. Some fun action sequences for sure, and scams aplenty. This reminded me a bit of Iceberg Slim's Trick Baby, but I liked Slim's book much more. In The Hustler, unlike Trick Baby you kinda know were it is going to go and that knocked of at least a star or two. Still, a solid fun read and yeah, the film starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason was excellent, maybe better than the book 😎
Fast Eddie thinks he is the best, and wants to prove it, and the best way to do that is to take on the best, like Minnesota Fats, who hangs out in a 'famous' pool hall in Chicago. He gets his first chance early in the book, which leads to an epic 40 pool marathon which leaves Eddie broke. Basically, the story revolves around Eddie's struggles with his own ability and worth.
Definitely a product of its time, The Hustler was written when women were 'girls' and men were men, but nonetheless, Tevis manages to tell and almost timeless tale here. Stuck in Chicago with little money, Eddie meets a 'girl' and seduces her; their relationship is interesting to say the least, as Sarah presents a more 'normal' slice of life in the 50s than Eddie. What does it take to make a winner? That is something Eddie will have to learn. Some fun action sequences for sure, and scams aplenty. This reminded me a bit of Iceberg Slim's Trick Baby, but I liked Slim's book much more. In The Hustler, unlike Trick Baby you kinda know were it is going to go and that knocked of at least a star or two. Still, a solid fun read and yeah, the film starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason was excellent, maybe better than the book 😎
July 18, 2015
“When the bottles hit they tinkled and jangled noisily; but Eddie did not hear them because of the overriding - yet distant, detached, far-off - sound of his own screaming.”
I saw The Hustler for the first time recently, I love the atmosphere and the mood that drifts from nihilism to hope, Paul Newman struggling with the anger and hatred inside of himself in between long silent brooding takes. And I knew within the first chapter of reading the words of Walter Tevis that all of it stemmed from here.
“We go from disappointment to disappointment, from hope to denial, from expectation to surrender, as we grow older, thinking or coming to think that what was wrong was the wanting, so intense it hurt us, and believing or coming to believe that hope was our mistake and expectation our error, and that everything the more we want it the more difficult the having it seems to be.” This comes from the work of Alfred Hayes and it could quite easily have been written about Fast Eddie and his companions on the outskirts of society but at the heart of pool hustling in Chicago.
The subject matter is treated without hysteria, without glamour, nobody really attempts to demonstrate that there's a better or more moral life out there somewhere, like the very best books of its kind there is no other world for these characters, you hustle pool or you stop living it's that simple and Tevis doesn't think so little of his readers that he feels the need to tack on a happy ending either. This is an elegant, beautifully written novel with flawed, fully realised characters, there's no good guys, there's no bad guys, there's just guys. And Sarah.
I saw The Hustler for the first time recently, I love the atmosphere and the mood that drifts from nihilism to hope, Paul Newman struggling with the anger and hatred inside of himself in between long silent brooding takes. And I knew within the first chapter of reading the words of Walter Tevis that all of it stemmed from here.
“We go from disappointment to disappointment, from hope to denial, from expectation to surrender, as we grow older, thinking or coming to think that what was wrong was the wanting, so intense it hurt us, and believing or coming to believe that hope was our mistake and expectation our error, and that everything the more we want it the more difficult the having it seems to be.” This comes from the work of Alfred Hayes and it could quite easily have been written about Fast Eddie and his companions on the outskirts of society but at the heart of pool hustling in Chicago.
The subject matter is treated without hysteria, without glamour, nobody really attempts to demonstrate that there's a better or more moral life out there somewhere, like the very best books of its kind there is no other world for these characters, you hustle pool or you stop living it's that simple and Tevis doesn't think so little of his readers that he feels the need to tack on a happy ending either. This is an elegant, beautifully written novel with flawed, fully realised characters, there's no good guys, there's no bad guys, there's just guys. And Sarah.
February 7, 2021
This book makes pool suspenseful, but the movie is so close to the book that there is no reason to read the book after seeing the movie. Plus, with the movie you get to watch Paul Newman.
