The King Is Dead
Stories
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Standard 30-day free trial
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The King Is Dead
Narrated by:
Christopher Grove, Lee Osorio, Max Meyers, Philip Hernandez, Mark Bramhall
Buy Now for £18.79
-
Narrated by:
-
Christopher Grove
-
Lee Osorio
-
Max Meyers
-
Philip Hernandez
-
Mark Bramhall
-
By:
-
Walter Tevis
About this listen
Walter Tevis is widely regarded as a master for both his gritty poolhall novels and his brilliant rendering of the world of competitive chess. This long overdue collection establishes Tevis's rightful place as a maestro of the short form, as well. Bringing together the 1981 short story collection Far From Home with a host of other previously unpublished stories from journals and magazines, this entertaining collection showcases Tevis's characteristic perceptiveness, empathy, and range.
In one story, a man receives a phone call from his future self and follows their instructions to unpreditcable, calamitous results. In another, a famous actor and a young actress showcase their talent for acting both on and off the stage. Here also are five short stories set in poolhalls, including one that features Fast Eddie Felson and another that was the basis for the novel The Hustler. Here also is his first fictional foray into chess, with a ranked chess player finding fellowship in the prison yard with another player.
In all of them, Tevis reminds again and again why his writing has long been revered for its roving curiosity and innate humanity.
Critic reviews
Praise for Walter Tevis's The King is Dead
"A glorious book. . . . As a plotter, Tevis was an efficient storyteller: he didn’t usually go in for wild twists and big shocks. As a stylist, he was remarkably subtle; his prose was lean and unadorned, his characters sketched in a few well-chosen words. But there is a dramatic weight to his stories that makes them deeply satisfying—small moments that make us take a second look at a character, or a slight shift in tone that changes the direction of a story. A fine introduction to Tevis’ masterful writing.” —Booklist [starred review]
"A glorious book. . . . As a plotter, Tevis was an efficient storyteller: he didn’t usually go in for wild twists and big shocks. As a stylist, he was remarkably subtle; his prose was lean and unadorned, his characters sketched in a few well-chosen words. But there is a dramatic weight to his stories that makes them deeply satisfying—small moments that make us take a second look at a character, or a slight shift in tone that changes the direction of a story. A fine introduction to Tevis’ masterful writing.” —Booklist [starred review]
No reviews yet