I read 'The Queen's Gambit' over thirty years ago, having picked up the book by chance having never heard of its author Walter Tevis (perhaps most famous for having written 'The Hustler'). I loved it, and now, it has finally come to the television screen. If I remember correctly, the book was somewhat darker than the series is; I don't remember the central character as being so physically attractive (and in general, we see a glamourisation of now historic aesthetics), and in addition, the novel was skilfully economical, whereas in places, the adaptation takes unecessary time. But fundamentally, it also succeeds where the book did: in making the story of the rise of a female chess player in the era of the Cold War seem fundamentally thrilling, even if one cannot follow the positions on the board. It may not be perfect, but it's a skillful and engrossing translation of the original work.