February 12, 2025
Podéis escuchar un comentario más desarrollado en el programa de Gabinete de Curiosidades Las 10 mejores novelas leídas en 2024: https://go.ivoox.com/rf/139787399
Eddie Felson "el rápido" es el mejor jugador de billar de todo Estados Unidos, y utiliza ese talento sobrehumano para ganarse la vida aprovechándose de incautos que sobreestiman sus habilidades en el juego en timbas nocturnas. Sin embargo, aunque Eddie sea al mejor no es un ganador, y será Minesotta Fats quien le inculque esa lección en una partida épica de 25 horas. Así inicia la epopeya de Eddie Felson, un via crucis personal en el que deberá rearmarse hasta convertirse en un rival imbatible.
Walter Tevis logra, con sencillez pasmosa, construir a un perdedor sin caer en el patetismo. Pese a ciertos episodios de miseria en que el protagonista toca fondo, sigue conservando una cierta dignidad, aun incluso en los momentos más fatalistas. El autor nos presenta a un personaje que tiene todas las habilidades y recursos para ganar; de hecho, es un ganador nato que ha luchado mucho para refinar su talento al que solo le falta la voluntad de ganar. Porque, para Tevis, que juegues en las ligas mayores implica que eres el mejor: se da por supuesto. Así, las partidas de billar aquí son duelos de voluntades antes que de habilidad; para ganar no hay que ser bueno, sino tener la entereza suficiente e imponer tu determinación por sobre la del rival. No hay que ganar: hay que destruir la voluntad del adversario, aniquilarla por completo y recoger el vil metal de entre sus trozos. Al final, para sorpresa de nadie, Eddie Felson logra esta metamorfosis luego de un doloroso aprendizaje.
Pero la novela encierra mucho más. En el autodescubrimiento de Eddie hay muchos catalizadores. Esta Sarah, una universitaria alcohólica que se siente tan perdida como Eddie y que vincula su soledad a la del fracasado jugador, y está Bert, un tahúr profesional que enseñará a Eddie la parte más sórdida de este negocio y a conocer a sus rivales. Bert es el que da las mejores frases a esta novela que, insisto, aun siendo sencillísima encierra una gran profundidad.
La película protagonizada por Paul Newman no hace justicia a la novela por dos motivos. Convierte al personaje de Eddie en un ser patético y miserable, mucho más vil que su sosias literario. Aunque en la novela el personaje sufre, y mucho, y se arrastra por el fango, sigue conservando algo de dignidad. Y segundo, y más importante: el lenguaje cinematográfico no puede convertir el verde de la mesa en el campo de batalla que describe Tevis. El autor logra crear una épica del billar que, objetivamente, no tiene un juego que consiste en golpear bolas y meterlas en troneras, por muy caprichosa que sea la geometría y la trayectoria que sigan estas.
Eso sí, a favor de la cinta es que esta Paul Newman. EL HOMBRE MÁS GUAPO QUE HA CAMINADO SOBRE LA TIERRA. Y PUNTO.
Eddie Felson "el rápido" es el mejor jugador de billar de todo Estados Unidos, y utiliza ese talento sobrehumano para ganarse la vida aprovechándose de incautos que sobreestiman sus habilidades en el juego en timbas nocturnas. Sin embargo, aunque Eddie sea al mejor no es un ganador, y será Minesotta Fats quien le inculque esa lección en una partida épica de 25 horas. Así inicia la epopeya de Eddie Felson, un via crucis personal en el que deberá rearmarse hasta convertirse en un rival imbatible.
