Customer Reviews

The Cardturner: A Novel About Imperfect Partners and Infinite Possibilities

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alton Richards (not Richard Alton like some of his teachers call him) has always known that wealthy Lester Trapp is his favorite uncle. He loves him. At least, that's what his mother tells him to say every time Trapp and Alton talk on the phone. But when Trapp's health problems lead to his blindness and Alton is roped into being the old man's "cardturner" at his bridge club...Alton has to decide his feelings for himself--along with his feelings for Toni Castaneda, Trapp's niece by marriage and former cardturner according to most, contender for the fortune according to Alton's mom. But he soon learns that Toni might not be as crazy as his mom says, that bridge may not be as boring as he thought, and that not all coincidences are mere coincidences.
Ok, this time I'm skipping all the educated, literary-sounding praise. Getting straight to the point: I loved The Cardturner. Like Sachar's previous masterpiece, Holes, The Cardturner hides layer upon layer of meaning with the utmost subtlety...yet is so straightforward about it all that you will trust the narrator implicitly. I know my summary is slightly convoluted; a more simple way to put it is that this book is all about bridges. Yeah, the game bridge of course, which you will find delightfully, surprisingly exciting, but so much more... The bridges we build from one person to another...one idea to another... to friends, strangers, God, our own subconscious minds.
Ok, and if anyone suddenly has a strong desire to start up a bridge club after reading this (it wouldn't surprise me), I so want to be in on it.

This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. I was initially skeptical about a book with so much bridge in it. I've never played bridge, a mathematical, complex card game that seems to only be played by British characters in books. But I'm a fan of Louis Sacher, writer of _Sideways Stories from Wayside School_ and the Newbery-winning _Holes_, so I picked it up. I found myself interested in bridge as a game, and riveted by the underlying story about a rich uncle, an inheritance, and a woman who went mad under mysterious circumstances in the past.

Sacher's skills as a storyteller and polish as a writer only continue to grow. His treatment of Alton's feelings about his friendships and his family is gentle and skillful (and about his family, Alton's parents are hilariously awful and his sister is great). Sacher has kept the sense of humor and his imagination that distinguished his earlier books, but added to it a psychological subtlety that made it an exceptionally pleasing reading experience.

It's hard not to feel sorry for seventeen-year-old Alton Richards when his parents rope him into driving his cranky, blind, great-Uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week - during summer vacation, no less. Even worse: Alton must be Uncle Lester's eyes during this old-fashioned game; his cardturner.

As the summer wears on, Alton, in turn, learns the game of bridge requires players to look beyond the surface, which extends to the way he perceives his uncle. Despite his blindness, Uncle Lester is quite insightful.

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar is a wholly original story that breaks so many rules of what should be an interesting book for teens. It's about bridge - a game for old people and not even parent old, more like grandparent old. I can assure you, the author manages to make the subject not only a good read, but you may even consider playing bridge because the book provides some "how to" tips as a bonus.

In his Newbery Award winning Holes, Mr. Sachar broke a few rules, too. And I, for one, hope that he continues to be his wonderful non-conformist self , writing about whatever subject or story moves him.
-- Reviewed by Michelle Delisle

This is probably going to be the worst review and make no sense, because I honestly can't put into words why and how much I loved this book. I'd seen it around and read a review that piqued my interest. But bridge, in a book for teenagers? How interesting could that be?

Turns out it makes for a great story and one that is so unique and different from anything else I've read. Alton is a very likeable character and I love his narration and observations on life. Alton is a nice guy, he still talks to his best friend even though his girlfriend dumped him and started dating said best friend. He doesn't complain too much about having to play bridge. He's not a mysterious bad boy type, but a nice normal teen. He's the type of guy I would have had a crush on in high school.

Toni provides some of the spunk in the book. She's Trapp's great-niece so while Alton knows of Toni, they are on opposite sides of Trapp's family and Trapp is the one that connects them. Toni is hilarious and while she starts out as being somewhat odd, I really liked her and thought she was a great counterpart to Alton's character.

Even though The Cardturner is about Alton and Toni, it's mostly about Trapp and Annabel, Trapp's former bridge partner and Toni's grandmother. Their story is heartbreaking and how it connects and intertwines with Alton and Toni is pitch-perfect storytelling. They connect slowly and the way the two stories unfold keep the reader interested and engaged and just made the book for me.

The Cardturner, even with all it's great characters and storytelling, is ultimately a book about bridge. The author likens this to telling a story about baseball to aliens-it's not going to make a lot of sense. The way Mr. Sachar makes it work is that he uses a whale (inspired by Alton's annoyance over the fact that Moby Dick has long boring passages that aren't about whale hunting). In the book, these passages are marked by a whale, and that's when you know long technical information about bridge is coming up. Readers can skim or skip these parts and just read the basic overview at the end of each bridge passage or they can read them and try to learn more about the game. I listened to this one on audio, so these passages are marked by the sound of a foghorn. I tried to pay attention, but I still don't know that much about bridge!

The Cardturner has such a strange premise that it's going to be a hard sell to readers, but if you can get them to pick it up, it's worth it. I tried to booktalk it the other day and I couldn't exactly explain why I loved it so much so I just had to offer up the good ol "just trust me on this one." There's just a bit of magic to this book and the way everything comes together is why I finished the book smiling and adding it to my Printz picks for 2011. Just trust me on this one.

Gold Star Award Winner!

"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"

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.

This is a story about an 18 year old boy (Alton) who is told by his mother to spend time with his "favorite uncle" who may not have long to live. This uncle is wealthy, and Alton's mom and dad hope to get something out of this. Lester, also known as Trapp, is blind, and a bridge (the card game) fanatic. Being blind, Trapp needs someone to turn the cards and read them to him. Alton is the guy. Not excited at spending his summer this way, Alton gets drawn into the bridge-playing world of his uncle, into both the game and the people who are part of it. This turns out to be a sweet novel of a boy's relationship with a crusty, older man. Alton also finds himself involved with past family intrigue, and summer romance, and a card game that draws him in. As a child, I had played some bridge, and so I was fascinated by the bridge aspects of the novel. This is not just meant for readers who already know the game. I think you will enjoy it even if you don't play bridge. Louis Sachar's writing alone is enough to make this a fun read. The characters and world come alive here.

I give this an enthusiastic recommendation for adults. I think that a more intellectual teen would enjoy this as well. Kids who are open to fantasy fiction might see the world of serious bridge as an equally new world to explore, and the author certainly makes the path there easy and fun. Any young person who is serious about games like chess or Scrabble would totally love this. I fear that this may not be as widely read because it is marketed as a young adult novel when it is even more an excellent novel for adults. I listened to the audio-book, read by the author, and that was a real treat. Check out this treasure of a novel!

Like a few other reviewers, I generally don't novels with overly technical passages, which is why I appreciated the whale symbol [which invites you to skip over the technical part and go straight to the boxed short summary]. However, this was the coolest novel ever. The premise was original and was carried through pretty elegantly. The characters were funny and complex, and Alton [the main character] was a really great main character [as was Lester]. Even though this was marketed to teen/YA readers, I think it would work well for adults. I was impressed with the novel's subtlety, and I'd like to re-read it soon.

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.

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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