The Sting

by Robert Weverka

Cheating the cheaters for fun and profit...With a little revenge to sweeten the take! Gondorff was on the lam -hiding out in a whorehouse. Hooker was looking for a new crime partner to help him settle a score. Together they could separate the deadly numbers king from a half-million bankroll- if only they could keep from getting killed in the process!

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Media Tie In, Adult Fiction

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Robert Weverka (pseudonym Robert McMahon) was born in Los Angeles and educated at USC where he majored in economics. His novels include March Or Die, The Sting, Murder By Decree, Moonrock, Apple's Way and The Widowed Master.

Reviews

[Ruth E. R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a friend, who inked out all the curse words of her own copy before lending it to me.

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1930s Chicago, The Sting is a rough and tumble novel about some con artists who after accidentally scamming a organised crime numbers runner which results in the death of one of their crew seek to pull a larger con to wipe out the culprit in revenge.

The book is a novelisation of the screenplay and from my memory of the movie, is quite a bit coarser language wise.

It's a quick read at 180 pages, so there's not a great deal of depth to the characters, atmosphere or situations yet it is quite entertaining.

[Tim Deforest · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward novelization of the the film. But where Redford and Newman brought charm and humor to the roles of the con men going for a big score, the novel version of those same characters come across as more hard-boiled. It's still a strong story with the same now-classic plot twists, but it reads more like a "realistic" crime story than the relatively light-hearted caper story the film gave us. But its a well-written crime story and worth reading for its own sake.

[Sharanya Mukherji · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will be amazed to know, though I have heard about the film I hadn't seen it yet, then in a used book store in my city I ran into this.

Thus my experience with it was as similar as reading a new book rather than comparing this with any other medium and I'm thoroughly satisfied with my experience. Because this whole novel is a complete roller coaster ride and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Wevereka is an amazing writer, yet I'll give 4 stars because I felt certain aspects of the con business were left unexplained and for a person who doesn't know about it just cuts off the rhythm of the prose, as I needed to do a little Google research once or twice. But I would still say everyone should give this a read, it's un-put-downable...

[Ian MacIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining. A fun, quick read. One of my favourite reads in May 2019. Chicago, rife with corruption, bent cops, hustlers, mafia, and squalor, is the scene of a huge sting operation. It's all going to end in tragedy, or is it?

[Kea4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve seen the movie you might as well enjoy the book. It’s a very quick read. Less than 200 pages. I saw the movie a long time ago but some moments in the book really stand out. Overall well done.

https://theworldisabookandiamitsreade...

[Ajoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book years ago! The power lies in the idea - how a victim of a sting operation got his revenge!

[James Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, pleasant experience

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

There weren't many differences between the book and the movie. If you like one, you'll probably like the other.

[John Cris]

There's about of revenge

[Su E · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have been great if it wasn’t published in the 1970’s

[Johannes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, there are some books that you’ve wanted to read for years, but haven’t actively looked for. And suddenly, when you do that usual second hand bookshelf raid, you just stumble across it. I got this beauty for the gambler heart for less than a buck (more precisely 5 Swedish kronor) at my local charity store Myrorna (which means “The Ants” – no idea why it’s called that) – a bargain for any good read, but somehow extra suiting for this trick infested novel. This is how I mainly fill my shelves anyway, but some books just come with a bigger smile than others. The Sting is better known for the Hollywood success of Robert Redford and Paul Newman, in a movie obligatory to anyone who enjoys dice, cards or a good deception. I saw the movie many years ago but didn’t have it close enough in memory to bother my reading. My faint movie memories rather enhanced the reading really, since I was left more with familiar faces and the dust of the Chicago set than the actual story events. And the story - it’s a good one. The con with a smile, the suited jesters in a story that plays with your mind from start to finish – what’s not there to love? If you enjoy Ocean’s Eleven or similar plots, you’re going to love this one. Get into the feeling and you will get into the story, or vice versa. I won’t give you a story description in depth, because, well (*browsing excuses*) I’m off for breakfast. I would bore you anyway.

So having this said, why give it just a measly 3 rating? Well, this may be a case of a book lost in translation, but for me reading this one in Swedish, I have some problems with the way the book is written. The story is fantastic, but the language seems at times too simplistic (like my own I guess, writing here in a language secondary to me) and the character gallery too shallow. It somehow gives the story a cartoon feeling, keeping too many characters at a one-dimensional level. I get the disturbing feeling that I would have proclaimed this a masterpiece if I had read it at 10 years of age, and now at 31, well I’m less impressed, influenced by the linguistic greatness of other books.

But hey, lay this aside. You’re in for a pleasant ride. Get yourself something nice to drink. Get in that comfy chair of yours. Watch the movie, read the book, in any order, and let yourself be entertained.

/Here’s Johnny!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was moved to read this book after seeing the then-hugely popular film at the theatre. Reading the book clarified some of the trickier points of the plot in the mind of a young teenager. I'm not sure it was a great book -- I read it more than 30 years ago. But reading it helped me understand the story I had seen in the film.

[Jsrott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps it's because I've seen the movie about a thousand times and rate it as one of my top ten of all time, but I didn't think the book was all that great. The story's there, but the way it's told is rather coarser both in language and in narrative flow, and the moments in the movie that I really enjoyed are handled somewhat (IMO) clumsily. I think I'd prefer just watching the movie again.

[Ann Barlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books ever, its full of surprises, witty and overall great entertainment.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The movie is one of the best ever, the book essentially follows the same story line with a few colorful details, a typical movie book, but still good!

[Slinkyboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those rare cases when the movie is better than the book...

[Tom Pachuta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, the movie in book form. Nothing wrong with that. An entertaining read.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to trick a trickster.

[Eddie Gunner · Rating 2 out of 5]

didnt saw movie, but could be better then book,

[Bernard Shape]

One of the best, you wont put it down as long as your eyelids are up!