Walter Tevis logra, con sencillez pasmosa, construir a un perdedor sin caer en el patetismo. Pese a ciertos episodios de miseria en que el protagonista toca fondo, sigue conservando una cierta dignidad, aun incluso en los momentos más fatalistas. El autor nos presenta a un personaje que tiene todas las habilidades y recursos para ganar; de hecho, es un ganador nato que ha luchado mucho para refinar su talento al que solo le falta la voluntad de ganar. Porque, para Tevis, que juegues en las ligas mayores implica que eres el mejor: se da por supuesto. Así, las partidas de billar aquí son duelos de voluntades antes que de habilidad; para ganar no hay que ser bueno, sino tener la entereza suficiente e imponer tu determinación por sobre la del rival. No hay que ganar: hay que destruir la voluntad del adversario, aniquilarla por completo y recoger el vil metal de entre sus trozos. Al final, para sorpresa de nadie, Eddie Felson logra esta metamorfosis luego de un doloroso aprendizaje.
Pero la novela encierra mucho más. En el autodescubrimiento de Eddie hay muchos catalizadores. Esta Sarah, una universitaria alcohólica que se siente tan perdida como Eddie y que vincula su soledad a la del fracasado jugador, y está Bert, un tahúr profesional que enseñará a Eddie la parte más sórdida de este negocio y a conocer a sus rivales. Bert es el que da las mejores frases a esta novela que, insisto, aun siendo sencillísima encierra una gran profundidad.
La película protagonizada por Paul Newman no hace justicia a la novela por dos motivos. Convierte al personaje de Eddie en un ser patético y miserable, mucho más vil que su sosias literario. Aunque en la novela el personaje sufre, y mucho, y se arrastra por el fango, sigue conservando algo de dignidad. Y segundo, y más importante: el lenguaje cinematográfico no puede convertir el verde de la mesa en el campo de batalla que describe Tevis. El autor logra crear una épica del billar que, objetivamente, no tiene un juego que consiste en golpear bolas y meterlas en troneras, por muy caprichosa que sea la geometría y la trayectoria que sigan estas.
Eso sí, a favor de la cinta es que esta Paul Newman. EL HOMBRE MÁS GUAPO QUE HA CAMINADO SOBRE LA TIERRA. Y PUNTO.
September 20, 2021
So who hustles a hustler? That's a great question that "The Hustler" answers. I really liked this look at Fast Eddie. You get a great sense of the character and the supporting characters. I was left pondering what happens next to him and Sarah (if anything). And if Eddie finds a way out or not. I just really enjoyed this and want to read the sequel, The Color of Money when I get a chance. This book is set in the late 50s so at times it feels quite old, but it fits the plot. This book ended up feeling ageless to me throughout my reading of it.
"The Hustler" follows Eddie Felson, known as Fast Eddie. Eddie is a pool hustler. Him and his "manager" and friend Charlie take a run at Minnesota Flats in Chicago. We find out a lot about what makes Eddie tick and whether he has it in him to actually win and not get fixated on the risk of the game and blowing it all.
I liked Eddie. Which was shocking. There's a few things that go on and part of you may feel some disgust with him. Eddie is like a junkie in need of a fix, and then towards the end you see him getting it under control. However, what does Eddie really win in the end?
I loved the character of Sarah. I am still puzzled at her (in a good way). Seems like a young woman who is trying to play as being hard though some softness comes in here and there. Eddie seems to foist himself on her, but neither of them seem ready to let the other go. Eddie wants to force Sarah to fold and give in to him (has to be a winner it seems in all things) and Sarah is his opposite, she's okay with losing if she wins the big thing (him.).
I liked the character of Bert who is not what he seems.
The writing and pace of the book really works. I didn't feel as if the book had not aged well. I thought it just felt timeless in so many ways.
The settings of Chicago, Kentucky in the 1950s feels like a bygone era where there seemed to be rules (for hustling and lying).
The ending definitely has me intrigued enough to read the second book.
I read this one for Halloween Bingo 2021, "Lethal Games" square.
"The Hustler" follows Eddie Felson, known as Fast Eddie. Eddie is a pool hustler. Him and his "manager" and friend Charlie take a run at Minnesota Flats in Chicago. We find out a lot about what makes Eddie tick and whether he has it in him to actually win and not get fixated on the risk of the game and blowing it all.
