The Cardturner

By Louis Sachar

The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him to hook up with his best friend. He has no money and no job. His parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner -- whatever that means. Alton's uncle is old, blind, very sick, and very rich. But Alton's parents aren't the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp's good graces. They're in competition with his longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family, who seem to have a mysterious influence over him.

Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda. As the summer goes on, he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life. Through Alton's wry observations, Louis Sachar explores the disparity between what you know and what you think you know. With his incomparable flair and inventiveness, he examines the elusive differences between perception and reality -- and inspires readers to think and think again.


From the Hardcover edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9780385670210

Louis Sachar

When Louis Sachar was going to school, his teachers always pronounced his name wrong. Now that he has become a popular author of children’s books, teachers all over the country are pronouncing his name wrong. It should be pronounced “Sacker,” like someone who tackles quarterbacks or someone who stuffs potatoes into sacks. Mr. Sachar's first book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, was accepted for publication during his first year of law school. After receiving his law degree, he spent six years asking himself whether he wanted to be an author or a lawyer before deciding to write for children full-time. His books include Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Wayside School Is Falling Down, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, and Holes, winner of a Newbery Medal and National Book Award.

Reviews for The Cardturner

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This made me really want to learn to play bridge, despite the fact that I understood very little of what was going on in the card games. Despite the fact that I loved this book and greatly enjoyed all of it, it kind of gave me a sense of dread as I read it. I kept expecting something super awful to happen, right up to the very end. Speaking of the end, I was expecting a little more, somehow. I mean, it was a great ending at all. But like, the very last actual paragraph. I turned the page expecting more, only to find that there was no more. Kind of disappointing.Nevertheless, I loved it.

[spockmonkeys · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It is an interesting story, but you have to love the card game of contract bridge to love this book. A good chunk of the book is devoted to teaching the reader the rules of bridge.

[tshrope · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book by Louis Sachar even though it was mostly about Bridge, the very complicated card game of which I knew very little about until I read this. Amongst the bids and play, there is a side story about a young boy, Alton Richards, who becomes his blind Great Uncle Trapp's cardturner at Bridge tournaments. Along the way he learns not only how to play bridge, but learns the art of unspoken communication, a respect for the elderly, and how to be a real winner. There is a second side story about Trapp and Annabelle King (Trapp's old bridge partner, and love of his life) set during the Eisenhower and Nixon admininistrations.

Sachar is a wonderful storyteller and can take any subject and make it interesting, even Bridge. I was admittedly lost in a lot of the more complicated Bridge playing, but that didn't deter my enjoyment of the story.

I listened to this on audio and Sachar was the narrator. You would think that authors that read their own work would be the perfect narrator knowing where all the right inflections and pauses should go. I have found this generally not to be the case (Neil Gaimen is the exception to this.). Sachar is wooden in many places and almost seems to stumble in some areas of the reading. Overall it was a decent reading, but I think a professional actor would have probably done a better job.

This was an ambitious undertaking by Sachar to write a story for Young Adults mostly about Bridge, and I wonder how many YA's will actually read it. Probably not many-maybe if he had had them all be vampires playing Bridge...

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I hadn't read any of Sachar's YA books since I was a child myself, devouring the Wayside School series. The Cardturner captivated me from the beginning. The narrator has a conversational tone that pulled me in and kept me close, yet there were many surprises throughout the book. It almost got a little supernatural at the climax, but it didn't seem overtly so, and didn't take away from the story. I absolutely love Sachar's easy writing style.

[karenball_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Alton Richards is 17, newly single since his girlfriend dumped him for his best friend, and jobless for the summer. His parents' solution is to insist that he become his sick and blind great-uncle Lester Trapp's driver and bridge tournament cardturner. Alton's parents want him to get close to Trapp, so he'll write the family into his will and they'll get money when he dies. They aren't the only people after Trapp's money though... he has a longtime housekeeper, and young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family has some dibs on him too. Alton has no idea how to play bridge, but he doesn't have to -- all he has to do is take Trapp aside, tell him what cards are in his hand, and then go back to the table and put down whatever card Trapp says he should. As Alton learns the game, he also learns that some of the stories his parents have told about Trapp and the Castanedas over the years have not exactly been accurate, and there are some interesting family secrets floating around. Lots of Sachar's humor, and lots of game and family related puzzles to figure out! Original, with a bit of a ghost story at the end (and little whales marking the "bridge strategy sections" with boxed summary explanations you can skip to). Love the characters! 7th grade strong readers and up.

