THE HUSTLER

by Walter Tevis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 1958

This is a compact, tidy novel. Its setting is the world of big time professional pool players,- hustlers, and its hero is Fast Eddie Felson, 25, a good looking, quietly dressed, pleasant young man with bright eyes, whose appearance is part of the successful ""hustle"" because it's not wholly false. Eddie and his mentor, Charlie, had left Oakland for Chicago and their trip had been lucrative although relatively small time. Eddie felt that he was ready for Chicago and Minnesota Fats -- the best pool player in the country whose arena was Chicago's Bennington's where the business was pool and nothing else. Eddie played Minnesota fats at a thousand a game for forty straight hours and he lost. Broke, he becomes involved with Sarah, a student and a drinker, whom he recognizes as a born loser, and with the calculating Bert, a professional gambler who takes Eddie in hand and teaches him that there is more to the game (of life) than talent. By the time of his return match with Fats, Eddie has achieved a superiority over his opponent: he knows that who wins and who loses is important and that in the clutch, character and not skill is what counts. But in a showdown with Bert, Eddie learns something else: that you can't win them all. Through a language of casual statement which does not disguise the seriousness of its intent, this exploration of moral experience is a pithy and competent performance.

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 1958

ISBN: 1560254734

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1958

Categories: FICTION