I liked Eddie. Which was shocking. There's a few things that go on and part of you may feel some disgust with him. Eddie is like a junkie in need of a fix, and then towards the end you see him getting it under control. However, what does Eddie really win in the end?
I loved the character of Sarah. I am still puzzled at her (in a good way). Seems like a young woman who is trying to play as being hard though some softness comes in here and there. Eddie seems to foist himself on her, but neither of them seem ready to let the other go. Eddie wants to force Sarah to fold and give in to him (has to be a winner it seems in all things) and Sarah is his opposite, she's okay with losing if she wins the big thing (him.).
I liked the character of Bert who is not what he seems.
The writing and pace of the book really works. I didn't feel as if the book had not aged well. I thought it just felt timeless in so many ways.
The settings of Chicago, Kentucky in the 1950s feels like a bygone era where there seemed to be rules (for hustling and lying).
The ending definitely has me intrigued enough to read the second book.
I read this one for Halloween Bingo 2021, "Lethal Games" square.
June 4, 2018
Cinque stelle per questo classico di Tevis che in una delle sue prime fatiche letterarie ci regala non solo una storia appassionante fatta di sale fumose, dolore e decadenze, ettolitri di scotch, piccoli e grandi criminali, biglie che si inseguono sul panno verde, lampade che vincono sul sole e improbabili amori tra reietti, ma ci consegna anche due giganti della letteratura americana, due personaggi mitici come Fast Eddie Felson e Minnesota Fats, i due sublimi perdenti che è così difficile separare dagli indimenticabili volti di Paul Newman e Jackie Gleason.
Tevis è sempre bravo, a volte (come in questo caso) bravissimo. Semplice, diretto, disincantato, un grande autore che racconta coloro che si sono persi per strada, gli abbandonati che non si arrendono, coloro che trovano la forza di rialzarsi solo per poter cader di nuovo.
Consigliato senza riserve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSxvq...
Tevis è sempre bravo, a volte (come in questo caso) bravissimo. Semplice, diretto, disincantato, un grande autore che racconta coloro che si sono persi per strada, gli abbandonati che non si arrendono, coloro che trovano la forza di rialzarsi solo per poter cader di nuovo.
Consigliato senza riserve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSxvq...
August 10, 2021
“Fast” Eddie Felson, a young up and coming pool hustler, travels from California to Chicago to take on Minnesota Fats, the best player in the country. The novel took me into the pool halls and the world of hustling with its ups and downs, and even though I have no interest and little knowledge of pool, I was hooked right from the opening pages until the final twist. Loved it.
September 5, 2012
The Hustler is pretty close to perfect. And better for your morale than a half-dozen self help books, chased with a handful of Xanax.
When I started reading it I had twenty dollars to my name, now I have five (the book wasn't free), and all the secrets to the universe.
"It's always nice to feel the risks fall off your back. And winning; that can be heavy on your back too, like a monkey. You drop that load too when you find yourself an excuse. Then, afterward, all you got to do is learn to feel sorry for yourself - and lots of people learn to get their kicks that way. It's one of the best indoor sports, feeling sorry." Bert's face broke into an active grin. "A sport enjoyed by all. Especially the born losers."
"Fats," he said, grinning, feeling good, all the way, "let's you and me play a game of straight pool."
When I started reading it I had twenty dollars to my name, now I have five (the book wasn't free), and all the secrets to the universe.
"It's always nice to feel the risks fall off your back. And winning; that can be heavy on your back too, like a monkey. You drop that load too when you find yourself an excuse. Then, afterward, all you got to do is learn to feel sorry for yourself - and lots of people learn to get their kicks that way. It's one of the best indoor sports, feeling sorry." Bert's face broke into an active grin. "A sport enjoyed by all. Especially the born losers."
"Fats," he said, grinning, feeling good, all the way, "let's you and me play a game of straight pool."