[mtome_48 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the characters in the book, specially how determined Alton's mother was on getting an inheritance. The Bridge terms and playing I did not understand but it did spark my interest. It is funny how things work out at the end, not unlike other Sachar story endings.

[lindamamak · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Was not sure about this book at first because I wondered it students could relate to a card game such as bridge. However Sachar develops the story so that all can appreciate the story.

[knitwit2_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such a delightful book! I loved the characters, if you're a Bridge player you'll love it. If not, you can skip the technical stuff because the text indicates what is technical. Can't recommend it enough. Alton is a sweet boy who has absolutely met his match in Toni. Every character learns important life lessons, and even those of us who have already learned these lesssons will benefit from the reminder.

[kreierso_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Who would have thought a book about a boy learning to play bridge while coming of age and meeting his first love could be so much fun. I found myself laughing outloud as I read this book but Sachar's previous book Holes did the same thing for me.

[willacather · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Great story, but you have to either know something about Bridge or want to learn.

[rvolenti · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The plot, characters, and story are okay. Nothing terrible but nothing amazing. It did make me want to play bridge, however.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alton's appalling parents insist that he suck up to a wealthy great uncle - but Alton find the world of bridge more interesting than he expected. By turning cards for his blind uncle, Alton learns the thrill of a well-played game, and meets new friends worthy of his respect and affection. Poor Alton, his self-entitled parents are beyond icky, his ex-girlfriend is vapid, his best friends, well, stole his girlfriend. His sister is the only decent person he seems to know. And when he meets his uncle and uncle's relations by marriage he sees through his parents scorn to find a love story. And how refreshing to read a love story where the love of a game trumps the love of a girl. Romance takes a backseat here, and Alton's growing respect for his uncle, his understanding of the history of his uncle's family, and his exposure to different people in the bridge community are more important - as is his fascination with the game itself. I've never played bridge, but I've played games with tricks and trumps, so I didn't find the bridge instructions difficult to follow, but I appreciate the little summaries for readers who aren't interested in following the games.I'd give this to kids looking for realistic family stories, and also sports stories, just to see what they think about the idea of bridge as a sport.

[unoriginality · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Cardturner is about something no one would right about, especially for the Young Adult audience. Bridge. Somehow, out of something that no one of the age group would want to read, Sacha makes the magic happen but putting in emotional twists that keep the reader occupied. Alton becomes his grandfather's cardturner after complications to diabetes blind him. A cardturner assists a bridge player by playing the cards for them, and telling the cards in the player's hand. However, they cannot tell what play to make. That isn't it. Everyone knows Alton's grandfather is going to die soon. Alton's family is in desperate need of money, the Castaneda's are close friends of Lester's (the grandfather), and Mrs. Mahoney is Lester's made. Oh yeah, and Lester is filthy stinking rich. Throughout the story, the reader learns the basics of bridge, Alton uncovers inch by inch Lester's relationship with the Castaneda's, and everyone is trying to get in Lester's will. In other words, a must-read.

[mamzel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My grandmother taught me how to play bridge so I could play with her and her friends while I was visiting during the summer. I enjoyed the game and I realized there was a lot more to the game than what she was able to teach me. I read the columns in the paper but still realized that reading and doing were two different things.Alton's Uncle Trapp has no children but he does have other relatives who are trying to ingratiate themselves with him in the hope that he will remember them in his will. He is blind and he has "fired" his card turner so Alton is recruited to drive Trapp to his bridge tournaments and be his eyes during play. Alton knows nothing about bridge but Trapp thinks that is better anyway so that there is no chance that Alton can give away any information.We learn about Trapp and his relationship with Alton as we pick up information about how to play bridge as well as the wide, wide world of bridge tournaments. While I am aware how champion chess players can play without seeing the board, I never considered how a blind person could keep hands and played cards in their head. This kind of thing always make me feel more inadequate since I could never play at that level sighted. I thought that a book with bridge as a focus would be boring but I ended up liking it very much. I think it might be a hard sell to kids who know nothing about the game but it might interest some in looking for a venue to try and learn the game. That would really be great!

