The Cardturner
$10.48
- ISBN13: 9780385736626
- Condition: New
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Product Description
From Louis Sachar, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Newbery Medal for HOLES, comes the young adult novel THE CARDTURNER, an exploration of the human condition.
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I love Louis Sacher and was so excited to read this new book. The plot intrigued me; it’s novel and interesting, and I love playing games, so I was ready for a great read. Alton is a delightful character, and his voice rings true throughout the novel. His uncle, too, was well drawn in his quirky way. But, while I admit that I stayed up late to see how it ended, I was dulled by all the bridge discussion, and skipping ahead-which Alton recommends-wasn’t really an option. I play cards, count cards and understand the essentials of bridge, but there was way too much of it, and I can’t believe that a young adult will invest the time and thought required to follow the lengthy play by play which grew denser as the story progressed. So, despite the strong plot and storyline, I won’t be recommending this book.
Rating: 3 / 5
Well, I didn’t expect to like this book and frankly if it had been written by anyone other than Sachar I can’t believe it would have gotten published. A book about bridge for teenagers? My 15-year old daughter couldn’t believe any teenager would find it interesting. Sachar’s a bridge nut himself, and I think he was hoping to make some converts from this story. I expected to be bored to tears, but I should have known better. However, I would have liked the story much better with the long bridge parts taken out, especially since I listened to it on audiobook and basically zoned out during those parts. Still, I couldn’t help liking the story of a 17-year old boy who “turns cards” for his blind great-uncle at bridge games–a very rich uncle that his not-so-rich family hopes to inherit money from. There’s a secondary story about why the great-uncle had stopped playing bridge for many years that involves Nixon, senators, insane asylums, beautiful women, and, since this is a YA book, a romantic interest–in this case a schizophrenic young girl that becomes the boy’s bridge partner.
While I bet most libraries will buy this book because it’s by Sachar, I see it as having a very narrow appeal. Still, I’m sure it will capture some kids’ interest. Whether or not they will start playing bridge as a result I can’t say, however.
Rating: 4 / 5
I love Sachar’s Holes. So I was expecting a similiar reading experience with “The Cardturner”. I was actually looking forward to learning a little about Bridge as well. The story concept seemed orginal. However, with the amount of Bridge talk and bridge subplots, it was an over kill!! I would have to say, at least two thirds of the story was about bridge play. I found myself skipping almost entire chapters, just to get to the main plot line between Alton (the nephew), Trapp (the great uncle), and the mysterious Toni (potential love interest). There were also failed opportunities to develop Alton’s parents. They seemed very one-sided. No depth. According to Alton’s point of view, they seemed to be just money hungry self-interested individuals. Although, Alton’s mom sometimes seemed to be in the fence with her true feelings/interest toward her uncle Trapp; at the end it was all about the money. Also, Alton’s little sister was also a great miss. What an interesting character who could have been exploited in so many ways. Sachar never gave her a chance to even meet and interact with her uncle Trapp; two strong personalities, would have loved to see sparks fly with both of them in the same room.
So you have some subtext and a little mystery about Trapp’s past and about Toni’s family history, but again, any character development or subplot developments between flashback storylines or present dramatic action between Alton and Toni kept on being interupted by massive sections in every chapter about “BRIDGE”. Instead of a story about mental illness and domestic violence, this was a book about BRIDGE. Yes Sachar, we get it: YOU LOVE BRIDGE! Fortunately, with Sachar’s quick pacing skills: each chapter was very short (just a few pages long each), made it easy enough to chug along and skim through all the bridge stuff, just to get to the essential story line; which accounted for about 1/3 of the book.
Also, the narrator: Alton, seemed like he was writing his memoir and addressing himself to the reader. I kept wondering what was the point of Alton, a teenager, in writing a memoir. For a moment, I thought Sachar was doing a SALINGER/CATCHER IN THE RYE type of narration scheme. I thought perhaps Alton was going to become famous for being the youngest Bridge Player to win a tournament or something, and in doing so that was his purpose for writing his autobiography. Or that at the end, Alton was going to be the one with some mental illness and so he was writing his memoir as a sort of self-therapy… But at the end, it meant nothing. Just a writing convention.