September 18, 2023
As much as I enjoyed this, I don't think I'll bother reading the sequel. This had the feel of a pool shark cult classic that I found didn't really warrant a follow up; however, I get why Tevis would want to revisit Eddie Felson - such a great character. This is one cool and stylish novel, and the big shoot-out between 'Fast Eddie' and 'Minnesota Fats'; the up and coming youngster against the old timer, might lack in tension but is made up for in the reader truly feeling their gruelling experience - the match lasts for 40 hours and the chapter covering it is easily the longest. One thing that obviously helped in creating the atmosphere of this world, was Tevis himself working briefly in a pool hall. Even Eddie's romance - I've come across so much literary romance that is iffy - I thought was very realistic and undramatic, and for a first novel I was left very impressed. Lots of readers rave about The Queen's Gambit, so I'll definitely make that my next Tevis.
April 4, 2023
МНОГО ми хареса книгата! Точно в духа на „Дамски гамбит” - чете се бързо, хваща те веднага и не те оставя докато не разбереш какво точно ще се случи. Както преди време авторът ме плени с шаха, сега видях и билярда колко интересна и многопластова игра може да бъде.
Уолтър Тевис определено е знаел как да пише за този вид игри и те кара да започнеш да се интересуваш от билярд, да научиш повече за правилата му, да се напрягаш в добрия смисъл на думата, сякаш гледаш някой футболен или волейболен мач.
Както в „Дамски гамбит”, така и тук, имаме и много интересни лични истории на героите. Имаме една любов пропита от алкохол, едно хазартно „приятелство” и едно съперничество, което се основава на талант, психология и малко късмет.
Много ми допадна, че Тевис, чрез своите герои, показва, че понякога наистина трябва да броим до 10 преди да правим някоя глупост, че винаги трябва да се държим на положение и в историята му е примесена една проста истина - ако мислиш като губещ, ти си губещ. Ако искаш и вярваш, че ще спечелиш, просто следвай целта си, никога не се отказвай, не променяй поведението си и няма как да не стигнеш до победата. Независимо в играта на билярд или в тази на живота.
Препоръчвам книгата на всички с чиста съвест - динамичен сюжет, любопитна история и в центъра на всичко една интересна игра.
Уолтър Тевис определено е знаел как да пише за този вид игри и те кара да започнеш да се интересуваш от билярд, да научиш повече за правилата му, да се напрягаш в добрия смисъл на думата, сякаш гледаш някой футболен или волейболен мач.
Както в „Дамски гамбит”, така и тук, имаме и много интересни лични истории на героите. Имаме една любов пропита от алкохол, едно хазартно „приятелство” и едно съперничество, което се основава на талант, психология и малко късмет.
Много ми допадна, че Тевис, чрез своите герои, показва, че понякога наистина трябва да броим до 10 преди да правим някоя глупост, че винаги трябва да се държим на положение и в историята му е примесена една проста истина - ако мислиш като губещ, ти си губещ. Ако искаш и вярваш, че ще спечелиш, просто следвай целта си, никога не се отказвай, не променяй поведението си и няма как да не стигнеш до победата. Независимо в играта на билярд или в тази на живота.
Препоръчвам книгата на всички с чиста съвест - динамичен сюжет, любопитна история и в центъра на всичко една интересна игра.
January 27, 2022
Il biliardo come metafora di vita (esattamente come lo erano gli scacchi ne La regina degli scacchi) a insegnare a uno spaccone che le sfide – che le si vinca o le si perda – hanno sempre delle conseguenze. Spesso in negativo.
Una storia di formazione “al contrario” che rimette in riga la spavalderia di Fast Eddie Nelson (splendidamente interpretato da Paul Newman nel film del 1961) convinto troppo presto di essere il migliore e che scoprirà, suo malgrado, che essere il migliore non è tutto.
Stile pulito, veloce ed essenziale quello di Tevis con frasi che scorrono veloci come palle sul tappeto verde del tavolo da biliardo, finendo (quasi) sempre in buca.
Una storia di formazione “al contrario” che rimette in riga la spavalderia di Fast Eddie Nelson (splendidamente interpretato da Paul Newman nel film del 1961) convinto troppo presto di essere il migliore e che scoprirà, suo malgrado, che essere il migliore non è tutto.