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful story by Louis Sachar. It's a beautifully laid out story of family, young love and bridge. I admit the bridge part still kind of has me fuzzy headed, but I think the target audience will forgive Sachar his addiction and read right along. Our hero, highschooler Alton Richards, has picked up the strangest summer job. He's driving his blind Uncle Lester to his weekly bridge game and turning the cards for him. His previous turner, Toni Castaneda, made the mistake of asking Uncle Lester if he was sure about a play. I'm still not sure about a lot of the bridge moves, but this certainly a story worth reading.

[lostinthecrowd789 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I feel in love with this book. I thought it was very funny.

[libraryclerk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun read. Learned a bit about the game of bridge though don't plan to make it something I do.

[papersister · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun book to read. Almost immediately I got sucked into reading it and wanting to know more about the characters. I tried really hard to figure out the parts about bridge but I never quite got the hang of it. Despite that it was pretty enjoyable.

[pamelawalker_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alton has to be his rich Uncle Lesters cardturner because he has become blind. Alton knows nothing about the game f Bridge but soon develops an interest in it as well as in Toni, the previous cardturner. A well written book which also explains the principals behind the game of Bridge.

[beemo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I tried playing bridge many years ago but gave up because it was just too hard to be enjoyable, but...the book makes it sound fun. I really liked this book until the very end. It was just wrapped up a bit too neatly. And Alton's parents were completely despicable. They pissed me off.

[kcpiano_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of a nephew whose uncle is an avid bridge player, but has gone blind. Alton is forced to be his uncle's cardturner. I liked this book because it made me laugh out loud. The characters are all so real and expertly described from a high school boy's point of view. I felt like I was entering into Alton's world. He's funny, sarcastic, honest and vulnerable as the narrator of this story. There is a good amount of information about the game of bridge, but with the option of skipping it and reading the summary boxes instead. Nice.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I know nothing about bridge, and was probably the only person on the planet who didn't like the book, "Holes", I really enjoyed The Cardturner. Alton Richards, the narrator, is in the summer before grade 11, and ends up with the job of being both the chauffeur and the card turner for his blind, bridge-playing rich uncle Lester. His uncle has such an incredible memory, that he is able to play an entire hand once Alton has told him which cards are in his hand. The book is not just about playing bridge - there is some history, some romance, and some spiritual channeling that are also part of the story. It won't be for everyone, but I found it a very enjoyable read, and now I also seriously want to learn how to play bridge!

[kclaire_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I would put this book in the realistic fiction category it has an element of magic realism. The book made me want to learn how to play bridge. Loved this book!

[kimjd_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listening to Louis Sachar narrate the audio version was a real treat. Who knew he could turn bridge competitions into such an entertaining story? 17-year-old Alton Richards is such an engaging protagonist, and the family dynamics throughout the story are hilarious. A tad too mature for my elementary library, but it's a must for middle schools and high schools!

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very impressive - Sachar *almost* managed to make Bridge interesting. I stink at trick-taking games, though, even Hearts and Euchre. I'd've liked the story more, except that some of the supporting characters were so ugly. Not until the end did we understand Alton's understanding of and r'ship to Cliff, and I never understood why Alton's parents were so iconographically shallow.

[katiecarella · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought I'd really love this book, but it didn't end up being the story I hoped it would. I did, however, learn a lot about the game of bridge and now I'm totally going to learn how to play! Platinum Masterpoints here I come! :)

[maggie.anton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

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 makes me realize that I'll never be able to write so well. Sigh.

[diavoletto-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i thought the book was kinda weird

[bruff96 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Truly enjoyable. I found myself wanting to know more. This is the book that made me want to play bridge

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by the author. Readers will either enjoy this because they like Louis Sachar's work and are intrigued enough to want to learn bridge, or they'll be annoyed because they don't get the descriptions of the game. I would say don't be too afraid to try this book. While it is about a card game that most young people are not familiar with, it is also a satisfying story about Alton's relationship with his so-called favorite Uncle Lester and how the game of bridge enriches Alton's life in unexpected ways. There is even a bit of spiritual channeling going on. I admit I more or less tuned out the bridge descriptions. If, however, you are into bridge, you will LOVE this book.