PS. The ending too was far-fetched & predictable. Expected more from Sachar.
Sad to say, I don’t recommend this book, unless you are really interested in learning, breathing, sleeping, and living “Bridge”. Otherwise, skip it and read Sachar’s “HOLES” instead if you haven’t read it already.
Rating: 2 / 5
“Talk About Wow” is the title of one of the chapters in THE CARDTURNER by Louis Sachar. It is also the perfect way to describe this book. I was hooked on the very first page and read the thing in a single day. My recommendation is – Don’t Miss It!
With that said, many readers could be scared away by THE CARDTURNER. The story revolves around the card game of bridge. The book is filled with in-depth information and detailed descriptions of the game. But don’t let that frighten you off. There is soooo much more to enjoy.
Alton Richards isn’t really looking forward to the summer between his junior and senior year. He knows he should look for a job but can’t seem to get motivated. There won’t be any swimming in the backyard pool because it’s still just a hole in the ground awaiting the final outcome of some lawsuit between his parents and the pool company. Alton’s dad has also just broken the news that the insulation company he works for is downsizing, which means he’s out of a job. And don’t forget, Alton’s girlfriend just dumped him. Great way to kick off summer vacation.
Just when Alton thinks things can’t get anymore dismal, he learns that his “favorite” uncle, Lester Trapp, has requested his presence. Alton has been to his uncle’s hilltop home only once before. It was the elderly Trapp’s birthday, and Alton was just five years old at the time. Since Alton knows his parents are hoping for a huge inheritance when the old guy’s time comes, he knows he must answer the call and find out what the old man wants.
A cardturner? What is that? Lester Trapp, who is now blind due to complications from diabetes, wants Alton to help him play bridge. Trapp wants his young nephew to accompany him to his bridge club to read off the cards in his hand and play for him during the games. Alton knows nothing about bridge, but he is about to learn. He is also about to learn some of his family’s darkest secrets.
Using first-person narrative, author Louis Sachar takes readers into the world of bridge. Alton is an incredibly likeable main character with a wonderful sense of humor even when thrown into the most challenging circumstances. As he explains his eccentric uncle and other crazy members of the cast, he also teaches the basics of bridge. Scattered throughout the story are informational sections about the game. I agree with a previous review of THE CARDTURNER, posted at Guys Lit Wire, that these sections can be skipped if readers desire, but I found that even though I was confused, I wanted to read them to gain knowledge of this mysterious game.
I’m not going to run out and start playing bridge, but thanks to Sachar, I can now appreciate the dedication and seriousness true players have for the game. Whatever you might feel about the game of bridge, THE CARDTURNER is a heartwarming and attention-grabbing novel. Even though this is billed as YA fiction, I’m passing it on to a bridge-playing friend of my mother’s, and I know she’s going to love it.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka “Readingjunky”
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m a big fan of HOLES as well as a bridge player, so I figured to enjoy Louis Sachar’s new book for teens, THE CARDTURNER [never mind that my teenage years are long past]. But I LOVED THIS BOOK! You can find the plot in other reviews. I’m going to rave about the writing, the characters, the philosophy, and the plot. Sachar puts you in hero Alton’s head so perfectly that everything Alton does/says/thinks is fully integrated into a sympathetic personality. The other characters are run the gamut of humanity without being stereotypes: spunky kid sister, odious parents, manipulative best friend, cranky elderly uncle, and crazy cousin who turns out to be not so crazy after all.
But THE CARDTURNER is more than a “how I spent my summer” teen novel. The mystery that Alton’s family has tried so hard to conceal is carefully revealed, mental illness and domestic violence rear their ugly heads, the mutual distain between Alton and his elderly uncle slowly becomes respect and admiration, and young love blooms. Add in some ghosts and philosophical discussions for good measure, plus last, but not least, the game of Bridge. If anything can get kids to start playing bridge, this book will do it. Not that this book is merely for kids.
Unfortunately for me, this is one of the crummy things about being a novelist myself. I used to read fantastic novels that left me feeling, well, fantastic. Reading Sachar’s latest work certainly does that, but it also leaves me said knowing that I’ll never be able to write so well. Sigh.
Maggie Anton
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Rating: 5 / 5