Stile pulito, veloce ed essenziale quello di Tevis con frasi che scorrono veloci come palle sul tappeto verde del tavolo da biliardo, finendo (quasi) sempre in buca.
November 30, 2020
3.5 rounded up.
November 12, 2025
2025 re-read: I still agree with everything below. The movie follows the book closely with a couple of notable exceptions. That's why it's so good, because Tevis was that good when he created the characters and wrote their lines. I really do think this is a story that transcends its subject matter. Definite recommend.
The game of pool has been my favorite hobby since I was 11 years old. I've seen the movie adaptation of this book more times than I can count so I figured it was time I gave the source material a shot. I'm glad I did because this book is phenomenal. The Hustler is considered a great film partly because it wisely uses scenes and dialogue directly from the novel. Tevis is an expert at building atmosphere and characters. The fantastic prose paints such a vivid image of what a late 1950s gambling poolroom must have been I could practically smell the mix of chalk, talcum powder, and cigarette smoke as I read. Add to that scenery some incredible but very damaged characters you can be hooked even if the story beats aren't twisty or surprising. Also as a pool player it's very clear that Tevis knew his subject matter well, it is not at all important to be a pool player to enjoy this story. This is a story really about big themes of character, what it means to be a winner, overcoming self-pity, and substance abuse that can hold your attention even if you have never picked up a cue.
The game of pool has been my favorite hobby since I was 11 years old. I've seen the movie adaptation of this book more times than I can count so I figured it was time I gave the source material a shot. I'm glad I did because this book is phenomenal. The Hustler is considered a great film partly because it wisely uses scenes and dialogue directly from the novel. Tevis is an expert at building atmosphere and characters. The fantastic prose paints such a vivid image of what a late 1950s gambling poolroom must have been I could practically smell the mix of chalk, talcum powder, and cigarette smoke as I read. Add to that scenery some incredible but very damaged characters you can be hooked even if the story beats aren't twisty or surprising. Also as a pool player it's very clear that Tevis knew his subject matter well, it is not at all important to be a pool player to enjoy this story. This is a story really about big themes of character, what it means to be a winner, overcoming self-pity, and substance abuse that can hold your attention even if you have never picked up a cue.
February 16, 2023
Like many people I'm guessing, Walter Tevis was not on my radar until I watched The Queen’s Gambit series on netflix. Somewhere I have a fake DVD of the movie The Hustler based on Tevis’s first novel. I bought the DVD in China circa 2003. I didn't watch it right through at the time. Jackie Gleason’s face fascinated me but a movie about pool didn't appeal having played so much at university but never getting good.
Watching The Hustler a few weeks ago, I was impressed with the cast of Paul Newman, Gleason, Piper Laurie and George Scott. The novel is good too. Tevis has a clear, straightforward style, something that's not easy to achieve. However, the movie is more gripping, Tevis’s book loses focus about three-quarters through .
The Color of Money, is a sequel to The Hustler written (by Tevis) and filmed (by Scorsese) over twenty years later. Paul Newman returns as pool shark Fast Eddie. Tom Cruise is the young protege with Maria Mastrantonio playing his street smart girlfriend. It’s a weaker movie than The Hustler. What happened to filmmaking in the 80s? A major deterioation from the golden era of the 60s and 70s — but was still better than today.
Watching The Hustler a few weeks ago, I was impressed with the cast of Paul Newman, Gleason, Piper Laurie and George Scott. The novel is good too. Tevis has a clear, straightforward style, something that's not easy to achieve. However, the movie is more gripping, Tevis’s book loses focus about three-quarters through .
The Color of Money, is a sequel to The Hustler written (by Tevis) and filmed (by Scorsese) over twenty years later. Paul Newman returns as pool shark Fast Eddie. Tom Cruise is the young protege with Maria Mastrantonio playing his street smart girlfriend. It’s a weaker movie than The Hustler. What happened to filmmaking in the 80s? A major deterioation from the golden era of the 60s and 70s — but was still better than today.
February 14, 2025
Un viaje estremecedor al oscuro mundo del juego (el billar principalmente) y las apuestas, todo bañado con mucho alcohol. Trepidante y absolutamente adictiva.
April 21, 2025
It seemed to Eddie now, sitting in Bert's car, his body sore and his mind tremendously aware, that the need to win was everywhere in life, in every act, in every conversation, in every encounter between people. (PG 197)
This was surprisingly a well written book. The world of shady billiards is now known to me. This was so good I bought #2.
We all have that one person we want to defeat or destroy right? Well, Superman has Lex Luthor; Batman has the Joker; Eddie Felson has Minnesota Fats. In the seedy, smoky underground of pool Eddie needs to figure out how to win and become a legend and beat this Fats character. It becomes a game of sharks and mental strength. Is it about the money or the fame?
Such a cool, quick read. There's a classic film starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.
This was surprisingly a well written book. The world of shady billiards is now known to me. This was so good I bought #2.
We all have that one person we want to defeat or destroy right? Well, Superman has Lex Luthor; Batman has the Joker; Eddie Felson has Minnesota Fats. In the seedy, smoky underground of pool Eddie needs to figure out how to win and become a legend and beat this Fats character. It becomes a game of sharks and mental strength. Is it about the money or the fame?
Such a cool, quick read. There's a classic film starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.
October 25, 2018
Romanzo bellissimo, con una scrittura secca ed essenziale, ma molto cinematografica ed estremamente efficace nelle descrizioni. Non sono una patita di biliardo, so a malapena che esiste, ma quando Tevis racconta i duelli (non si possono definire altrimenti) attorno al tappeto verde, lo fa in modo tale che il lettore riesce a percepire lo schiocco delle bilie, la tensione dei giocatori e l'indolenzimento agli arti dopo ore di gioco.
Non si limita a questo, perché l'analisi del comportamento di Eddie come giocatore e del suo rapporto con la vittoria e la sconfitta è raffinata e degna di un trattato di psicologia della ludodipendenza (ma senza gli aspetti noiosi :).
E' stato il mio primo incontro con Tevis, ma non sarà certo l'ultimo!
Non si limita a questo, perché l'analisi del comportamento di Eddie come giocatore e del suo rapporto con la vittoria e la sconfitta è raffinata e degna di un trattato di psicologia della ludodipendenza (ma senza gli aspetti noiosi :).
E' stato il mio primo incontro con Tevis, ma non sarà certo l'ultimo!
May 14, 2024
I liked it better than I thought I would. My husband is a great pool player, so I've been wanting to read this one for some time.
There's not much to add beyond the back cover blurb. Fast Eddie Felson is a pool hustler with a dream: to beat one of the real greats of pool. He rolls into town with exactly that goal in mind, and... he fails. A stranger named Bert watched the whole two-day competition between Eddie and Minnesota Fats. He sees real talent in Eddie, but also that he's got a lot to learn. Bert takes Eddie under his wing and starts rebuilding his confidence with a series of set-em-up, knock-em-down games he arranges.
By the end of the book, Eddie thinks he's ready for a rematch against Fats. But is he really?
Personally, I prefer the movie because I have a thing for Paul Newman. The book is dated - especially Eddie's cringey love interest, Sarah. It was still worth a read.
There's not much to add beyond the back cover blurb. Fast Eddie Felson is a pool hustler with a dream: to beat one of the real greats of pool. He rolls into town with exactly that goal in mind, and... he fails. A stranger named Bert watched the whole two-day competition between Eddie and Minnesota Fats. He sees real talent in Eddie, but also that he's got a lot to learn. Bert takes Eddie under his wing and starts rebuilding his confidence with a series of set-em-up, knock-em-down games he arranges.
By the end of the book, Eddie thinks he's ready for a rematch against Fats. But is he really?
Personally, I prefer the movie because I have a thing for Paul Newman. The book is dated - especially Eddie's cringey love interest, Sarah. It was still worth a read.
June 24, 2013
so far i've read three walter tevis books: this, Mockingbird, and The Man Who Fell to Earth, and i don't think there's been a word out of place in any of them. incredible.
August 2, 2025
Tiene ese ritmo de las mejores pelis de cine negro clásico americano. Es un novelón entre novelones.
April 9, 2019
Lo spaccone è il primo libro che leggo di Tevis e chissà perché, come per Steinbeck, mi aspettavo una lettura più pesante. E invece ho trovato un libro bellissimo con uno stile notevole: scorrevole, limpido e con immagini fotografiche che riescono a far vedere perfettamente quello che succede in quel momento, anche per chi come me non è appassionato a questo sport.
Di per sé la storia è semplice un ragazzo bravo a giocare a biliardo che tenta la fortuna per guadagnare soldi. Ma il libro è molto di più: è il pretesto per parlare di dipendenza dall’alcool, dal gioco e dai soldi. Il biliardo e il modo di affrontare le partite sono una metafora alla vita: il non abbattersi, la lotta con sé stessi, con la parte debole che c’è in ognuno di noi che ci spinge all’autocommiserazione, che ci porta a vincere o a perdere.
Nelle sfide tra giocatori di professione c'è sempre in palio qualcosa che non è così facilmente negoziabile o riconoscibile come il denaro contante. Si dice che quando una balena combatte contro un'altra balena non lo fa mai solo perché ha fame. Ed è logico, visto che il mare è pieno di pesci più piccoli.
Dopo resta solo da imparare a compatirsi, e c'è tanta gente che finisce per trovare soddisfazione nell'autocommiserazione. E' uno degli sport al coperto più diffusi, l'autocommiserazione. Uno sport a cui si dedicano in molti, specialmente i perdenti nati
E bellissimo nella sua semplicità è l’incontro tra Sarah e Eddie, due anime tristi e affini, che si incontrano in quel momento della giornata in cui la notte diventa giorno, in cui il chiaro e lo scuro si fondono. Anche qui ritorna la metafora del biliardo, perché nella vita come nell’amore bisogna dare sé stessi.
“È tutto qui il nocciolo della questione. Bisogna darsi senza riserve alla vita che ci si è scelti […] Come quando stai con una donna. Devi darle tutto te stesso, senza riserve. Lascia i ripensamenti a più tardi.”
Di per sé la storia è semplice un ragazzo bravo a giocare a biliardo che tenta la fortuna per guadagnare soldi. Ma il libro è molto di più: è il pretesto per parlare di dipendenza dall’alcool, dal gioco e dai soldi. Il biliardo e il modo di affrontare le partite sono una metafora alla vita: il non abbattersi, la lotta con sé stessi, con la parte debole che c’è in ognuno di noi che ci spinge all’autocommiserazione, che ci porta a vincere o a perdere.
Nelle sfide tra giocatori di professione c'è sempre in palio qualcosa che non è così facilmente negoziabile o riconoscibile come il denaro contante. Si dice che quando una balena combatte contro un'altra balena non lo fa mai solo perché ha fame. Ed è logico, visto che il mare è pieno di pesci più piccoli.
Dopo resta solo da imparare a compatirsi, e c'è tanta gente che finisce per trovare soddisfazione nell'autocommiserazione. E' uno degli sport al coperto più diffusi, l'autocommiserazione. Uno sport a cui si dedicano in molti, specialmente i perdenti nati
E bellissimo nella sua semplicità è l’incontro tra Sarah e Eddie, due anime tristi e affini, che si incontrano in quel momento della giornata in cui la notte diventa giorno, in cui il chiaro e lo scuro si fondono. Anche qui ritorna la metafora del biliardo, perché nella vita come nell’amore bisogna dare sé stessi.
“È tutto qui il nocciolo della questione. Bisogna darsi senza riserve alla vita che ci si è scelti […] Come quando stai con una donna. Devi darle tutto te stesso, senza riserve. Lascia i ripensamenti a più tardi.”
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